Walled Earth
It is uphill on the road to the Walled Earth. A climb that Procidans still perceive as shaggy and melancholy. Up there, at the highest point of Procida, there was the prison, closed since 1988. But the State Property Office sold this immense property to the municipality.
The former penitentiary is an extraordinary monumental complex, consisting of what was originally the Avalos Palace. Built between 1560 and 1570 by the d'Avalos, feudal lords of the island until 1729, it was transformed into a royal palace and hunting lodge by Charles III of Bourbon. Later, from 1815, it became first a military school, then a prison and penal bath for lifers.
A prison citadel overlooking the sea, with surrounding walls, an imposing gateway and sentry boxes, to be transformed into a cultural hub. Meanwhile, you can visit the sixteenth-century courtyard, l'cell building, with the infirmary, the factories Where the inmates worked.
One walks astonished, among rusty cots, worn uniforms and shoes, the prison records of the time and other memorabilia. Bars and slits, cuts of light and deep shadows. In the silence seem to echo the rattling of chains, the somber sound of guards' batons, the voices of lifers.
Here were imprisoned, among others, the writer and patriot Louis Settembrini, political prisoner of the Bourbons, fascist hierarchs and criminals of the Giuliano gang.
Procida and Corricella, the colorful fishing village
La Corricella remains the island's icon in the world, with clustered houses and walls vibrant with color, dominated by the Shrine of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
The village of Corricella can only be reached by sea or on foot, descending scenic steps, such as the Pennino or the Scura. The most beautiful view, however, can be enjoyed from the viewpoint of Callìa, overlooking the sea, the island of Capri and the promontory of Terra Murata.
Procida, the most beautiful beaches
The beaches of the Old Well, which became famous for the set of The Postman by Massimo Troisi, is a five-minute walk away, as is that of Ciraccio: Due to their western exposure, you can bathe here even until early November.
On the western side is the islet of Vivara. Privately owned and connected to the mother island of Procida by a long pedestrian bridge, Vivara is a crescent of land, uninhabited and miraculously escaped building siege. It is actually the edge of a Volcanic crater now submerged.
Vivara, Procida's nature reserve
For centuries hunting estate of the Bourbons, since 2002. Is state nature reserve, because outpost for the birds Of pace in spring. It also welcomes a mycenaean archaeological site, still under excavation. Access is regulated by the municipality, and the tour route is an hour-long hike through the thick Mediterranean bush, where the ruins of 17th-century and Bourbon-era farmhouses emerge.
On the way back, the stop at the Chiaiolella Marina is a must.
La Church of Santa Margherita Nuova, in the hamlet of Walled land, is home to exhibitions and cultural events.
