The Aragonese Castle rises above an outcropping of trachytic rock connected
to the western banks of the island of Ischia by a 220 metre long brick
bridge.It reaches a height of 113 metres above sea level and has a surface area of approximately 56,000 m2. Entry is gained by a footpath or by means of a modern lift installed at the end of the 1970's.
The first section of the footpath passes through a tunnel dug out of the
rock (by the determination of Alfonso I of Aragon in the middle of the
fourteen hundreds) and then continues outside until reaching the highest
part where the Tower is located. Other smaller roads split from this main
road, which serve the buildings and the gardens of the fortress. The lift
instead reaches a height of 60 metres above sea level and its path is
entirely within the rock.
The royal residence is an indisputable dominating image of the Castle,
called the Tower (which cannot be visited), and is positioned at the highest
point facing north-west, and the dome of Church of the Virgin Mary, central
counterpoint of the entire outcropping.
In the Aragonese Castle of Ischia, apart from Il Monastero, there are: the
baroque style Church of the Virgin Mary, built in the 18th century; the
entrance hall, the courtyard and the terrace of the Clarisse nuns Convent
that was founded by the abbess Beatrice Quadra in 1575; the ruins of the
Cathedral dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, built in 1301 by the
people of the destroyed city of Gronda, which in 1509 saw the wedding of the
princess Vittoria Colonna and the marquis of Pescara Ferrante d'Avalos; St.
Peter's vault having frescoed walls with depictions of the School of Giotto
from 1300; St. Peter's church of Pantaniello from the 16th century; the
prisons where political prisoners such as Poerio, Pironti, Nisco, Agresti
and many other famous people from the Italian Risorgimento were held; the
Cafeteria of the Monastery which faces the magnificent bay of St. Anna; the
defensive walls and embankments with communication trenches, internal
gunneries and patrol areas.
The castle is constantly animated with prestigious cultural shows such as
art exhibitions, concerts, theatre and conferences which make the guest's
stay even more pleasurable in this place where the beauty of nature and the
fascination of history blend together in perfect harmony.
