Ischia (island)
| Ischia | ||
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| Waters |
Gulf of Naples , Tyrrhenian Sea |
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| Archipelago | Phlegraean Islands | |
| Geographical location | 40 ° 43 '12 " N , 13 ° 54' 38" E | |
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| length | 9.9 km | |
| width | 7.2 km | |
| surface | 46.3 km² | |
| Highest elevation | Monte Epomeo 789 m |
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| Residents | 67,544 (2016) 1459 inhabitants / km² |
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| main place | Ischia | |
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Ischia [ ˈiskja ] ( ) is an Italian island. With 46 km² it is the largest island in the Gulf of Naples . The main island of the Phlegraean Islands belongs to the metropolitan city of Naples in Campania .
geography
Ischia is of volcanic origin. The highest point is the Monte Epomeo with 789 m.
Around 80,000 years ago a volcano in the area of what is now the island produced huge amounts of pumice and ash (20 to 40 cubic kilometers; in one of the strongest volcanic eruptions in historical times, that of Krakatau in 1883, it was only 18 cubic kilometers). Due to the cavity created in the underground, the roof collapsed and the sediment sank below sea level. Renewed penetration of lava into the subsurface lifted the layers above - the present-day island was created - and in the process split them into staggered fractures . In the north the floe rose more strongly, so that the drop from Monte Epomeo there is steeper.
Lava emerged along the fault lines (last eruption in 1301), and even today hot water (in places almost 100 ° C) penetrates as natural fumaroles (Maronti beach) or in boreholes.
The island has a little over 67,500 inhabitants and is divided into six municipalities: Ischia (with the districts Porto and Ponte), Casamicciola Terme , Lacco Ameno , Forio , Serrara Fontana and Barano d'Ischia .
Ischia Porto is the economic center of the island, as the main ferry traffic between the island and the mainland is handled here, and Forio is the cultural center.
The area of the sciatica is approximately 46.3 km². The island's circumference is around 34 km.
Flora and fauna
The island has a very high biodiversity. Lizards and geckos can be found almost everywhere. Numerous species of butterflies and other insects can be observed.
The north of the island is more densely overgrown, and due to the climate, many cultivated plants grow very well (wine, tomatoes, lemons, figs, pomegranates, dates). The island is cultivated intensively up to steep regions.
climate
In the tourist season (around June to the beginning of October), the maximum daily temperatures are between 26 ° C and 35 ° C. In summer there are an average of four rainy days per month, the sea is 21 ° C warm or warmer from June to October.
history
From Greek settlement to the 9th century
Ischia was founded in the second quarter of the 8th century BC. . AD by Greek colonists from Chalcis and Eretria colonized the island Pithekoussai called ( Greek. Πιθηκούσσαι ). This name is often derived from πίθηκος = monkey, but more probable is an origin of πίθος = a large clay vessel ( pithos ) due to the large clay deposits on the island, as Pliny Maior already reported. A few decades later, the Greek settlers left Ischia and founded the city of Kyme on the opposite mainland .
The famous " Nestor Cup " comes from Ischia , with the oldest known inscription in Greek . This find is now in the Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae .
The subsequent Romans referred to the island as Aenaria . In 831 Muslim Saracens built a pirate base on the island .
From the 19th century
In 1883 an earthquake destroyed the towns of Casamicciola Terme and Lacco Ameno.
Ischia developed into a well-known artist colony at the beginning of the 20th century. Writers and painters from around the world were drawn in. Eduard Bargheer , Hans Purrmann and Arrigo Wittler lived on the island. Rudolf Levy , Werner Gilles , Max Peiffer Watenphul with Kurt Craemer and Vincent Weber stayed in the fishing village of Sant'Angelo on the southern tip of the island shortly before the outbreak of World War II . At the beginning of the 1950s, Forio was home to a considerable colony of writers, composers and visual artists, including Ingeborg Bachmann . Elizabeth Taylor and Luchino Visconti stayed here to film.
Personalities
Towards the end of the Roman Republic, the island belonged to Octavian, who later became Emperor Augustus , but who owned it in 29 BC. For the island of Capri .
The stage and film actor Eduardo Ciannelli (1889–1969) was born on Ischia .
The English composer Sir William Walton lived and died on Ischia. His wife Susana built the park " La Mortella " according to plans by the garden architect Russell Page , in which the ashes of Walton were also buried.
Attractions
The Castello Aragonese in Ischia Ponte is a fortress located on a rock - just off the coast. On the rock is a garden with olive trees, oleanders, cacti, palm trees and many other plants. The fortress, which is now privately owned and can be visited, has been captured and occupied by many conquerors since the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, families, nuns, priests and princes lived on the rock at the peak of 1890.
In the nun's crypt, armchairs were erected in a small vault along the walls. These had an opening in the seat. If a nun died, the corpse was placed on such an armchair and decayed in this position. The escaping body fluids flowed through the opening in the seat and dripped into a special vessel that was placed under the armchair. If the body was completely skeletonized, it was placed in a special bone room. The living nuns spent several hours a day in this crypt meditating on death. Due to the bad air and the partially poisoned climate in the nuns' crypt, many of them died prematurely.
Since the island is of volcanic origin, there are several medicinal baths on the island. The hot springs feed in several places on the island baths with a variety of pools with different temperatures. A special feature is its radon content, which is said to have a special healing effect.
Arrival and transport
Apart from the helipad of a luxury hotel, the island can only be reached by ferry, either from Naples or Pozzuoli . The easiest way to get to the Neapolitan pier Molo Beverello from Naples Airport or Napoli Centrale Train Station is with the Alibus , which runs every 20 minutes.
With the ferry ( traghetto ) the crossing from the port "Porta di Massa" in Naples takes about one and a half hours.
Catamarans and hydrofoils ( Aliscafi ) go faster, but more expensive and only without a car, from Beverello and partly from the separately located Molo Mergellina pier . This crossing takes about 35 to 50 minutes, depending on the type of ship and route. Hydrofoils no longer operate from a certain sea state.
On the island you can use the public bus lines of the EAV (formerly SEPSA), which circumnavigate the island with the CD (clockwise) and CS (counterclockwise) lines, as well as a number of other lines.
Mules with a guide used to be offered for climbing Monte Epomeo . Since the tours are no longer profitable, they were discontinued a few years ago.
From Forio you can also take a bus or taxi to Sant'Angelo in the southernmost tip of the island. The rock village is the only car-free place on the island.
economy
Cures, tourism and other things
Because of the mild climate and the thermal springs, Ischia became a tourist destination very early on, especially for people who sought healing in the springs. Tourism plays the most important role in the island's economy. Various excursion destinations such as ( Naples , Vesuvius , Amalfi Coast , Capri , Herculaneum , Paestum and a visit to the neighboring island of Procida ) can be booked from the island .
Around 5 million visitors come to Ischia every year, including 500,000 Germans, but their number has been falling since 2001. In contrast, the number of Russian guests is increasing. 5000 German citizens have settled on Ischia.
In second place is fishing , mostly operated by local families.
The once important branch of the fine basket weaving industry now only exists in remnants that have been used for folklore and tourism.
Viticulture
Viticulture is traditionally cultivated by the seniors in order to supply the family-owned hotel or restaurant. White and red wines with the designation Ischia DOC are produced all over the island , which have had a "controlled designation of origin " (Denominazione di origine controllata - DOC ) since 1966 , last confirmed on March 7, 2014.
The following varieties are grown:
- Ischia Bianco (also called Superiore and Spumante ) are mainly made from the Forastera and Biancolella grape varieties .
- Ischia Rosso consists mainly of Guarnaccia and Piedirosso (locally also called "Per 'e palummo").
- Furthermore, wines with the mention of a grape variety are also marketed. The grape variety mentioned must be at least 85% included. They are: Ischia Forastera , Ischia Biancolella and Ischia Piedirosso .
Rabbit breeding
A special type of rabbit was bred on Ischia, which is primarily related to the demands of agriculture in the vineyards and fields from which the optimal form of natural animal breeding arose: the pit rabbit. The numerous holes and pits on the island, which were created by the extraction of soil for viticulture, are now used for rabbit breeding. The animals can move around and dig in freedom, which they would never do if kept in cages. The breeders also feed them with local herbs and plants. The rabbits are slaughtered on site and are a special regional specialty on the plate.
In the media
Movies
The well-known comedy film Avanti, Avanti! from 1972 by Billy Wilder , who paints a folkloric picture of the island in the early 1970s. Ischia was used as a location and backdrop in other films:
- 1952 The Crimson Pirate ( The Crimson Pirate , USA).
- In 1957 Romy Schneider played a local young woman in Scampolo .
- In 1959, the film Nur die Sonne was Zeuge ( Plein Soleil , F / I) with Alain Delon in the leading role was shot largely on Ischia. Ischia represents the fictional place Mongibello . Even the remake of The Talented Mr. Ripley ( The Talented Mr. Ripley , USA 1999) was filmed on Ischia.
- 1961 Freddy and the Millionaire , a German / Italian comedy film with Freddy Quinn and Heinz Erhardt .
- 1961 rendezvous in Ischia with Domenico Modugno .
- 1963 Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton .
- In 1966, St. Angelo, in the south of the island, served as the backdrop for scenes from the fictional coastal town of Sevalio in the film Hunt the fox! ( Caccia alla volpe , F / GB / I) with Peter Sellers and Britt Ekland .
- 1972 Avanti, Avanti! with Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills .
- In 2009 the French director Benoît Jacquot shot the film Villa Amalia on Ischia with Isabelle Huppert in the leading role. A detached villa between Porto D'Ischia and Casamicciola was used as the location. This film also marked the beginning of the seventh Ischia Film Festival in the same year.
watch TV
In 2010 the Italian television channel Canale 5 started the TV series I delitti del cuoco , in which Bud Spencer plays a retired police officer who opens a restaurant on the island. In the mid-1990s, some of the storylines in the series Lindenstrasse played on the island.
Books on the subject of Ischia (selection)
- Christine Brückner : Last year on Ischia.
- Truman Capote : Ischia. ( Travel story )
- Edgar Kupfer-Koberwitz : Ischia, the forgotten island.
Web links
- Virtual island tour
- Ischia (island) in the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Strabo V 4,9: "Pithekoussai but founded the Eretrians and the Chalcidians ...". Dating D. Ridgway: The Foundation of Pithekoussai. in: Nouvelle contribution à l'étude de la société et de la colonization eubéennes. ed. v. Center Jean Bérard. Naples 1981, pp. 45-56. ISBN 2-903189-15-3 .
- ↑ so z. B. in Ovid , Metamorphosen XIV, 90.
- ↑ Pliny the Elder : Naturalis Historia 3.82: "Pithecusa, non a simiarum multitudine, ut aliqui existimavere, sed a figlinis doliorum." "Pithecusa, not because of the number of monkeys, as some have suspected, but because of the clay deposits for barrels"
- ^ Ischia Keywords , Süddeutsche Zeitung , accessed on January 25, 2016.
- ↑ a b Disciplinare di Produzione della Denominazione di Origine Controllata (production regulations and description). (PDF) In: ismeamercati.it. November 27, 2017, accessed August 5, 2018 (Italian).
- ↑ a b Harald Steiner: At the healing spring of the queen. Ischia: What a volcano, movie stars and rabbits have to do with each other at www.wiener.zeitung.at; accessed on December 1, 2018.