GGUIDE TO THE UIDE TO THE AANCIENT NCIENT MMONUMENTSONUMENTSOF THE OF THE IISLAND OF SLAND OF CCAPRIAPRI

AZIENDA AUTONOMA DI CURA, SOGGIORNO E TURISMO OF THE ISLAND OF CAPRI

Index2 History6 Grotta delle Felci7 Muro greco7 Scala fenicia8 Palazzo a Mare

10 Villa di Damecuta12 Villa Jovis15 Villa di Gradola - Grotta Azzurra16 Grottoes and nymphaea16 Grotta di Matermania17 Grotta del Castiglione17 Grotta dell’Arsenale18 Detailed studies19 Museums and libraries

Villa Jovis.

Villa di Damecuta.

Grotta di Matermania.

Scala fenicia.

For up-to-date information on monument opening hours and itineraries, please contactInformation Offices of Azienda Autonoma di Cura, Soggiorno e Turismo of the Island of Capri:

Capri, piazza Umberto I - tel. +39 0818370686Marina Grande, banchina del Porto - tel. +39 0818370634Anacapri, via Giuseppe Orlandi - tel +39 0818371524www.capritourism.com

Guide produced by

OEBALUS ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE ONLUSVia San Costanzo, 8 - Capri www.oebalus .org

with the collaboration of

SOPRINTENDENZA ARCHEOLOGICA DELLE PROVINCE DI NAPOLI E CASERTA

Ufficio scavi Capri, via Certosa - Capri tel. +39 0818370381

Texts byEDUARDO FEDERICO (history)

ROBERTA BELLI (archaeology)

CLAUDIO GIARDINO (Grotta delle Felci)

Photographs by MARCO AMITRANO

UMBERTO D’ANIELLO (page 1)

MIMMO JODICE (back cover)

Co-ordinationELIO SICA

Translations byQUADRIVIO

Printed bySAMA Via Masullo I traversa, 10 - Quarto (NA) www.samacolors.com

GGUIDE TO THE UIDE TO THE AANCIENT NCIENT MMONUMENTSONUMENTS

OF THE OF THE IISLAND OF SLAND OF CCAPRIAPRI

AZIENDA AUTONOMA

DI CURA, SOGGIORNO

E TURISMO

OF THE ISLAND OF CAPRI

Although rather poorly document-ed by ancient authors, the historyof Capri involves many charactersof notable importance. The islandwas frequently despoiled and plun-dered, however, so far no system-atic archaeological research hasbeen carried out.

The PalaeolithicEvidence of human inhabitation ofthe island of Capri dates back tothe Lower Palaeolithic (approxim-ately 400,000 years ago). In fact,excavation of the area near theHotel Quisisana in 1905 unearthedarticles made in stone and theremains of continental fauna(including elephas antiquus) - proofthat Capri was once joined to themainland Sorrento peninsula.

From the Neolithic to the arri-val of the GreeksSituated approximately 5 kilo-metres off Punta Campanella in astrategic position at the southernentrance to the Gulf of Naples,Capri broke away from the main-land to become an island approx-imately 10,000 years ago.Since then conditions have led tothe development of a completely

independent island history.The history of Capri between the4th millennium BC and the 8th cen-tury BC - from the Neolithic untilthe founding of the Greek colonyof Cumae (halfway through the 8th

century BC) - shows that the islandwas part of an extensive system ofmaritime communications.In fact, excavation of Grotta delleFelci has revealed importedceramics and much use of avolcanic glass (obsidian) notnaturally found on Capri (Capri isnot a volcanic island) - proof that anetwork of connections with thePontine archipelago and the EolieIslands existed as far back as the 4th

millennium BC.It is difficult to establish the livingconditions of the indigenous in-habitants of the island prior to thefounding of the Greek colony ofCumae as no archaeological find-ings indicating the role of theItalic community before and afterthe arrival of the Greeks have yetbeen discovered.

The name “Capri”The name of the island derivesfrom the name of its oldest Italicinhabitants - known to the Greeks

Remains of a bear (Ursus spelaeus).“Ignazio Cerio” Museum.

Mammoth tooth (Mammuthus chosaricus).“Ignazio Cerio” Museum.

Lithic industry from Quisisana.“Ignazio Cerio” Museum.

Capri from Punta Campanella

History

2

as Kaprie and Kapréai and to theRomans as Capreae. Linguisticanalysis refutes the Greek origin ofthe place name and considers thename “Capri” to derive from thelanguage of the ancient Italicpopulations who settled in the areaof the Gulf of Naples. The namemakes reference to the goats (capre)which formed a characteristicaspect of the island landscape whileidentifying an important feature ofthe economy of the non-Greekcommunity - goat farming, one ofthe few possible means of susten-ance in an area with no space forcrop cultivation and frequent watershortages.

Pre-Roman CapriPart of a network of systematicmaritime contacts since theNeolithic, the island of Capri wassurely known to the commercialtraffic (Greek, Aegean andOriental) which preceded andaccompanied the founding andconfirmation of the Greek colonyof Cumae. However, althougharchaeological documentationsheds much light on these pre-colonial traffic flows with regard tothe island of Ischia, little ornothing is known about the islandof Capri.

The island was certainly occupiedin the 7th century BC by theGreeks of Cumae and used as a sta-tion from which to control thetraffic of the Gulf of Naples. Theisland of Ischia and PuntaCampanella were also occupied andthe same period also saw thefounding of settlements such asPartenope and Pozzuoli.Becoming part of the colony of theGreeks of Cumae in the 7th centuryBC, Capri gradually saw Greekcommunities settle alongside theindigenous population, althoughthe island continued to be knownby its Italic name.The historian Strabo mentions theexistence of two ancient citieswhich eventually become onesingle conglomerate. The role and the function of theGreek community of Capri wasreflected in a story by Virgilaccording to which the island wasinhabited by the Teleboans, amythological population of Greekpirates. The use of pirate fleets tocontrol maritime movementsencouraged the hypothesis that thespecific function of the Greeks onthe island of Capri was to controlmaritime traffic in the Gulf onbehalf of the city of Cumae.As from the 5th century BC, the

Funeral inscription in Greek.Capri, Soprintendenza Archeologica.

Fragment of terracotta head (3rd - 1st century BC).“Ignazio Cerio” Museum.

Detail of the Greek Wall.

3

Greeks of Cumae left the islandand Capri came under the juris-diction of the Greek city ofNeapolis - the future Naples.

Augustus and CapriPart of the territory of Neapolis,Capri was a political dependent ofthe city until the arrival ofOctavian - the future EmperorAugustus.Strabo recounts that in the yearsfollowing the battle of Actium (31BC), Octavian was so enchantedwith Capri that he gave theNeapolitans the island of Ischia inexchange for his favourite island,making this latter his privateproperty and beginning large-scalebuilding work.However, although the island ofCapri remained the Emperor’sfavourite destination until hisdeath in 14 AD, it never becamehis home.History records the close relation-ship between Augustus and theisland, its inhabitants and its tradi-tions. In fact, Suetonius tells of theEmperor’s habit of participating inparties organized by the island’syouth and promoting an institu-tion - the ephebia - of clearly Greekorigin. Suetonius also confirmsAugustus’ interest in decorating

the villas of Capri with the bonesof prehistoric animals and articlesfrom ancient times - items prob-ably found on Capri, given theimportance of the island duringprehistoric times, during theconsiderable building activity ofthe Emperor himself. As the private property of theimperial family, the island’s socialand economic fabric underwentconsiderable change. In fact,ancient inscriptions show the pres-ence of both emancipated slavesand statesmen following theEmperor.However these social and economicchanges were not accompanied byany transformation of the culturalprofile. In fact, many inscriptionsshow that the Greek language con-tinued to be used up until the 4th

century AD.

Tiberius on CapriUnlike Augustus, Tiberius madethe island of Capri his stable homefor the whole decade between 27AD and 37 AD - the year of hisdeath at Misenus.The story of Tiberius’ cruelty andturpitude on Capri - a story whichhas had much success in stimulat-ing the imagination of tourists eversince from the 19th century - was

4

Portrait of Livia the mother of Tiberius.“Ignazio Cerio” Museum.

Bronze coin with the head of Augustus fromVilla di Gasto (22-30 AD).Capri, Soprintendenza Archeologica.

Altar dedicated to Cerere belonging to HotelPalatium. Capri, SoprintendenzaArcheologica.

considerably influenced by hisopponents (particularly theSenatorial aristocracy) who showedtheir disapproval of his choice toretire to Capri by inventing episodesof cruelty and licentiousness andexaggerating and altering newsfrom Capri to provide a real andproper “noir”. Tiberius’ choice toretire to the island obviouslycoincided with a new policyaccording to which he was grantedabsolute power, cooperation withthe Senate was terminated andCapri was raised to the position ofcapital of the empire. The historianTacitus - one of Tiberius’ manyopponents - considered theEmperor’s retirement to Capri asan opportunity to pursue vicescunningly hidden in Rome. In clear disagreement with theRoman political scene, Tiberiusfocused his attention on the islandof Greek philosophers andBabylonian astrologers (one of themost famous astrologers of ancienttimes, Thrasyllus of Alexandria,lived on the island at the time),continuing the building policybegun by Augustus (Tacitusattributes the construction of twelveimportant villas to Tiberius) andestablishing nymphaea in variousgrottos on the island (maliciously

considered by Suetonius as placesfor the outlet of Tiberian lust).

Capri after TiberiusWith the death of Tiberius (37AD), the ancient historians lostinterest in Capri, even though theisland continued to be home toimposing aristocratic villas for thewhole of the 1st century AD.As from the beginning of the 2nd

century AD, news of the islandbecame rare with the only event ofmajor importance being the exileto Capri of the wife and sister(Crispina and Lucilla, respectively)of Emperor Commodus in 182AD. The 3rd century AD was a darkperiod for Capri, characterized by aconsiderable fall in the standard ofliving of the island community andnotable social and cultural trans-formation (especially the slowspread of Christianity).Despite having fallen to ruinfollowing centuries of neglect andplundering, the island’s monu-ments began to become an import-ant tourist attraction in the 18th

century.In fact, Capri’s success as a touristresort began with the acknowledge-ment and enhancement of itsancient monuments.

5

Detail of sarcophagus of Crispina. Capri, ex-hotel Grotte Bleue.

Bronze theatre tile from Villa di Gasto (1st

BC – 1st AD). Capri, SoprintendenzaArcheologica.

Fragment of lantern disc with erotic scene fromVilla di Gasto (1st century AD). Capri,Soprintendenza Archeologica.

Lantern disc with ship from Villa di Gasto(1st century AD). Capri, SoprintendenzaArcheologica.

Situated on the south east coast ofthe island, Grotta delle Felci providesimportant archaeological evidence ofprehistoric activity on Capri and inSouthern Italy in general.The first studies of the area byIgnazio Cerio at the end of the 9th

century caused considerable stir inthe scientific community of thetime.In fact, fragmented observation ofthe excavations showed that the sur-face layer contained both modernpottery and Roman and Bronze Ageceramics - a clear sign of uninter-rupted inhabitation of the site.Below surface level, other strataprovided material from the BronzeAge (1700–1000 BC), while furtherdown Neolithic (4000–3500 BC)findings were uncovered.Approximately six metres belowthese last layers, sandy and volcanicstrata provided a fauna of cervidsand ground molluscs, while clefts inthe north west part of the cavernwere filled with rich Neolithictombs.The obvious ritual function ofGrotta delle Felci was furtheremphasized by the finding of stoneamulets decorated with magical andreligious depictions as well as highly

refined ceramics.Grotto of Ferns retained its sacredrole for the whole of the prehistoricage as findings also included a large,precious flint dagger from theAeneolithic age (3500-2300 BC)and richly decorated Bronze Agevases.

Neolithic ceramic vase.“Ignazio Cerio” Museum.

Sandstone pebble with anthropomorphic figure(Neolithic). “Ignazio Cerio” Museum.

Grotta delle Felci (Grotto of Ferns)

CAPRI. Take Via Roma from PiazzaUmberto I (the Piazzetta) and then followVia Marina Piccola for approximately 300metres.Turn right into Via Grotta delle Felci.The last stretch of the road becomes a foot-path and the grotto is at the end.Wear clothing suitable for walking andavoid bad weather as there may be a dangerof falling rocks.

6

Grotta delle Felci.

Until 1874 the only means of com-munication between Capri andAnacapri was the Phoenician stairway- a steep stairway cut out of the rockleading along the rocky ridge fromMarina Grande near Palazzo a Mareto the rock of Capodimonte onAnacapri near Villa San Michelewhere it terminated at the Medievalcity gates with a change in altitude ofapproximately 200 m. The date of thestairway is uncertain.The strange name, Scala Fenicia, is inno way based on a real Phoenicianpresence on the island (of which noevidence has ever been found) and isprobably due to the tendency of 18th

and 19th century scholars - especiallyin the Neapolitan area - to assumethat the Phoenicians were present inthe Mediterranean prior to the Greeks

and thus to attribute all pre-Greekphenomena (such as place names orarchaeological findings such as thisstairway) to this Oriental people.The stairway was restored in 1998.

Stretch of the Greek Wall

Scala fenicia.

Stretches of the Greek Wall areincorporated into the back walls of thehouses which open onto Via Longano.The large, irregular blocks of stonewere originally used to defend the‘saddle’ of Capri between the hills ofS. Michele and Castiglione - an areacompletely lacking in naturalprotection. Today the only part of thewall which still exists is the stretchrunning along the hill of S. Michele,although documentation proves that it

once ran under the square and alongthe ridge of the hill of Castiglione.The original date of construction isuncertain and the wall can only bevaguely defined as Pre-Roman due toa lack of precise archaeological dataand frequent rebuilding operations.

CAPRI. It is possible to see stretches of thewall incorporated in the walls of buildingsfrom the right hand side of the upper terraceof the funicular.

Muro greco (Greek Wall)

Scala fenicia (Phoenician stairway)

MARINA GRANDE. Take Via ProvincialeMarina Grande from Piazza Vittoria (theharbour). After the sports ground, climb tothe right along Via Fenicia (uphill itiner-ary). ANACAPRI. Take Viale Axel Munthe fromPiazza Vittoria (the monument square) asfar as the ancient gate (downhill itine-rary). CAPRI. Take Via Acquaviva from PiazzaUmberto I and then climb Via ProvincialeMarina Grande for 50 metres. Take ViaMarucella to the right and climb to the leftalong Via Fenicia (uphill itinerary).

7

One of the most important Romanvillas on Capri lies in the areaknown as Palazzo a Mare. Coveringa vast area from Punta Bevaro toBagni di Tiberio beach, the villacomplex follows the typical Romanseaside villa plan which sees severalbuildings scattered over the area inpanoramic positions and surround-ed by nature. Built by EmperorAugustus and later modified byTiberius, in the 18th century thevilla was plundered and looted bythe Austrian Hadrawa who tookflooring, capitals and marble slabs.Villa di Palazzo a Mare underwentfurther damage during the Frenchoccupation at the beginning of the19th century when the central build-

ing was transformed into an armsstation and fort. Building activityhas transformed the aspect of theoriginal constructions so muchthat nothing remains of the ancientimperial abode but small stretchesof walls and terracing, a fewreservoirs and occasional ruins ofthe residential quarters.Furthermore a lack of detailedstudy of these few remaining ele-ments means no single overview ofthe complex is available, howeversuperficial analysis seems to showthat the foundations and watersupply were constructed accordingto a single plan and cannot beattributed to different stages. According to Maiuri, the modest

Altar dedicated to Ceres.Capri, Soprintendenza Archeologica.

Palazzo a Mare area.

Ruins of Palazzo a Mare buildings.

Palazzo a Mare

residential quarters lay in the areaof the fortress. Although the fort-ress was later transformed into aprivate villa, various elements ofthe original villa such as reservoirs,a marble-covered impluvium(trough for catching rainwater) andremains of mosaic flooring can stillbe recognized. Furthermore, manyof the marble fragments belongingto the Bismarck collection werealmost certainly part of the decora-tion of the villa.Detached sleeping quarters andareas for the enjoyment of naturalbeauty were constructed in a largenatural area alongside the residentialquarters, while a large xystus garden- in which the emperor was able totake his daily walk - surrounded byseveral small buildings was planted

in the area where the old footballground now stands. A ramp withmarble steps at the centre led to alarge seaside nymphaeum andexedra. This area also includesseveral ponds, probably used forfish farming, as well as otherstructures such as a landing stageand an underground plantsupplying the fish ponds.The area of the new football pitchwas probably a natural area.

Peplophóros.Capri, Soprintendenza Archeologica.

Capital of pillar.Capri, Soprintendenza Archeologica.

Opus reticulatum with brick layers.

The sea side area.

MARINA GRANDE. Take Via ProvincialeMarina Grande from Piazza Vittoria asfar as the sports ground and then take ViaPalazzo a Mare until Bagni di Tiberio.The ruins of Roman walls can be seen allalong the road.

The imperial Villa di Damecutalies on the western side of theisland.In fact, although situated at differ-ent heights, the three Roman vil-las of Capri - Villa di Damecuta,Villa Jovis and Villa di Palazzo aMare - occupy the whole of theisland’s coastline and provide acomplete view of the Gulf ofNaples from Punta Campanella toIschia.Famous for the discovery ofancient buildings and marble frag-ments, Villa di Damecuta becamea military training ground at thebeginning of the 19th century and afort was built there during thebattles between the English andthe French for the possession of theisland.

However, many of the ancientremains which came to the surfacewere tampered with or reused bylocal labourers who did not hesitateto destroy or sell many ancientcolumns and marble slabs. It isdifficult to calculate the originalextension of Villa di Damecuta asonly a few buildings remainscattered along the edge of therocky ridge, characterized byimposing arched foundations.Several areas of the largest complexremain, organized in a semicircularfashion. Although the function ofthese buildings is rather uncertain,they could include a viewpoint(A), which opens onto the longloggia of the ambulatio (promen-ade).Floored in cocciopesto, the ambulatio

Air view of the villa (photo by I - BUGA).

Part of the entertainments area.

Entertainments area

Living quarters

Medieval tower

Villa di Damecuta

10

(B) was open on the sea side whileseveral brick columns covered inplaster perhaps served to sustain apergola.On the land side, the loggia wasdelimited by a wall with severalniches for benches. Opposite theviewpoint, near the Medievaltower (in red), the living quarterscould be accessed by following asteep stairway (C D E). Traces ofplaster still remain on the wallsand the ruins of mosaic flooringcan still be seen in the small cubi-culum (bedroom) (G) in which anude Ephebic torso was found.The villa followed the typicalRoman villae maritimae plan as itwas situated in a dominant posi-tion with the sea as the main ele-

ment of the landscape and includ-ed characteristic natural areas incarefully selected panoramic posi-tions.The etymology of the nameDamecuta is uncertain.

Ephebic torso.Capri, Soprintendenza Archeologica.

Living room with traces of plaster (C).

Loggia of the ambulatio (B).

ANACAPRI. Take the Anacapri-GrottaAzzurra bus service from Viale DeTommaso (cemetery). Alight at Damecutabus-stop and follow Via Amedeo Maiuri. ANACAPRI. Take Via Boffe from PiazzaDiaz (church of S. Sofia) and then followVia La Vigna. Turn left into Traversa LaVigna and take Via La Fabbrica downhill(do not take the side streets). Turn left intoTraversa Damecuta. After a few metresturn right into Via Amedeo Maiuri. Opening hours: from 9 am to 2 pm.

Villa Jovis - considered the mainresidence of Emperor Tiberius onCapri - dominates the rocky spurof Monte Tiberio. The Northernand Eastern sides - built on a sheerrock wall which descends vertical-ly into the sea - look out over theGulf of Naples and PuntaCampanella, while the southernand western sides flank the slopewhich overlooks Capri and MarinaGrande.Halfway between the fortress and avilla of otium, Villa Jovis was builtaccording to a compact square planalthough several detached build-ings add a certain detail to thelayout of the villa.Covering a surface area of approx-imately 7,000 m2, the villa wasconstructed on layers of terraceswhich level out the natural line ofthe rock, especially on the steeperwestern side of the slope.The buildings were gatheredaround a central complex whichincluded four large reservoirs (inblue) with a capacity of 8,000 m3 -such was the enormous amountof water necessary to fulfil therequirements of an imperial palaceon an island often lacking in this

essential element. The position ofthe buildings with respect to thesehuge reservoirs also depended onthe rational exploitation of thewater supply - a result whichcould not be achieved followingthe plan typically used in the con-struction of Roman seaside villas.Thus the atrium (A) with fourmarble columns lies on thesouthern side alongside the baths.Modest on the ground floor (C andD), the baths become moregrandiose on the upper floor wherethe typical division into apodyterium(changing room), tepidarium (roomheated to medium temperature)(E), calidarium (heated room) (F)and praefurnium (room with heater)(G) can still be seen, despite thefact that the decorations and eventhe suspensurae which served tosupport the floor and allow thepassage of hot air have beendestroyed.On the western side, three floors ofthe building were dedicated toservants’ quarters (in violet),characterized by a series of smallrooms coming off a communicatingcorridor.The kitchen is also situated on this

Air view of the villa (photo by I - BUGA).

Atrium (A).

Detail of hall (B).

Villa Jovis

12

side of the villa, detached from themain body of the building.The northern wing almost certainlyhoused the Emperor’s privateapartments and small fragments ofmarble flooring (Q, R, S, T, U, V)can still be seen. There was prob-ably also a second floor built

around the covering of the reser-voir and decorated with a colon-nade (peristilium).An ambulatio (promenade) (L),with niches for benches and severalrooms (N O P) once decoratedwith precious marble flooring,winds along the edge of the hillThe servants’ quarters.

Entrance

Spa area

The servants’ quarters

Reservoirs

Imperial quarters

Specularium

Lighthouse tower

(from a survey in Istituto Svizzero in Rome)13

providing a panoramic view.The flooring of the triclinium (N)was dismantled by the Bourbonsand reconstructed in the church ofSanto Stefano.The function of the apse-endedhall (Z) on the eastern side of thevilla is rather uncertain although itis fairly sure there was once anupper floor which overlooked thesea.At planimetric level, the series ofdividing walls seems to suggest adesire to create viewpoints fromwide windows overlooking theexternal footpath. The three nicheslined with marble flooring in thisfootpath were probably designedto hold various statues. In fact,two marble parapets decoratedwith bas-reliefs depicting naturalelements and a bas-relief known asLa Cavalcata (the ride) were foundin this area - the only remains ofthe luxurious decoration whichonce characterized the villa.The villa was built of limestonecement alternated with rows oftiles for practical and functionalreasons - limestone was abundant-ly available following the levellingof the rocky terraces while thetechnique was perfect for the con-struction of thick walls able to

support the weight of the upperlevels.Not all scholars of the history ofCapri agree that the ruins onMonte Tiberio are the remains ofthe residence of Tiberius.However, rare documentation leftby Latin writers describes villaJovis as being situated on an inac-cessible rock with a sheer drop tothe sea - a small fortress with atower to receive and send lightsignals - and in fact, Villa Jovisfully meets this description havinga sheer drop to the sea on two sidesof a large, solid construction moresimilar to a fortress rather than avilla and buildings organized acentral complex with a tower(green) which was almost certainlyused as a lookout and signallingpost.

Spa quarters (F-E).

Niches in the apse-ended hall (Z).

Lighthouse tower.14

CAPRI. Take Via Longano and ViaSopramonte from Piazza Umberto I, thenclimb left along Via Tiberio and VialeAmedeo Maiuri. Opening hours: 9 am to one hour beforesunset.

Villa of Gradola lies immediatelyabove Grotta Azzurra. Followingthe typical plan of Roman villaemaritimae, the buildings are strungout across the villa’s terraces in apanoramic position along the slope.Excavated in the 19th century byAmerican Colonel MacKowen -who found capitals, fragments ofstatues, columns, flooring andmarble picture frames walled intoCasa Rossa on Anacapri - the villawas frequently reconstructed inancient times. Several reservoirscan still be found among the thickvegetation, while, six small build-ings still exist on the upper terrace- one of which still shows traces ofyellow plaster on a red pedestaland white mosaic flooring.Villa di Gradola was joined toGrotta Azzurra via a stairway cutout of the rock (restored in moderntimes). Apart from this stairway,the only means of accessing GrottaAzzurra was - and still is - by boat.The narrow opening - whose sur-face was probably smoothed inRoman times to facilitate passing -separates the entrance from thelarge cavern famous for the effectscaused by light.

Inside the grotto, a slopingslipway led to a small landingstage next to which there was aquadrangular room with cocciopestoflooring which was probably usedas a resting place.A shaft in the rock - considered tobe a secret passage between GrottaAzzurra and Villa di Damecuta -was probably designed to catchwater. Use of the grotto in Romantimes as a luxuriously decoratednymphaeum was recentlyconfirmed with the discovery ofvarious statues depicting Tritonsand the god Poseidon. Cut off atknee height, the statues wereoriginally positioned at water levelalong the walls in such a way as togive the impression that wereemerging out of the sea.

Poseidon from Grotta Azzurra.Capri, Soprintendenza Archeologica.

Grotta Azzurra (photo by Jab Photo).

Villa di Gradola - Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto)

MARINA GRANDE. Take the boat servicefrom the port. ANACAPRI. Take the Anacapri-GrottaAzzurra bus service from Viale DeTommaso. Opening hours: from 9 am to one hour be-fore sunset. The grotto cannot be visitedwhen the sea is rough.

15

As stated by Strabo, the large-scalebuilding policy implemented byAugustus throughout the islandwas continued by Tiberius, towhom tradition attributes both theconstruction of villas and the use ofhollow rocks and caves. However,according to Suetonius’ maliciousversion of the history of Capri,

Tiberius merely used these latter toorganize orgies with young people.Despite the disparaging intentionsof the biographer, many grottoes onthe island were certainly usedduring Roman times and it is quitepossible that many of the naturalmarvels of Capri were used as lustynymphaea.

Grotta di Matermania: the large room.

Grotta di Matermania: the small room.

Grotta di Matermania

Grottoes and nymphaea

Situated halfway along the coastline, Grotta di Matermania wasartificially reshaped during Romantimes as proved by the fact that thewalls date back to that age. Inside,the grotto is divided into tworooms and was originally lined witha barrel vault ceiling.Unfortunately the ceiling has col-lapsed. The larger room ends in anapse formed by two podia - a semi-circular platform supporting asecond oval platform - both showingtraces of painted decorations.A short stairway rises out of thecentre of the two podia. Traces ofplaster and the remains of thevaulted ceiling can still be seen inthe smaller room. The grotto wasdecorated with marble statues andglass paste mosaics of which only

very few traces remain. In no waycan the obscure name Matermanialink the grotto to the worship ofMagna Mater Cybele or the godMithra, despite many attemptsfounded on arbitrary and incorrectinterpretations. In fact this grottowas merely a nymphaeum likemany other grottoes on Capri.

CAPRI. Starting from Piazza Umberto I,take Via Longano, Via Sopramonte, ViaMatermania and Via Arco Naturale.Turn right down the steps of Via Grotta diMatermania till the grotto.To get back to the centre of Capri, continuedown the steps and then take ViaPizzolungo, Via Tragara, Via Camerelleand Via Vittorio Emanuele III as far asPiazza Umberto I.The itinerary can also be reversed.

16

Grotta del Castiglione opens onto thesteep southern wall of the hill of thesame name. It was probably alreadyused in the Neolithic as a comfort-able and spacious refuge from whichto control the sea and the coastline.In Roman times it became thenymphaeum of the nearby villa and,in fact, many ruins, including a reser-voir, dating back to that time canstill be found. In the medieval times,Grotta del Castiglione became arefuge for the inhabitants of theisland during pirate incursions. Manydefence and look out mechanisms

were constructed although theseprobably destroyed any previousbuildings. Grotta del Castiglioneeventually became the property ofGiorgio Cerio who knocked down themedieval structures, restored theRoman reservoirs and constructed ahouse. Excavations of the areabrought to light vases used in Romantimes for cultivation of the flowerswhich decorated the nymphaeum.

Grotta dell’Arsenale.

Castiglione hill with the grotto in the centre.

Grotta del Castiglione: detail of the ancientbuilding.

Grotta del Castiglione

A visit to Grotto of Castiglione is not to beadvised due to the terrible conditions of thefootpath leading to the grotto.

Grotta dell’ArsenaleSituated between Marina Piccola andPunta Tragara, Grotta dell’Arsenaleopens onto the sea and can be acces-sed via a water level slipway. Inside,several naturally formed rooms -whose grid and lattice decorationand cocciopesto floor are still partiallyvisible - are organized around thewide central cavity. On the left handwall of the main room there are sixniches while of the six niches of theopposite wall only three plus afourth in a poor state of conservationremain. Originally considered tohave been used for as a workshop forrepairing ships (arsenale) belongingto the Roman fleet, the remains of

the marble flooring and the colouredtiles - ruined during ancient excava-tions - seem to indicated that Grottadell’Arsenale was more probablyused as a nymphaeum. The grottowas successively used as a burial areaas indicated by the finding of amarble sarcophagus and as an arsenalin the Medieval times.

CAPRI. Starting from Piazza Umberto Itake Via Vittorio Emanuele III, ViaFederico Serena, Viale Giacomo Matteottiand Via Krupp. Approximately 150 metresafter the last bend of Via Krupp take thefootpath to the left down to the grotto. Thepath is frequently blocked by falling rocks.

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Detailed studiesFor a description of classical antiquity in Capri from 1500 to 1900:

F. Giordano, De Capreis insulis, Napoli 1570.G. M. Secondo, Relazione storica dell’antichità, rovine e residui di Capri, Napoli 1750.N. Hadrawa, Ragguagli di varii scavi e scoverte fatte nell’Isola di Capri, Napoli 1793.D. Romanelli, Isola di Capri, Trani 1816.R. Mangoni, Ricerche topografiche ed archeologiche sull’Isola di Capri, Napoli 1834.F. Alvino, B. Quaranta, Le antiche ruine di Capri, Napoli 1835.G. Feola, Rapporto sullo stato attuale dei Ruderi Augusto-Tiberiani di Capri, Napoli 1894.N. Douglas, Capri. Materials for a description of the Island, Florence 1930.A. Maiuri, Capri. Its history and its monuments, Rome 1958.C. de Seta (edit by), Capri, Torino 1983.

For a summary of the history:

J. Beloch, Campania. Storia e topografia della Napoli antica e dei suoi dintorni, Napoli 1989.H. Kesel, Capri. Biografia di un’isola, Napoli 1997.A. Andrén, Capri from the stone age to the tourist age, Göteborg 1980.

For a complete scientific overview and update of historical and archaeologicalproblems regarding ancient Capri and a collection of all ancient documentation:

E. Federico, E. Miranda (edit by), Capri antica. Dalla preistoria alla fine dell’età romana,Napoli 1998.

Flooring from Tragara. Cappella del Rosarioof the church of Santo Stefano.

The Crispina sarcophagus. Capri, ex-hotelGrotte Bleue.

Capital and Roman column. Small cloister ofthe monastery of San Giacomo.

Tragara landing stage with the ruins ofopus spicatum in the foreground.

Museums and libraries

The Museum of the Centro Caprense Ignazio Cerio, located in Piazzetta Cerio, 5,Capri (tel. +39 0818376681) brings together the 20,000 natural and archaeologicalfindings mainly from Capri collected by Ignazio Cerio (1841-1921).The most important exhibits include the collections of fossils from Vanassina andLo Capo and the palaeontological and prehistoric collections from the Quisisana andGrotta delle Felci. The museum also provides a well-stocked herbarium (500 species)and a fine collection of marine fauna (10,000 exhibits).

Villa San Michele, a dream house designed and built by Swedish doctor AxelMunthe, houses the richest collection of ancient findings and art on the island ofCapri. Villa San Michele is the only 19th century residence still preserved in itsoriginal state on the island. Located in Via Capodimonte 34, Anacapri(tel. +39 0818371401), the villa is open every day of the year, including Sundays andbank holidays. Free entrance for children under 10 years of age. Opening hours: May to September - from 9 am to 6 pm. October and April - from9.30 am to 5 pm. From November to February - 10.30 am to 3.30 pm. March - from9.30 am to 4.30 pm.

Situated in Piazzetta Cerio, 8a, Capri (tel. +39 0818376681), the Library of theCentro Caprense Ignazio Cerio houses all kinds of materials regarding the island ofCapri - manuscripts, books, pamphlets, maps, photographs, newspapers and musicalscores. Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - from 4.30 to 8 pm.Wednesday and Saturday - from 9.30 am to 1 pm. Closed on Sundays, Mondays andBank Holidays.

Located in the Carthusian monastery of San Giacomo (tel. +39 0818386241), thePublic Library Luigi Bladier has a special section dedicated to the history of Capriincluding works in Italian, English, French and German.Opening hours: Tuesday and Thursday - from 9 am to 1 pm. Monday and Wednesday- from 9 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 7 pm.

The Centro Archivistico e Documentale of Capri brings together and cataloguesmany documents regarding the history of the island. It is situated in Via Le Botteghe,30, Capri (tel. +39 0818386310). Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday - from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Opening hours may vary

Fragment of the side facade with polychromemosaic decoration (2nd century AD). “IgnazioCerio” Museum.

Fragment of bas-relief with landscape scene.Villa San Michele.

Church of San Costanzo with Roman ruinsvisible inside.

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