What to see in Procida, holidays, history and places to visit in one day on this island of Campania with a picturesque harbor with colorful houses.
Tourist information
Located at the north western end of the Gulf of Naples, between the promontory of Capo Miseno and the island of Ischia, Procida is connected via a bridge to the islet of Vivara.
The island, of volcanic origin, has a territory consisting mainly of tufaceous rock, flat in the central part and raised in the south-eastern part with a maximum altitude of 91 m at Terra Murata.
The jagged coasts are characterized by bays and headlands, with an alternation of sandy beaches and rocky stretches overlooking the sea.
It turns out that the island was already inhabited around the VIII century BC. by the Chalcidian Greeks of the island of Euboea. The Romans made it a holiday resort and a place for growing vines.
With the end of the Roman era the island suffered the barbarian invasions of the Vandals and Visigoths, then it was part of the imperial duchy of Naples and was subject to Saracen raids, for this reason watchtowers and a fortified village were built on the promontory of the Earth , which took the name of Terra Casata and later of Terra Murata, refuge for the whole population of the island.
In the twelfth century. Procida became a feudal domain of the Normans, who gave it as a fief together with a part of the mainland, Monte di Miseno, to the family of "Da Procida" who took their name from the island.
In 1339 the last descendant of the Da Procida sold the fiefdom to the Cossa family, a family faithful to the D'Angio dynasty.
In 1529 the island was granted in fiefdom by Charles V of Habsburg to the family of Aquinas d'Aquino of Aragon, who were the lords of the island for another two centuries, the feudal regime on these lands subsequently ended.
The island has always been the target of fierce attacks by Saracen pirates and for this reason the D'Avalos built a second wall around the Borgo di Terra Murata, began construction of the "D'Avalos" Castle and operated a general urban planning renovation of the village.
In the eighteenth century the Bourbons were in power and the historical events of the island merged with those of the Kingdom of Naples. During this period, an important shipbuilding activity also began in Procida which developed considerably until the end of the 19th century.
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What see
- La Terra Murata is the historic center of Procida. For a long time it was for security reasons the only inhabited nucleus of the island since it was perched on a promontory with walls overlooking the sea, in an easily defensible position. The island was formerly divided into areas called "Terre" and the first agglomeration of houses, dating back to the early Middle Ages, took the name of Terra Casata.
In the sixteenth century the inhabited center was fortified by the D’Avalos, lords of the island and the name changed from Terra Casata to Terra Murata. In the village there is the Abbey of San Michele, protector of the island, inside which you can admire a splendid wooden ceiling covered with gold from the 1700s. Very interesting is the Casa del Belvedere, a typical example of Procida's popular building.
- At the foot of the Terra Murata, in a very favorable climatic position, Marina Corricella, an evocative fishing port with houses painted in various colors perched along the cliff. When the Saracen incursions decreased, this locality was the first area to be inhabited after the village of the Terra Murata.
- On the north eastern side of the island is the area of port of Sancho Catholic, which was in the past an important commercial port and home to renowned shipyards.
- On the western side of Procida in a picturesque bay is located Marina Chiaiolella, the main tourist center of the island, with the marina, beaches and bathing establishments.
