View source for Ischia

{{Short description|Volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Ischia
| photo = Ischia da procida.jpg
| photo_caption = View of Ischia from [[Procida]]
| elevation_m = 789
| elevation_ref = 
| location = [[Metropolitan City of Naples]], Italy
| map = Italy Campania#Italy
|map_relief= 1
| coordinates = {{coord|40.731204|N|13.895721|E|format=dms|display=inline, title}}
| topo = 
| type = [[Complex volcano]]
| age = 
| last_eruption = January to March 1302<ref>{{cite gvp|vn=211030|vtab=Eruptions|title=Ischia: Eruptive History}}</ref>
}}
{{Infobox islands
| name             = Ischia
| image_name       = 
| image_caption    = 
| image_size       = 
| map_image        = Capri and Ischia map.png
| map_caption      = 
| native_name      = 
| native_name_link = 
| nickname         = 
| location         = [[Tyrrhenian Sea]]
| coordinates      = 
| archipelago      = 
| total_islands    = 
| major_islands    = 
| area_km2         = 47
| highest_mount    = [[Mount Epomeo]]
| elevation_m      = 789
| country          = Italy
| country_admin_divisions_title     = [[Regions of Italy|Region]]
| country_admin_divisions           = [[Campania]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1   = [[Metropolitan cities of Italy|Metropolitan City]]
| country_admin_divisions_1         = [[Metropolitan City of Naples|Naples]]
| country_largest_city              = [[Ischia, Campania|Ischia]]
| country_largest_city_population   = 18,253
| population       = 62,027
| population_as_of = 2009
| density_km2      = {{#expr: 62027/46.3 round 1}}
| ethnic_groups    = 
| additional_info  =
}}

'''Ischia'''  ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|s|k|i|ə}} {{respell|ISK|ee|ə}}, {{IPA|it|ˈiskja|lang}}, {{IPA|nap|ˈiʃkjə|lang}}) is a [[volcanic]] island in the [[Tyrrhenian Sea]]. It lies at the northern end of the [[Gulf of Naples]], about {{convert|30|km|0|abbr=off}} from the city of [[Naples]]. It is the largest of the [[Phlegrean Islands]]. Although inhabited since the [[Bronze Age]], as a [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] [[Emporium (antiquity)|emporium]] it was founded in the 8th or 9th century [[Common Era|BCE]], and known as [[wikt:Πιθηκοῦσαι|Πιθηκοῦσαι]], '''''Pithekoūsai'''''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Quinn |first=Josephine Crawley |title=How the world made the West: a 4.000-year history |date=2024 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-5266-0518-4 |edition=First published |location=London Oxford New York New Delhi Sidney}}</ref>

Roughly [[trapezoid]]al in shape, it measures approximately {{convert|10|km|0|abbr=in}} east to west and {{convert|7|km|0|abbr=in}} north to south and has about {{convert|34|km|0|abbr=in}} of coastline and a surface area of {{convert|47|km2|1|abbr=out}}. It is almost entirely mountainous; the highest peak is [[Mount Epomeo]], at {{convert|788|m|0|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite news|work=Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites|title=Mount Epomeo}}</ref> The island is very densely populated, with 60,000 residents (more than 1,300 inhabitants per square km).{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} [[Ischia, Campania|Ischia]] is the name of the main ''[[comune]]'' of the island. The other ''comuni'' of the island are [[Barano d'Ischia]], [[Casamicciola Terme]], [[Forio]], [[Lacco Ameno]] and [[Serrara Fontana]].

==Geology and geography==
The roughly trapezoidal island is formed by a [[complex volcano]] immediately southwest of the [[Campi Flegrei]] area at the western side of the [[Bay of Naples]]. The eruption of the [[trachyte|trachytic]] Green [[Tuff]] Ignimbrite about 56,000&nbsp;years ago was followed by the formation of a [[caldera]] comprising almost the entire island and some of the surrounding seabed.<ref>{{cite journal | s2cid=134849098 | doi=10.1016/J.JVOLGEORES.2017.07.019 | title=Gravitational slope-deformation of a resurgent caldera: New insights from the mechanical behaviour of Mt. Nuovo tuffs (Ischia Island, Italy) | year=2017 | last1=Marmoni | first1=G.M. | last2=Martino | first2=S. | last3=Heap | first3=M.J. | last4=Reuschlé | first4=T. | journal=Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research | volume=345 | pages=1–20 }}</ref> The highest point of the island, [[Mount Epomeo|Monte Epomeo]] ({{convert|788|m|0|abbr=on}}), is a volcanic [[horst (geology)|horst]] consisting of green tuff that was submerged after its eruption and then [[Tectonic uplift|uplift]]ed. Volcanism on the island has been significantly affected by tectonism that formed a series of horsts and [[graben]]s; [[resurgent dome|resurgent doming]] produced at least {{convert|800|m|-2|abbr=on}} of uplift during the past 33,000&nbsp;years.<ref>{{cite gvp|vn=211030|title=Ischia: General Information|access-date=September 28, 2019}}</ref> Many small [[monogenetic volcano]]es formed around the uplifted block. Volcanism during the [[Holocene]] produced a series of [[pumice]]ous [[tephra]]s, [[tuff ring]]s, [[lava dome]]s, and [[lava flow]]s.<ref>{{cite gvp|vn=211030|vtab=Subfeatures|title=Ischia: Synonyms & Subfeatures}}</ref> The last eruption of Ischia, in 1302, produced a spatter cone and the Arso lava flow, which reached the NE coast.

The surrounding waters including gulfs of [[Gulf of Gaeta|Gaeta]],<ref>2016. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160827173226/http://www.caiccomed.com/orca-avvistata/ Orca avvistata ''(Orca sighted)'']}} ''www.caiccomed.com'', accessed September 21, 2019</ref><ref>D'Alelio D.. 2016. [http://scienzalive.it/laggiu-soffia-cronaca-di-una-caccia-al-capodoglio-nelle-acque-tra-ischia-e-ventotene/ Laggiu soffia! Cronaca di una “caccia” al capodoglio nelle acque tra Ischia e Ventotene – Leviatani, nascosti e preziosi]. The Scienza Live. Retrieved on March 29, 2017</ref> [[Gulf of Naples|Naples]] and [[Gulf of Pozzuoli|Pozzuoli]] are both rich and healthy, providing a habitat for around 7 species of whales and dolphins including gigantic [[fin whale|fin]] and [[sperm whale|sperm]] whales. Special research programmes on local cetaceans have been conducted to monitor and protect this bio-diversity.<ref name="IschiaWhales">Mussi B.. Miragliuolo A.. Monzini E.. Battaglia M.. 1999. [http://www.oceanomaredelphis.org/drupal/publications/008_1999_Mussi_et_al_fin_whale_feeding.pdf Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) feeding ground in the coastal waters of Ischia (Archipelago Campano)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123185550/http://www.oceanomaredelphis.org/drupal/publications/008_1999_Mussi_et_al_fin_whale_feeding.pdf |date=November 23, 2020 }} (pdf). The European Cetacean Society. Retrieved on March 28, 2017</ref><ref>RAICALDO P.. 2014. [http://napoli.repubblica.it/cronaca/2014/03/10/news/delfini_e_capodogli_tra_ischia_e_procida-80679489/?refresh_ce#gallery-slider=80679640 Delfini e capodogli tra Ischia e Procida]. Retrieved on March 29, 2017</ref>

From its roughly trapezoidal shape, the island is approximately 18 nautical miles from [[Naples]], 10&nbsp;km wide from east to west, 7&nbsp;km from north to south, with a coastline of 43&nbsp;km and an area of approximately 46.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. The highest elevation is [[Mount Epomeo|Monte Epomeo]], standing at 788 meters and located in the center of the island. This is an horst, a tectonic volcano, meaning a block of the Earth's crust that has been uplifted compared to the surrounding crust due to magmatic pressure (horst is a German term meaning "rock"). Monte Epomeo is mistakenly thought of as a volcano, although it lacks any volcanic characteristics. Island volcanism, in fact, is particularly prevalent along the fractures that border the horst, namely Monte Epomeo.

Strabo reports what the Greek historian Timeo said about a tsunami that occurred in Ischia shortly before his time. Following the volcanic activity of Epomeo, "...the sea receded for three stages; afterwards (...) it turned back again and its ebb tide submerged the island (...) those who lived on the mainland fled from the coast into the interior of Campania" (Geography V, 4, 9). Cumae, not far from that coast, in Greek means "wave". Volcanic activity on Ischia has generally been characterized by eruptions that were not very significant and occurred at great intervals. After eruptions in Greek and Roman times, the last one occurred in 1302 in the eastern sector of the island with a brief flow (known as Arso) reaching the sea.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Island-of-Ischia|title=Island of Ischia|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=July 10, 2024}}</ref>

==Name==
[[File:Maronti.jpg|thumb|left|Maronti beach, east of the spit of St. Angelo]]
The [[Greeks]] called their colony on the island Pithekoussai (Πιθηκοῦσσαι), from which the Latin name Pithecusa was derived. The name has an uncertain [[etymology]]. According to [[Ovid]] (Metamorphoses 14.92) and the Alexandrian historian Senagora, the name would derive from pithekos, monkey, and refer to the myth of the [[Cercopes]], inhabitants of the Phlegraean islands transformed by Zeus into monkeys. More plausible is the interpretation of [[Pliny the Elder]] (Nat. Hist. 111, 6.82), who instead derives the name from pythos, amphora, a theory supported by archaeological finds that testify to the Greek-Italic production of [[ceramic]]s (and in particular of wine amphorae) on the island and in the Gulf of Naples.
<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pithecusae.it/en/the-island-of-pithecusae-its-history-and-myths/ |title=The Island of Pithecusae: Its History and Myths |website=Pithecusae.it |access-date=July 12, 2024}}</ref>

It has also been proposed that the name describes a characteristic of the island, rich in pine forests. "Pitueois" (rich in pines), "pituis" (pine cone), "pissa, pitta" (resin) appear as descriptive terms from which Pithekoussai could derive, meaning "island of [[resin]]," an important substance used, among other things, to [[Waterproofing|waterproof]] wine vessels. The name Aenaria, also used by the Latins, is linked to metallurgical workshops (from aenus, metal) located on the eastern coast, under the castle.

The first evidence of the island's current toponym dates back to the year [[812]], in a letter from [[Pope Leo III]] in which he informs [[Charlemagne|Emperor Charlemagne]] of devastations that occurred in the area, calling the island Iscla maior: "Ingressi sunt ipsi nefandissimi Mauri [...] in insulam, quae dicitur Iscla maiore, non longe a Neapolitana urbe." Some scholars connect the term to the Phoenician word, and therefore Semitic i-schra, "black island." The [[Phoenicia]]n presence on the island is archaeologically documented from a very ancient era and, as reported by Moscati (an Italian historian), in the spread in Campania and southern Etruria, since the 8th century BC, of objects of Egyptian production or inspiration, "the Phoenician merchants settled in Ischia and then frequented the Tyrrhenian coasts" certainly played a part.

On the other hand, the modern "Island of Ischia" could derive from the [[Latin]] "insula visca" – compare the Greek noun (ϝ)ἰξός, (w)ixós, (mistletoe) and the adjective (ϝ)ἰξώδης, (w)ixṓdēs, (viscous, sticky), which as usual have lost the initial digamma. In favor of this theory could be the fact that in the same area, at the foot of [[Mount Vesuvius|Vesuvius]] covered with [[pine]]s, the popular name of Herculaneum was "Resìna," perhaps reminiscent of an ancient market for this product, similarly to the toponym "Pizzo" in Calabria, from where the best resin, the "pece brettia" obtained from the pines of the nearby Sila, came from.

[[Virgil]] poetically referred to it as ''Inarime'' and still later as ''Arime''.<ref>His poetical allusion was apparently to the mention in ''[[Iliad]]'' (ii.783) of [[Typhoeus]] being chained down ''ein [[Arimoi]]s''</ref> [[Martianus Capella]] followed Virgil in this allusive name, which was never in common circulation: the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] called it ''Aenaria'', the Greeks, [[wikt:Πιθηκοῦσαι|Πιθηκοῦσαι]], ''Pithekoūsai''.<ref>The plural likely so as to include nearby [[Procida]] as well.</ref>

''(In)arime'' and ''Pithekousai'' both appear to derive from words for "monkey" ([[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] ''arimos'',<ref>{{cite book|title=Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts|last=Robinson|first=Andrew|publisher=Nevraumont Publishing|year=2002}}</ref> [[Ancient Greek]] [[wikt:πίθηκος|πίθηκος]], ''píthēkos'', "monkey"). However, [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] derives the Greek name from the local clay deposits, not from ''píthēkos''; he explains the Latin name ''Aenaria'' as connected to a landing by [[Aeneas]] (''Princeton Encyclopedia''). If the island actually was, like [[Gibraltar]], home to a population of monkeys, they were already extinct by historical times as no record of them is mentioned in ancient sources.

==History==

===Ancient times===
An acropolis site of the Monte Vico area was inhabited from the [[Bronze Age]], as [[Helladic period|Mycenaean]] and Iron Age pottery findings attest. [[Euboea]]n Greeks from [[Eretria]] and [[Chalcis]] arrived in the 8th century BC to establish an [[Marketplace|emporium]] for trade with the [[Etruscans]] of the mainland. This settlement was home to a mixed population of Greeks, [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscans]], and [[Phoenicia]]ns. Because of its fine harbor and the safety from raids afforded by the sea, the settlement of Pithecusae became successful through trade in iron and with mainland Italy; in 700 BC Pithecusae was home to 5,000–10,000&nbsp;people.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jonathan M. Hall|title=A History of the Archaic Greek World, ca. 1200–479 BCE|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YR8NAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT124|year=2013|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-34046-2|page=124}}</ref>

The ceramic Euboean artifact inscribed with a reference to "[[Nestor's Cup (Pithekoussai)|Nestor's Cup]]" was discovered in a grave on the island in 1953. Engraved upon the cup are a few lines written in the [[Greek alphabet]]. Dating from c. 730 BC, it is one of the most important testimonies to the early Greek alphabet, from which the Latin alphabet descended via the Etruscan alphabet. According to certain scholars the inscription also might be the oldest written reference to the [[Iliad]].

In 474 BC, [[Hiero I of Syracuse]] came to the aid of the Cumaeans, who lived on the mainland opposite Ischia, against the [[Etruscans]] and defeated them on the sea. He occupied Ischia and the surrounding Parthenopean islands and left behind a garrison to build a fortress before the city of Ischia itself. This was still extant in the [[Middle Ages]], but the original garrison fled before the eruptions of 470 BC and the island was taken over by Neapolitans. The Romans seized Ischia (and Naples) in 322 BC.

===From 1st century AD to 16th century===
[[File:Ischia mushroom rock.jpg|thumb|Local view of ''Il Fungo'' (The Mushroom)]]
In 6&nbsp;AD, [[Augustus]] restored the island to Naples in exchange for [[Capri]]. Ischia suffered from the [[barbarian]] invasions, being taken first by the [[Heruli]] then by the [[Ostrogoths]], being ultimately absorbed into the [[Eastern Roman Empire]]. The Byzantines gave the island over to Naples in 588 and by 661 it was being administered by a [[Count]] liege to the [[Duke of Naples]]. The area was devastated by the [[Saracens]] in 813 and 847; in 1004 it was occupied by [[Henry II of Germany]]; the [[Normans|Norman]] [[Roger II of Sicily]] took it in 1130 granting the island to the Norman Aldoyn de Candida created Count d’Ischia; the island was raided by the [[Pisa]]ns in 1135 and 1137 and subsequently fell under the [[Hohenstaufen]] and then [[Capetian House of Anjou|Angevin]] rule. After the [[Sicilian Vespers]] in 1282, the island rebelled, recognizing [[Peter III of Aragon]], but was retaken by the Angevins the following year. It was conquered in 1284 by the forces of Aragon and [[Charles II of Naples|Charles II]] of [[County of Anjou|Anjou]] was unable to successfully retake it until 1299.

As a consequence of the island's last eruption in 1302, the population fled to [[Baiae|Baia]] where they remained for 4&nbsp;years. In 1320 [[Robert of Anjou]] and his wife Sancia visited the island and were hosted by Cesare Sterlich, who had been sent by Charles II from the [[Holy See]] to govern the island in 1306 and was by this time nearly 100&nbsp;years of age.

Ischia suffered greatly in the struggles between the Angevin and Durazzo dynasties. It was taken by [[Charles III of Naples]] in 1382, retaken by [[Louis II of Anjou]] in 1385 and captured yet again by [[Ladislaus of Naples]] in 1386; it was sacked by the fleet of the [[Antipope John XXIII]] under the command of Gaspare Cossa in 1410 only to be retaken by Ladislaus the following year. In 1422 [[Joan II of Naples|Joan II]] gave the island to her adoptive son [[Alfonso V of Aragon]], though, when he fell into disgrace, she retook it with the help of [[Genoa]] in 1424. In 1438 Alfonso reoccupied the castle, kicking out all the men and proclaiming it an [[Crown of Aragon|Aragonese]] colony, marrying to his garrison the wives and daughters of the expelled. He set about building a bridge linking the castle to the rest of the island and he carved out a large gallery, both of which are still to be seen today. In 1442, he gave the island to one of his favorites, [[Lucretia d'Alagno]], who in turn entrusted the island's governance to her brother-in-law, Giovanni Torella. Upon the death of Alfonso in 1458, they returned the island to the Angevin side. [[Ferdinand I of Naples]] ordered Alessandro [[Sforza]] to chase Torella out of the castle and gave the island over, in 1462, to Garceraldo Requesens. In 1464, after a brief Torellan insurrection, Marino Caracciolo was set up as governor.

In February 1495, with the arrival of [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]], [[Ferdinand II of Naples|Ferdinand II]] landed on the island and took possession of the castle, and, after having killed the disloyal [[castellan]] Giusto di Candida with his own hands, left the island under the control of [[Innico d'Avalos]], marquis of [[Pescara]] and [[Vasto]], who ably defended the place from the French [[flotilla]]. With him came his sister Costanza and through them they founded the D'Avalos dynasty which would last on the island into the 18th century.

===16th–18th centuries===
Throughout the 16th century, the island suffered the incursions of pirates and [[Barbary]] [[privateers]] from North Africa: in 1543 and 1544 [[Hayreddin Barbarossa]] laid waste to the island, taking 4,000 prisoners in the process. In 1548 and 1552, Ischia was beset by his successor [[Turgut Reis|Dragut Rais]]. With the increasing rarity and diminishing severity of the piratical attacks later in the century and the construction of better defences, the islanders began to venture out of the castle and it was then that the historic centre of the town of Ischia was begun. Even so, many inhabitants still ended up slaves to the pirates, the last known being taken in 1796. During the 1647 revolution of [[Masaniello]], there was an attempted rebellion against the feudal landowners.

===Since the 18th century===
[[File:Ender Ischian landscape.jpg|thumb|[[Thomas Ender]], ''Ischian landscape'' (1832), [[National Museum, Warsaw|National Museum]], Warsaw]]
[[File:Tableau topographiques et historiques des isles d'Ischia, de Ponza, de Vandotena.tif|thumb|''Tableau topographiques et historiques des isles d'Ischia, de Ponza, de Vandotena'' (1825)]]
With the extinction of the D'Avalos line in 1729, the island reverted to state property. In March 1734 it was taken by the [[Bourbons]] and administered by a royal governor seated within the castle. The island participated in the short-lived [[Republic of Naples]] starting in March 1799 but by April 3 Commodore [[Thomas Troubridge]] under the command of [[Lord Nelson]] had put down the revolt on Ischia as well as on neighboring [[Procida]]. By decree of the governor, many of the rebels were hanged in a square on Procida now called Piazza dei martiri (Square of the Martyrs). Among these was Francesco Buonocore who had received the island to administer from the French [[Championnet]] in Naples. On February 13, 1806, the island was occupied by the French and on the 24th was unsuccessfully attacked by the British.

On June 21 and 22, 1809 the islands of Ischia and Procida were attacked by an Anglo-Bourbon fleet.  Procida surrendered on June 24 and Ischia soon afterwards. However the British soon returned to their bases in Sicily and Malta.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ischiaonline.it/ischia.php?pag=STOR06&sez=STORIA&langiol=EN&mysty=ihb|title=ISCHIA – A brief history of Ischia – Austrians and Bourbons – HOTEL ISCHIA – OFFERTE HOTEL ISCHIA|website=www.ischiaonline.it|access-date=March 8, 2018|archive-date=March 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310010228/https://www.ischiaonline.it/ischia.php?pag=STOR06&sez=STORIA&langiol=EN&mysty=ihb|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In the 19th century Ischia was a popular travel destination for European nobility.

On July 28, 1883, [[1883 Casamicciola earthquake|an earthquake]] destroyed the villages of [[Casamicciola Terme]] and [[Lacco Ameno]].

Ischia developed into a well-known artist colony at the beginning of the 20th century. Writers and painters from all over the world were attracted. [[Eduard Bargheer]], [[Hans Purrmann]] and Arrigo Wittler lived on the island. [[Rudolf Levy]], [[Werner Gilles]], [[Max Peiffer Watenphul]] with Kurt Craemer and Vincent Weber stayed in the fishing village of Sant'Angelo on the southern tip of the island shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.
In 1936 Ischia had a population of 30,418.<ref>''Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer'', p. 849</ref>

Spa tourism did not start again until the early 1950s. At that time, a quite remarkable artist colony of writers, composers and visual artists lived in Forio, including [[Ingeborg Bachmann]]. [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Luchino Visconti]] stayed here for filming.
On August 21, 2017, Ischia had an [[2017 Ischia earthquake|4.2 magnitude earthquake]]<ref>[http://cnt.rm.ingv.it/event/16796811 Terremoto di magnitudo Mw 3.9 del 21-08-2017 ore 20:57:51 (Italia) in zona: 1 km SW Casamicciola Terme (NA)] ''cnt.rm.ingv.it'', accessed September 21, 2019</ref> which killed 2 people and injured 42 more.<ref>[https://www.corriere.it/cronache/17_agosto_22/terremoto-ischia-2-morti-corsa-salvare-2-fratellini-sotto-macerie-7bb5c9c8-86f9-11e7-b2b6-63a8cab5b37c.shtml Terremoto a Ischia, due morti e 52 feriti. Salvati i fratelli rimasti sepolti Borrelli: ‘Case con materiali scadenti’] ''www.corriere.it'', accessed September 21, 2019</ref><ref>[http://www.lastampa.it/2017/08/22/italia/cronache/forte-terremoto-a-ischia-crolli-a-casamicciola-due-morti-e-almeno-feriti-MSexfR2NkoNj7T52FZqB9H/pagina.html Forte terremoto a Ischia, crolli a Casamicciola. Due morti e almeno 39 feriti. Salvi tutti e tre i fratelli rimasti imprigionati sotto le macerie] ''www.lastampa.it'', accessed September 21, 2019</ref>

Today, Ischia is a popular tourist destination, welcoming up to 6&nbsp;million visitors per year, mainly from the Italian mainland as well as other European countries like Germany and the United Kingdom (approximately 5,000 Germans are resident on the island), although it has become an increasingly popular destination for Eastern Europeans. The   number of Russian guests rose steadily from the 2000s onwards,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://theworld.org/stories/2010-08-18/italy-land-rich-russian | title=Italy: Land of the rich Russian }}</ref> before the number came to an almost complete standstill due to the currency depreciation of the [[russian ruble|ruble]] and [[COVID-19 pandemic]].

From Ischia, various destinations such as [[Naples]], [[Vesuvius]], [[Amalfi Coast]], [[Capri]], [[Herculaneum]], [[Paestum]] and the neighboring island [[Procida]] can be booked. 
Ischia is easily reached by ferry from Naples. The number of thermal spas on the islands makes it particularly popular with tourists seeking "wellness" holidays. A regular visitor was [[Angela Merkel]], the former German chancellor.

==In literature and the arts==
[[File:Veduta di Forio.JPG|thumb|left|alt=view from hilltop garden across small town to the sea|The view from the Waltons' house – [[La Mortella]]]]

===Events===
The island is home to the [[Ischia Film Festival]], an international cinema competition celebrated in June or July, dedicated to all the works that have promoted the value of the local territory.

===Notable guests and works===
*The Italian politician [[Giuseppe Garibaldi]], one of the most important figures of Italian unification, stayed on the island for healing himself from a serious injury and finding relief in the peaceful area of Casamicciola Terme (at the Manzi Hotel).
*The Russian revolutionary [[Mikhail Bakunin]], stayed in Ischia between July 1866 and June 1867, from where he wrote political letters to [[Alexander Herzen]] and [[Nikolai Ogarev]].
*In May 1948 [[W. H. Auden]] wrote his poem "[[In Praise of Limestone]]" here, the first poem he wrote in Italy.<ref>{{cite ODNB|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-30775|title=Auden, Wystan Hugh (1907–1973), poet and writer|year=2004|access-date=June 16, 2019|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/30775}}</ref>
*In 1949, British classical composer [[William Walton]] settled in Ischia. In 1956, he sold his London house and took up full-time residence on Ischia; he built a hilltop house at [[Forio]], called it [[La Mortella]], and Susana Walton created a magnificent garden there.<ref>Kennedy, pp. 208–209</ref> Walton lived on the island for the remainder of his life and died there in 1983.<ref>Kennedy, pp. 75, 140, 143, 144 and 208</ref>
* German composer [[Hans Werner Henze]] lived on the island from 1953 to 1956 and wrote his ''Quattro Poemi'' (1955) there.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}
* [[Samuel A. Taylor|Samuel Taylor]]'s Broadway play ''[[Avanti!]]'' (1968) takes place on the island.
* [[Hergé]]'s series of comic albums, ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'' (1907–1983), ends in Ischia, which serves as the location of [[Endaddine Akass]]' villa in the unfinished 24th and final book, ''[[Tintin and Alph-Art]]''.
* French novelist [[Pascal Quignard]] set much of his novel ''[[Villa Amalia (novel)|Villa Amalia]]'' (2006) on the island.
*In [[Elena Ferrante]]'s series of [[Neapolitan Novels (series)|Neapolitan Novels]], the island serves as the setting of several summer holidays of the main characters.

===Film setting===
In addition to the works noted above, multiple media works have been set or filmed on the island. For example:
* The American [[swashbuckler film]] ''[[The Crimson Pirate]]'' (1952) was filmed on and around the island during the summer of 1951.<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 1951|title=Lancaster already in Italy|page=74|work=[[Screenland]]|publisher=Henry Publishing|url=https://archive.org/details/screenland55unse/page/n833/mode/2up?q=lancaster|access-date=April 8, 2021}}</ref>
* Part of ''[[Purple Noon]]'' ("Plein Soleil", 1959), directed by [[René Clément]] starring [[Alain Delon]] and [[Marie Laforêt]]
* ''[[Avanti!]]'' (1972), starring [[Jack Lemmon]] and [[Juliet Mills]].
* Part of ''[[Cleopatra (1963 film)|Cleopatra]]'' (1963), starring [[Elizabeth Taylor]], was filmed on the island.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}
* Ischia Ponte stood in for "Mongibello" in the Hollywood film of ''[[The Talented Mr. Ripley (film)|The Talented Mr. Ripley]]'' (1999).<ref>[http://movie-locations.com/movies/t/Talented-Mr-Ripley.php The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) film locations]  ''Movie-Locations.com'', Retrieved November 1, 2019</ref>
* The American film ''[[And While We Were Here]]'' (2012), starring [[Kate Bosworth]], was filmed on the island.<ref>[http://www.mandatory.com/fun/572287-exclusive-interview-kat-coiro-on-and-while-we-were-here Fred Topel- Exclusive Interview: Kat Coiro on And While We Were Here] September 17, 2013, ''www.mandatory.com'', accessed September 21, 2019</ref>
* [[Castello Aragonese]] was used as the 'Riva's Fortified Fortress' island in ''[[Men in Black: International]]'' (2019).<ref>[http://movie-locations.com/movies/m/Men-In-Black-International.php Men In Black International (2019) film locations]  ''Movie-Locations.com''] Retrieved November 1, 2019</ref>

==Wines==
The island of Ischia is home to the eponymous ''[[Denominazione di origine controllata]]'' (DOC) that produces both red and white wines though white wines account for nearly 80% of the island's [[wine production]]. Vineyards planted within the {{convert|179|ha|acre}} boundaries of the DOC tend to be on volcanic soils with high [[pumice]], [[phosphorus]] and [[potassium]] content.<ref name="Saunders">{{cite book|first=P. |last=Saunders|title=Wine Label Language|pages= 169–170|publisher=  Firefly Books |year=2004|isbn=1-55297-720-X}}</ref>

The white wines of the island are composed primarily of [[Forastera]] (at least 65% according to DOC regulation) and [[Biancolella]] (up to 20%) with up to 15% of other local grape varieties such as [[Arilla]] and [[San Lunardo]]. Grapes are limited to a [[harvest (wine)|harvest]] [[yield (wine)|yield]] of no more than 10 tonnes/ha with a finished minimum [[alcohol level]] of at least 11%. For wines labeled as ''Bianco Superiore'', the yield is further restricted to a maximum of 8 tonnes/ha with a minimum alcohol level of 12%. Only certain subareas of the Ischia DOC can produce ''Bianco Superiore'' with the blend needing to contain 50% Forastera, 40% Biancolella and 10% San Lunardo.<ref name="Saunders"/>

Red wines produced under the Ischia DOC are composed of 50% Guarnaccia, 40% [[Piedirosso]] (known under the local synonym of Per'e Palummo) and 10% [[Barbera]]. Like the white wines, red grapes destined for DOC production are limited to a harvest yield of no more than 10 tonnes/ha though the minimum finished alcohol level is higher at 11.5% ABV.<ref name="Saunders"/>

==Main sights==
[[File:Castello Aragonese.jpg|thumb|[[Castello Aragonese]]]]
[[File:Lacco Ameno Ischia.jpg|thumb|Lacco Ameno]]
[[File:P1010064.JPG|thumb|S. Angelo d'Ischia]]
[[File:la mortella view from teatro greco.jpg|thumb|View From La Mortella]]
[[File:la mortella olive tree.jpg|thumb|Ancient [[Olive tree]] in La Mortella]]

===Aragonese Castle===
The [[Aragonese Castle]] (''Castello Aragonese'', Ischia Ponte) was built on a rock near the island in 474 BC, by [[Hiero I of Syracuse]]. 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 [[Ancient Rome|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 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, and the prince, with a military garrison. There were also thirteen churches. 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 [[Saint 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 [[Immaculate Conception|Immacolata]] and the Cathedral of [[Assunta Cathedral|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 Poor Clares convent.

===Gardens of ''La Mortella''===
{{main|La Mortella}}
The gardens, located in Forio-San Francesco, were originally the property of English composer [[William Walton]].  Walton lived in the villa next to the gardens with his Argentine wife [[Susana Walton|Susana]]. When the composer arrived on the island in 1946, he immediately called [[Russell Page]] from England to lay out the garden. Wonderful tropical and Mediterranean plants were planted and some have now reached amazing proportions. The gardens include wonderful views over the city and harbour of Forio. A museum dedicated to the life and work of William Walton now comprises part of the garden complex. There's also a recital room where renowned musical artists perform on a regular schedule.

===Villa La Colombaia===
''Villa La Colombaia'' is located in Lacco Ameno and Forio territories. Surrounded by a park, the villa (called "The Dovecote") was made by Luigi Patalano, a famous local [[socialist]] and journalist. It is now the seat of a cultural institution and museum dedicated to [[Luchino Visconti]]. The institution promotes cultural activities such as music, cinema, theatre, art exhibitions, workshops and cinema reviews. The villa and the park are open to the public.

===Others===
* Sant'Angelo  (Sant'Angelo, in the ''comune'' of [[Serrara Fontana]])
* Maronti Beach  ([[Barano d'Ischia]])
* Church of the Soccorso' ([[Forio]])
* Piazza S.Restituta, with the best luxury boutiques ([[Lacco Ameno]])
* Bay of Sorgeto, with hot thermal springs ([[Panza]])
* Poseidon Gardens – spa with several thermal pools ([[Panza]])
* [[Citara|Citara Beach]] ([[Panza]])
* English's Beach ([[Ischia, Campania|Ischia]])
* Pitthekoussai Archaeological museum<ref name="incampania.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.incampania.com/en/beniculturali.cfm?s=5&Menu_ID=211&Sub_ID=216&Info_ID=4174 |title=Museo Angelo Rizzoli – Museums – Ischia – Napoli |publisher=InCampania |access-date=2013-03-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921064919/http://www.incampania.com/en/beniculturali.cfm?s=5&Menu_ID=211&Sub_ID=216&Info_ID=4174 |archive-date=2013-09-21 }}</ref>
* The [[Angelo Rizzoli]] museum<ref name="incampania.com"/>

== Voluntary associations ==
Committees and associations work to promote tourism on the island, and provide services and activities for residents. Among these are:
* Il coniglio di Rocco Alfarano, associazione per la protezione del quadrupede sull’isola
*Accaparlante Società Cooperativa Sociale, Via Sant'Alessandro
*Associazione Donatori Volontari di Sangue, Via Iasolino, 1
*[http://www.nemoischia.it Associazione Nemo] per la Diffusione della Cultura del Mare, via Regina Elena, 75 Cellulare: 366–1270197
*Associazione Progetto Emmaus, Via Acquedotto, 65
*A.V.I. Associazione Volontariato e Protezione Civile Isola D'Ischia, Via Delle Terme, 88
*Cooperativa Sociale Arkè onlus, Via delle Terme, 76/R Telefono: 081–981342
*Cooperativa Sociale Asat Ischia onlus, Via delle Terme, 76/R Telefono: 081–3334228
*Cooperativa Sociale kairòs onlus, Via delle Terme, 76/R
*Kalimera Società Cooperativa Sociale, Via Fondo Bosso, 20
*Pan Assoverdi Salvanatura, Via Delle Terme, 53/C
*Prima Ischia – Onlus, Via Iasolino, 102

==Town twinning==
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles]], California, USA (2006)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sistercities.lacity.org/|title=Sister Cities of Los Angeles|access-date=2017-01-09}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], USA (2006)<ref name="dept">[http://www.cambridgema.gov/deptann.cfm?story_id=1597 "A Message from the Peace Commission: Information on Cambridge's Sister Cities,"] February 15, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2008.</ref><ref name="thompson">Richard Thompson. [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/10/12/looking_to_strengthen_family_ties_with_sister_cities/?page=full "Looking to strengthen family ties with 'sister cities',"] ''Boston Globe'', October 12, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2008.</ref>
*{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Maloyaroslavets]], Russia

==Environmental problems==
The sharp increase of the population between 1950 and 1980 and the growing inflow of tourists (in 2010 over 4 million tourists visited the island for at least one day) have increased the anthropic pressure on the island. Significant acreage of land previously used for agriculture has been developed for the construction of houses and residential structures. Most of this development has taken place without any planning and building permission.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://europeansmallislands.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/ischia.pdf|title=ENERGY AUDIT ON ISCHIA|last=Pleijel|first=Christian|date=October 22, 2015}}</ref> As at the end of 2011, the island lacked the most basic system for sewage treatment; sewage is sent directly to the sea.{{Citation needed|date=July 2016}} In 2004 one of the five communities of the island commenced civil works to build a sewage treatment plant but since then the construction has not been completed and it is currently stopped.

On June 14, 2007, there was a breakage in one of the four high-voltage underwater cables forming the power line maintained by Enel S.p.A. — although never authorized by Italian authorities – between Cuma on the Campania coast and Lacco Ameno on the island of Ischia. Inside each cable there is an 18&nbsp;mm‑diameter channel filled with oil under high pressure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2008-3253+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN|title=Written question – Environmental catastrophe in Ischia – E-3253/2008|website=www.europarl.europa.eu|access-date=March 8, 2018}}</ref> The breakage of the Enel cable resulted in the spillage of oil into the sea and into other environmental matrices – with the consequent pollution by polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs, the use of which was banned by the Italian authorities as long ago as 1984), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and linear alkyl benzenes (aromatic hydrocarbons) — in the ‘Regno di Nettuno’, a marine protected area, and the largest ecosystem in the Mediterranean Sea, designated as a ‘priority habitat’ in Annex I to the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and comprising oceanic [[posidonia]] beds.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

To reduce pollution due to cars, Ischia has been the place of the first complete sustainable mobility project applied to an urban center, created in 2017 with Enel in collaboration with [[Aldo Arcangioli]], one the main Italian experts of green mobility, under the name of "Green Island".

==See also==
{{Portal|Geography|Islands|Italy}}
* [[List of islands of Italy]]
* [[List of castles in Italy]]
* [[List of volcanoes in Italy]]
* [[Castello d'Ischia Lighthouse]]
* [[2017 Ischia earthquake]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* [http://icarus.umkc.edu/sandbox/perseus/pecs/page.67.a.php Richard Stillwell, ed. ''Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites'', 1976:] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227194344/http://icarus.umkc.edu/sandbox/perseus/pecs/page.67.a.php |date=December 27, 2007 }} "Aenaria (Ischia), Italy".
* [[David Ridgway (scholar)|Ridgway, D]]. "The First Western Greeks" Cambridge University Press, 1993. {{ISBN|0-521-42164-0}}
* {{cite book | last= Kennedy | first= Michael | title = Portrait of Walton | url= https://archive.org/details/portraitofwalton00kenn | url-access= registration | location = Oxford | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1989 | isbn = 978-0-19-816705-1}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
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* [https://www.visitischia.info/en/ Visit Ischia Official Tourist Board] [en]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170520224438/http://ischiafoto.org/ Ischia Photos with maps] [en]
* [http://www.pithecusae.it/materiali/tifeo.htm Archaeology of Ischia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627122631/http://www.pithecusae.it/materiali/tifeo.htm |date=June 27, 2017 }} {{in lang|it}}

{{Flegrean Islands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ischia| ]]
[[Category:Calderas of Italy]]
[[Category:Campanian volcanic arc]]
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[[Category:Complex volcanoes]]
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