Voices from the past

Quite a few decades ago someone used the expression "blue fever" to describe the delirium of the feeling that seizes visitors of Capri. The island's splendour was well know way back in the classical age, when many Roman emperors chose to live there; among these, Augustus and Tiberius left their mark. After the Phoenician and Greek colonization, the Romans actually disembarked on the island and asked it for Naples in exchange for nearby Ischia. Later the island belonged to the Duchy of Naples of which it followed its historical and political happenings for centuries. It was then dominated by the Lombards, the Normans, the Angevins, the Aragonians and finally the Spanish. Throughout the ages the island welcomed poets, artists and writers from all over the world, attracted by its extraordinary beauty. Among the most famous in the 20th century, Nobel prize winner Pablo Neruda, who lived there for a long time after his exile from Chile.

Don't miss...

There isn't a single spot in Capri that doesn't deserve to be seen. The enclosures of Marina piccola, the blue cave, the terraces of Anacapri, the Faraglioni (stacks), the natural arch are just a few of the beauties of the island. The ancient Roman villas deserve a special mention. The largest on the island is Villa Jovis covering over 7000 sqm, where Tiberius lived. Tiberius also had Villa di Damecuta built in Anacapri. A few paces away from the Piazzetta you can admire the splendid gardens of Augustus, built on the ruins of ancient Roman constructions, and the Via Krupp, built in 1902, which leads to Marina Piccola. Famous architect Roberto Pane stated about this peculiar road that "even a road can be a work of art". Near the Giardini there is the Certosa di San Giacomo, dated 1371 and founded by the secretary of Queen Giovanna I of Naples, count Giacomo Arcucci. This monumental system is one of the most incomparable chapters in characteristic Caprese architecture.

Events

As it would be natural to expect, the main exhibitions, festivals and cultural events tend to take place during the summer season, when the island's villas, gardens and historical palaces open their doors to art, cinema and theatre. Some appointments cannot be missed and they are repeated every year, such as the Rassegna Teatrale isola di Capri, where all kinds of shows are presented, and the cinema festivals, Festa del cinema e dello spettacolo and Capri-Hollywood.