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.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

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 (29 days 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 (29 days 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. (30 days 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 (2 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 (2 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.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Must-see historic sighs in Luxembourg
Photo from Flickr, copyright damiankania550

Historic Site of the week

Moszna Castle

The Moszna Castle is one of the best known monuments in the western part of Upper Silesia. The history of this building begins in the 17th century, although much older cellars were found in the gardens during excavations carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the investigators, including H. Barthel, claimed that those cellars could have been remnants of a presumed Templar castle, but their theory has never been proved. After World War II, further excavations discovered a medieval palisade.

The central part of the castle is an old baroque palace which was partially destroyed by fire on the night of April 2, 1896 and was reconstructed in the same year in its original form by Franz Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. The reconstruction works involved an extension of the residence. The eastern Neogothic-styled wing of the building was built by 1900, along with an adjacent orangery. In 1912-1914, the western wing was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. The architectural form of the castle contains a wide variety of styles, thus it can be generally defined as eclectic.

The height of the building, as well as its numerous turrets and spires, give the impression of verticalism. The whole castle has exactly ninety-nine turrets. Inside, it contains 365 rooms. The castle was twice visited by the German Emperor Wilhelm II. His participation in hunting during his stay at the castle was documented in a hand-written chronicle in 1911 as well as in the following year. The castle in Moszna was the residence of a Silesian family Tiele-Winckler who were industrial magnates, from 1866 until the spring of 1945 when they were forced to move to Germany and the castle was occupied by the Red Army. The period of the Soviet control caused significant damage to the castle's internal fittings in comparison to the minor damage caused by WWII.

After World War II the castle did not have a permanent owner and was the home of various institutions until 1972 when it became a convalescent home. Later it became a Public Health Care Centre for Therapies of Neuroses. Nowadays it can be visited by tourists since the health institution has moved to another building in the neighbourhood. The castle also has a chapel which is used as a concert hall. Since 1998 the castle housed a gallery in which works of various artists are presented at regular exhibitions.

Apart from the castle itself, the entire complex includes a park which has no precise boundaries and includes nearby fields, meadows and a forest. Only the main axis of the park can be characterised as geometrical. Starting from the gate, it leads along the oak and then horse-chestnut avenues, towards the castle. Further on, the park passes into an avenue of lime trees with symmetrical canals running along both sides of the path, lined with a few varieties of rhododendrons. The axis of the park terminates at the base of a former monument of Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. On the eastern side of the avenue there is a pond with an islet referred to by the owners as Easter Island. The islet is planted with needle-leaved shrubs and can be reached by a Chinese-styled bridge. The garden, as part of the whole park complex was restored slightly earlier than the castle itself. Preserved documents of 1868 state that the improvement in the garden's aesthetic quality was undertaken by Hubert von Tiele-Winckler.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2019 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.