Aragonese Castle

Ischia, Italy

Aragonese Castle stands on a volcanic rocky islet that connects to the larger island of Ischia by a causeway (Ponte Aragonese).

The Aragonese Castle is the most impressive historical monument in Ischia, built by Hiero I of Syracuse in 474 BC. At the same time, two towers were built to control enemy fleets' movements. The rock was then occupied by Parthenopeans (the ancient inhabitants of Naples). In 326 BC the fortress was captured by Romans, and then again by the Parthenopeans. In 1441 Alfonso V of Aragon connected the rock to the island with a stone bridge instead of the prior wood bridge, and fortified the walls in order to defend the inhabitants against the raids of pirates.

Around 1700, about 2000 families lived on the islet, including a Poor Clares convent, an abbey of Basilian monks (of the Greek Orthodox Church), the bishop and the seminar, the prince with a military garrison. There were also thirteen churches. In 1809, the British troops laid siege to the island, then under the French command, and shelled it to almost complete destruction. In 1912, the Castle was sold to a private owner. Today the castle is the most visited monument of the island.

It is accessed through a tunnel with large openings which let the light enter. Along the tunnel there is a small chapel consecrated to John Joseph of the Cross (San Giovan Giuseppe della Croce), the patron saint of the island. A more comfortable access is also possible with a modern lift. After arriving outside, it is possible to visit the Church of the Immacolata and the Cathedral of Assunta. The first was built in 1737 on the location of a smaller chapel dedicated to Saint Francis, and closed after the suppression of Convents in 1806 as well as the nunnery of the Clarisses.

The Aragonese Castle of the Ischia is open all year round, every day of the week, from 9am till sunset.

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Ponte Aragonese, Ischia, Italy
See all sites in Ischia

Details

Founded: 474 BCE
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

castelloaragoneseischia.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.ischia.it

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Herculaneum (33,2 km)
National Archaeological Museum (27,6 km)
Teatro di San Carlo (26,7 km)
Royal Palace of Naples (26,6 km)
Castel Sant'Elmo (26,2 km)
San Gregorio Armeno (27,9 km)
Macellum of Naples (28 km)
Sant'Agnello Maggiore Church (27,7 km)
Naples Cathedral (28,2 km)

User Reviews

Matúš Šenšel (13 months ago)
Castle in private hands. Very nice kept. Fantastic views of Ischia and the whole bay, nice cafes, art shop and a gallery in one. Worth the money.
Bonnie Chung (13 months ago)
Great view of Ischia and the castle is amazing. There wasn't as much tourist as I thought there would be, but there were field trips. Still. Not crowded and would go again.
Jack P. (13 months ago)
The castle offers beautiful panoramic views on a clear day. Tickets cost €10 and they only accept cash. To avoid the small elevator, walk directly from the ticket booth away from the hallway that leads to the elevator and you can take a walk path all the way up to the top. the elevator only allows 6 people at a time, and a line can develop on busy days. The walk is not strenuous, but involves many stairs. Wear comfortable shoes and wear sunblock. Highly recommend visiting the cafe at the top of the castle.
Camila Masetti (14 months ago)
Thought for seniors. Elevator, places to sit and rest, toilets. You can spend the afternoon with comfort. Great view. Great gardens. A must see.
Chris Hellowell (14 months ago)
Fantastic place full of 1000 years of history. Be aware there is a lot of steps involved. However you can access most things quite easily. There is a lift to help get you most of the way up. We didn't use that but just took our time. Great 4 hours spent here. Lovely coffee bar.
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Cochem Castle

The original Cochem Castle, perched prominently on a hill above the Moselle River, served to collect tolls from passing ships. Modern research dates its origins to around 1100. Before its destruction by the French in 1689, the castle had a long and fascinating history. It changed hands numerous times and, like most castles, also changed its form over the centuries.

In 1151 King Konrad III ended a dispute over who should inherit Cochem Castle by laying siege to it and taking possession of it himself. That same year it became an official Imperial Castle (Reichsburg) subject to imperial authority. In 1282 it was Habsburg King Rudolf’s turn, when he conquered the Reichsburg Cochem and took it over. But just 12 years later, in 1294, the newest owner, King Adolf of Nassau pawned the castle, the town of Cochem and the surrounding region in order to finance his coronation. Adolf’s successor, Albrecht I, was unable to redeem the pledge and was forced to grant the castle to the archbishop in nearby Trier and the Electorate of Trier, which then administered the Reichsburg continuously, except for a brief interruption when Trier’s Archbishop Balduin of Luxembourg had to pawn the castle to a countess. But he got it back a year later.

The Electorate of Trier and its nobility became wealthy and powerful in large part due to the income from Cochem Castle and the rights to shipping tolls on the Moselle. Not until 1419 did the castle and its tolls come under the administration of civil bailiffs (Amtsmänner). While under the control of the bishops and electors in Trier from the 14th to the 16th century, the castle was expanded several times.

In 1688 the French invaded the Rhine and Moselle regions of the Palatinate, which included Cochem and its castle. French troops conquered the Reichsburg and then laid waste not only to the castle but also to Cochem and most of the other surrounding towns in a scorched-earth campaign. Between that time and the Congress of Vienna, the Palatinate and Cochem went back and forth between France and Prussia. In 1815 the western Palatinate and Cochem finally became part of Prussia once and for all.

Louis Jacques Ravené (1823-1879) did not live to see the completion of his renovated castle, but it was completed by his son Louis Auguste Ravené (1866-1944). Louis Auguste was only two years old when construction work at the old ruins above Cochem began in 1868, but most of the new castle took shape from 1874 to 1877, based on designs by Berlin architects. After the death of his father in 1879, Louis Auguste supervised the final stages of construction, mostly involving work on the castle’s interior. The castle was finally completed in 1890. Louis Auguste, like his father, a lover of art, filled the castle with an extensive art collection, most of which was lost during the Second World War.

In 1942, during the Nazi years, Ravené was forced to sell the family castle to the Prussian Ministry of Justice, which turned it into a law school run by the Nazi government. Following the end of the war, the castle became the property of the new state of Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate). In 1978 the city of Cochem bought the castle for 664,000 marks.

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