Aragonese Castle
The Aragonese Castle stands on a small rocky island off the east coast of Ischia and is connected to the mainland by a stone bridge. The complex includes several churches, gardens, terraces with sea views, an old cemetery with distinctive burial vaults, and spaces now used as galleries, cafes, and cultural venues.
The castle was first founded in the 5th century BC by Greek settlers and later used by Romans, then rebuilt multiple times under Arab and Norman rule. In the 15th century under Aragonese rulers it acquired its present form with reinforced walls and a tunnel that improved defense and access.
The castle is now used by artists and cultural organizations, particularly through the AMICI DI GABRIELE MATTERA project, which regularly organizes exhibitions of modern art, music events, and architecture discussions. The place blends history with contemporary artistic life, with local craftspeople displaying and selling their work in galleries and shops throughout the site.
The castle is open daily year-round from morning until sunset and requires at least one and a half hours for a thorough look at the main areas. You can reach it by bus or taxi from the port area, or walk there in about half an hour, and visitors with mobility issues can use an internal elevator to avoid steeper sections.
The site houses a remarkable cemetery with structures called scolatoi beneath the Church of the Immaculate Conception, where nuns were laid to rest on masonry benches so their remains could decompose naturally over time. This unusual burial practice is a striking example of historical funeral customs and shows the practical solutions developed for limited spaces.
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