When Naples started running out of room to bury its dead in the 16th century, undertakers started moving bones into a cave just beyond the city walls. The cemetery its big boost in 1656, when plague swept Naples. Thousands of corpses were piled into the cave. Later, it became a boneyard for paupers, with a huge swell of corpses deposited during 1837′s cholera epidemic. Today, the remains of an estimated 40,000 people linger in the cave, although thousands more are thought to be buried beneath the surface.

In 1872, Father Gaetano Barbati decided it was time to clean up the cave. He and his followers organized and catalogued the bones. But here’s where it gets really creepy: They also inspired a cult of devotion to the dead. Volunteers weren’t just cleaning skulls. They also were praying to them and asking them for favors. In 1969, the Archbishop of Naples closed the cemetery down, worrying it had become a fetishist cult. The cave only reopened to the public full-time in 2010… and it remains filled with the bones and skulls of 40,000 nameless.

The Cimitero delle Fontanelle is open daily from 10am-5pm, except for Wednesdays. It’s located at Via Fontanelle 80.

Not far from the Fontanelle Cemetery lie the San Gaudioso catacombs. Although they go back to ancient Roman times, the catacombs didn’t get really creepy until the 17th century, when they were taken over by particularly macabre monks. Corpses would be sat into a carved-out niche with a hole, letting their body fluids drain out. Once a corpse had decomposed, it would be decapitated and the skull—along with, sometimes, other bones, like vertebrae—cemented to a wall to decorate a fresco of the corpse. The frescoes, and skulls, are still there. And since this is one of Naples’ least-visited catacombs, there’s nothing like walking through the dripping, dark, and bone-decorated gloom… alone with your guide.

The San Gaudioso catacombs are located at Piazza Sanità 14. Guided tours are available on the hour every day from 10am to 1pm. Call in advance to request an English guide.



www.walksofitaly.com 

Tell us what you think. Leave a comment

I came across this interesting item in the on-line version of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica. In the section on Naples, there is a paragraph about folk-lore and, specifically, how Neapolitans ward of the "evil eye":


...charms against the Evil Eye...were all derived from the survival of ancient classical legends... These may be divided into three classes: first, the sprig of rue in silver, with sundry emblems attached to it, all of which refer to the worship of Diana, whose shrine at Capua was of considerable importance; secondly, the serpent charms, which formed part of the worship of Aesculapius, and were no doubt derived largely from the ancient eastern ophiolatry; and lastly charms derived from the legends of the Sirens...The sea-horse and the Siren alone are commonly found as charms..

I had never heard any of that. There are a few terms used for "evil eye," "bad luck," etc. in Italian, in general, and in southern Italy, in particular. Simple "bad luck" is sfortuna, which is about the same as "misfortune" in English; there is no implication of it having been caused. The "evil eye," however--malocchio, in Italian—is much different. That is misfortune "cast" on you by a malevolent person with that particular ability. Indeed, one of the common Neapolitan terms for that kind of bad luck is jettatura, which comes from the Italian verb "gettare," meaning "throw" or "cast". Another common word in both Italian and Neapolitan for "witchcraft" is fattura, from the root "make," or "do". (Fattura, fittingly, is also the name for the receipted invoice you have to give someone if you sell them something, so you can't get out of paying a tax on your profit. Witchcraft, bad luck, taxes. I rest my case.) 

In any event, the most common way to ward off the Evil Eye, or bad luck caused by a spell, is by making the "sign of the horns"--le corna— that is, extending the index and little fingers of the hand and waggling your hand towards the ground. You can also buy a lucky charm in the shape of a single curved horn. There are two explanations for the use of the horns as a good luck charm: one says that it comes from the defensive posture of animals: head lowered, horns ready to use; the other—more likely—is that it has to do with the sexual vigor implied in the symbol of the male animal. Phallic symbols are also commonly seen throughout the Greek and Roman world as good luck charms. That explanation seems more likely to me, since another common way for men in Naples to ward off bad luck is to touch their genitals. (Touching someone else's genitals, on the other hand, generally causes more bad luck.) Depending on the threshold of superstition on a given day in Naples, then, you can get some interesting body language going on in public and broad daylight on any street in the city. 

I was not familiar with rue—or any other plant—as a charm against the Evil Eye. I asked a friend about this and she immediately cited a verse to me: 

"Aglio, fravaglie, fatture ca nun quaglie...,"  a dialect verse meaning "Garlic and animal innards keep away bad luck." Then, all the vampire books and movies with which I afflicted my childhood came back to me and I remembered about garlic. There is a whole class of plants that are used medicinally and—in folklore—to cast spells and ward them off. Rue (ruta graveolens) is one of them. In some sources, it is the famous "moly plant" used by Ulysses in The Odyssey (book 10, lines 304-6) to protect himself and his men from the spell of the Circe. Yet, I have not seen sprigs of rue for sale on the streets of Naples in the way that you find little horn amulets. 

Serpent charms and ophiolatry (serpent worship) are equally hard to find in Naples. It occurs to me that some of the amulets I see in street stalls—charms that I have always taken to be single horns—are, in fact, curved and, if not coiled, at least "wiggly". Maybe it was originally meant to be a snake. The only Naples myth I know about snakes has to do with how Virgil is said to have used his magical powers to drive away a great serpent that lived beneath the hill of the city.  I am also aware of the split in our mythology between the benevolent and malevolent attributes of snakes. Contrasting the evil seducer/serpent in the book of Genesis, we have in other contexts the benevolent presence of twin serpents on the caduceus, the symbol of the medical profession, and, further to the east, in Indian mythology, the cobra that protects Buddha by spreading its hood over him. 

I have seen the sea-horse and siren symbols a lot in Naples, but I didn't know that they were good luck charms—nor did any of the people I spoke to. As they say in the ivory towers of academe: more research is needed.  

Napoli .com



Tell us what you think. Leave a comment

The National Archaeological Museum is located at the corner of via Foria and via Costantinopoli. That point was also the northwest corner of the original Greek wall of the city of Neapolis, remains of which can be seen further down via Costantinopoli at Piazza Bellini. It is a fitting site for one of the most complete collections of Greek and Roman antiquities in the world, and one of the few places where they can be viewed side by side just a few yards from precisely that outside world where they, indeed, existed side by side for centuries. 

Charles III of Bourbon founded the museum in the 1750s. He  used a building erected in 1585, one that had served as a cavalry barracks and later, from 1616 to 1777, as the seat of the University of Naples. Expansion of the premises continued in the latter half of the eighteenth century under the supervision of Ferdinando Fuga and Pompeo Schiantarelli. A final project drawn up in 1790 to complete the structure was never completed. 

The museum houses impressive collections from Pompei and Herculaneum; there are exhibits from other archaeological sites throughout southern Italy, including some from early non-Roman Italic peoples of the area, such as the Samnites. More recent additions include the Farnese collection and the Borgia collection of Egyptian antiquities, this latter giving the visitor the bonus of studying the very real commercial and social ties that  the ancient Greek city had with its own forerunner, Egypt. Other collections contain items that in many other museums would be considered much more than 'miscellaneous', such as the 'Tazza Farnese,' one of the largest cameos in the world, crafted in Alexandria in 150 BC and that came into the possession of Lorenzo the Magnificent 15 centuries later



Jeff Matthews

Tell us what you think. Leave a comment

Though Naples is more well-known for its pastry-type sweets (such as sfogliatelle andbaba’), it also conceals some of Italy’s best chocolate shops. The other day, during a typical January day of rain and general dreariness, I was in need of a major pick up and chocolate seemed to be the only remedy (no, not even the super-potent Neapolitan coffee could do the trick). Fiorella, our inimitable Naples docent knew right where to take me- the temple of Neapolitan chocolate, otherwise known as Gay-Odin. 

 Founded by Isidoro Odin, a transplant from Alba (in Italy’s chocolate epicenter, Piedmont), the first branch of the company opened in the tony Chiaia district at the end of the 19th century but soon spread to other areas of the city. Me and Fiorella ended up at the shop located in the heart of Spaccanapoli, literally drooling over the luscious display of pralines and other delicacies. Fiorella insisted that I try the “foresta“, a Gay-Odin creation that is a flaky bar of rich chocolate that resembles rough and twisty tree bark (very similar to the British Cadbury Flake bar). The assortment of other chocolate shapes and variations include tarallini, donut-shaped and filled with Strega liquer, noci, walnut shaped and enclosed in a wafer-like casing and ostriche, oyster-shaped and filled with a cream mousse. During the holidays, Neapolitan families stock up on boxes of Gay-Odin goodness to distribute to friends and relatives and in the summer, gelato flavors based on their chocolate concoctions take center stage. Though the “foresta” was quite delectable, I like the Vesuvius the best. Imagine a solid block of chocolate in the shape of the Mt. Vesuvius volcano, sometimes taking on mammoth proportions- now that’s a real pick me up!

 
by Megan

Tell us what you think. Leave a comment.

The Church of San Michele in the town of Anacapri on the island of Capri has been designated a "monument" due to the presence of the remarkable—and newly restored--majolica floor mosaic (above) called The Garden of Eden, showing the Tree of Temptation with the serpent, the animals described in the Bible, and Adam and Eve as they are expelled from the Garden by an angel. The floor mosaic dates from 1761; it has approximately 1,500 tiles and is considered one of the finest examples of the 18th-century school of Neapolitan majolica craftsmanship. It was the work of Leonardo Chiaiese. In both theme and format, it is reminiscent of the Tree of life in the cathedral of Otranto.

The church of San Michele, itself, was built in the years 1698 to 1727. The architect was D.A. Vaccaro, one of the greatest and most active craftsmen of his day in Naples. The church has had a varied history: the adjacent premises first served as a convent; then, during the British occupation of the Island from 1806-1808 the entire complex was used as an arms deposit; during the subsequent anti-clerical rule of the French under Murat, the religious order was closed; the convent was reopened after the Bourbon restoration (1816); the convent premises were eventually sold, but the church with its splendid mosaic has remained. The church contains a number of paintings by well-known artists of the Neapolitan Baroque, includingFrancesco Solimena and Paolo de Matteis.

Jeff Mathews

Sfogliatelle means many leaves or layers and this crisp pastry's texture resembles leaves stacked on 
each other.  Sfogliatelle look like seashells when baked.  Some people also call them 'lobster tails' for 
their resemblance to the same.  The characteristic ridges form as the layers of dough separate during 
baking.  The pastries are filled with a sweetened ricotta cream, semolina, and cinnamon mixture.  
Lemon zest or candied orange bits are also sometimes added. We are providing you with a recipe for 
sfogliatelle pastry dough but you can substitute purchased puff pastry dough. The recipe also calls for 
using lard, which gives a flakier consistency, but you may wish to use margarine in its place.  Making 
sfogliatelle is a time-consuming process. If you are up for a challenge this is the recipe to try.


Ingredients:

Pastry for Sfogliatelle
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lard or margarine, melted

Note:  You may wish to substitute 1 (1 pound package of frozen
puff pastry dough, thawed, for the above pastry recipe

Sfogliatelle Filling
1 cup milk
1/4 cup semolina flour
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon candied orange bits or grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Confectioners' sugar for dusting


Directions:


To make the dough:
In a large bowl, combine both flours, sugar and salt.
Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture.
Gradually add the water until a soft dough forms.
Form the dough into a disk, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.


To make the filling:
Put the milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil.
Slowly add the semolina flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Simmer the mixture 3-4 minutes, until thick and smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool about 5 minutes.
Press the ricotta cheese through a sieve to remove any lumps.
Add the ricotta, egg, sugar, candied fruit, and cinnamon to the semolina
mixture. Beat well to blend and set aside


Making the sfogliatelle:
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it  into 2 equal pieces.
If you are using puff pastry, use 1 of the 2 pieces from the package.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece into a 16 x 22-inch rectangle.
The dough will be very, very thin. Starting at a short end, brush the first 1/3 of
dough with some of the melted lard. Begin rolling the pastry up like a  jellyroll.
Brush the second 1/3 of dough with more lard, and continue rolling.
Finally, brush the last 1/3 with lard, and roll up completely.
Cut the roll into 1-inch pieces, which will resemble narrow rolls of ribbon.


Forming the sfogliatelle:
Place one of the slices in the palm of your hand. Press the thumb of your other
hand in the center of the pastry and push it down to form a small ribbed cup.
You do not want the ribs to separate. Now you will begin to stretch the dough.
Carefully work around the cup, pushing down with your thumbs and pulling up
with your fingers. Think of it an opening a collapsible travel cup. Form each
piece into a cone, shaped 3 to 4 inches across the mouth and 1-inch at the tip




Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease or line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.


Fill each pastry cone with 2 tablespoons of the filling. Gently press the open
edges together to seal the pastry.   Pull out the top ends to form a seashell
shape. Place the sfogliatelle 1-inch apart on the baking sheets.


Repeat the procedure with the second piece of pastry dough.


Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Allow the pastry to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
Transfer the pastry to wire racks to cool completely.


To serve:
Sprinkle the sfogliatelle with confectioners' sugar and serve.


Makes about 32 pastries


www.mangiabenepasta.com

Tell us what you think. Leave a comment

"Mamma mia, che acuti!" 
These were the words of the doctor when Luciano Pavarotti was born, screaming in his mother’s arms, on October 12, 1935 in Modena. Both Adele and Fernando Pavarotti, Luciano’s parents, had been born into large families and they were very close, a real traditional Italian family. 
In the building where he grew up, 16 families shared, mostly relatives. He was the only boy at the time which meant he received the attention of everyone, especially the women, and he loved women throughout his life. He had a wonderful relationship with his grandmother, Nonna Giulia, whose daughter Lucia had died the year before he was born and after whom he was named. Luciano’s father worked in a Modena bakery and his mother in a cigar factory leaving him in the care of his grandmother. Fernando was excused military service because his trade was of use to the fascists. The bakery helped to feed the German troops. The family never went hungry because there was always bread. 
During the war, the bombings became too dangerous, so the family stayed with a farmer in Gargallo near Carpi, where Luciano learned about the land and animals and where his love for both was instilled in his heart forever. At five, he was already singing and entertaining the neighbours. He also loved football and spent long hours playing soccer and being sociable with the other children of the neighbourhood, and he sang, though his father was not keen to encourage him. Luciano had the potential to enter a career as an athlete, however, eventually, after much deliberation and many meetings round the family table, a deal was struck. 
The family would support him in his singing until he was 30 and, if he hadn’t made it by then, he would give up his notions to be a singer. He was 19 when he was taken to his first teacher, Maestro Arrigo Pola, who tutored him free, knowing the family’s circumstances. Endless hours of exercises for the muscles and voice were practised, towards the aim of him becoming primo tenore. The importance of this preparation was essential to develop a voice capable of surviving the strenuous operatic works. When Arrigo took a post in Japan, he sent him to Ettore Campogalliani of Mantua. Mirella Freni, a pupil from his Modena school, was also being tutored with Ettore. Luciano needed an income and took a part-time job teaching in the school, not for long though as he found a job selling insurance, which was more profitable. Unfortunately, after making good money, his voice was taking strain from excessive talking as a salesman. 
He decided to leave the business and focus on his career.  What a loss it would have been had he made a career from selling insurance. After six years and still no major singing parts, he began to be disillusioned and was ready to give up if his booking at the Salsomaggiore in Parma was not a success. It turned out to be the best performance he had ever done thus far. It was a great success, and he went on to enter and win the “Achille Peri” competition for young singers in 1961. The first prize was the role of Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emillia, directed by Mafalda Favero. At the performance, he was noticed by an agent, former tenor Alessandro Ziliani, who was to help him establish his career. In 1961, he was feeling more positive about the future, so he married Adua Veroni whom he had met while studying at the Istituto Magistrale. They had three daughters together, Lorenza, Cristina and Giuliana. He was a great family man and loved to entertain friends at home. 
Opera was not his only love. He loved food and cooking. His escape was to paint, or to ride a motorcycle, and he loved horses. Influences and milestones His father was his first influence. Fernando had a wonderful voice and in fact father and son often sang together, earlier in Llangollen, Wales, at the International Eisteddfod, and later Fernando often had smaller parts in productions with Luciano. Fernando introduced him to recordings of the great voices of the time: Beniamino Gigli, Martinelli, Tito Schipa and Enrico Caruso. Luciano’s favourite was Giuseppe Di Stefano and it was only fitting that in 1963, when Di Stefano was unable to perform, Luciano replaced him to play Rodolfo in Rigoletto at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Pavarotti credits Joan Ingpen, from the Opera House, with discovering him and bringing him to London for the first time to cover for Stefano. Pavarotti’s successful debut began to open new opportunities. 
He was invited to the Glyndebourne Opera Festival, where he learnt to sing Mozart, working alongside Judith Raskin. It was also where Joan Sutherland heard him sing and consequently he was booked for a tour of Australia in 1965 with Joan and her husband Richard Bonynge. Luciano was ever grateful to Joan for helping him develop breathing techniques which allowed him to sing from the diaphragm, so saving his voice from strain. His international debut was La Traviata in Belgrade in 1963. It was an eventful year. He played Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto at the Vienna State Opera. His American debut was at the Greater Miami Opera in 1965, where he performed in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor with Joan Sutherland. Donizetti was one of Pavarotti’s favourite composers because, in his words, “my voice likes Donizetti.” In 1964, he sang in the festival production of Idomenea at Glyndebourne with Gundula Janowitz. In 1965, he at last had his La Scala Theatre debut. It was La Bohème with Mirella Freni and conducted by Herbert von Karajan. His popularity with the public was unique. Luciano had a wonderful natural way with people. He was optimistic and unaffected by status. His “bigness” in stature and voice was magnetic. 
In 1968, he made his New York Met debut, but being very ill at the time, he felt he had not given the audience his best; however, four years later in 1972, his success at the Met became a reality when he gave a phenomenal performance with Joan Sutherland in La fille du Regiment, Richard Bonynge conducting. This work gave him the title of “King of the High C’s”. His manager Herbert Breslen’s comment on his performance was, “Luciano sang the hallelujah out of it.” He came back for 17 curtain calls. (His record, registered in the Guinness Book of Records, for 165 curtain calls was after the performance L’Elisir d’Amore (1988) in Berlin.) Pavarotti was probably the first real crossover artist, singing popular music too. He even played with the band U2. 
His love for opera and his open-hearted nature influenced and popularised opera. Being one of the well-loved “Three Tenors” with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, he sang at many events and international concerts. In concert is listed in the Guinness Book of Records 2010 as the “best-selling classical album” of all time. In 2003, he married his assistant, Nicoletta Mantovani, with whom he already had a daughter, Alice. Reputation Pavarotti did, however, have a few complaints. One was about “egos” in opera houses and the other was that he had to make it internationally before he was accepted in his own country. Pavarotti was always careful not to take on a work that was not suitable for his voice. He never overextended his voice, and there were works, such as Othello, which he would not sing until much later. It also meant cancellations were inevitable and, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, after he cancelled numerous events, Ardis Krainik banned him for life, which caused much controversy and gave Pavarotti the new title of “King of cancellations”. Charity work, free concerts and legacy Pavarotti sang in Beirut  (the benefit concert after the civil war in 2000), and performed at concerts raising money for earthquake victims and humanitarian causes. He has given many free public concerts to massive audiences, one of which was Hyde Park (1991), which was televised and attended by over 100,000 people. He also formed Pavarotti and friends, musicians from all genres who came together for charity concerts in Modena, raising money for UN causes. 
Among these musicians were fellow tenor Andrea Bocelli, Eric Clapton, Bono, Bon Jovi, Deep Purple and the Spice Girls. Pavarotti introduced an international voice competition for young singers. He was friends with Princess Diana and supported her charities.  Amongst his many awards for humanitarian work, he was given the title of “United Nations Messenger of Peace" in 1998. He was presented with the Grammy Legend Award in 1998. In 2005, Luciano underwent surgery on two vertebrae and had a difficult recovery. However, in 2006, he performed at the Winter Olympics in Turin. The aria was Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, which had been the theme song for the 1990 Italy World Cup and which had drawn world attention to Pavarotti. The performance was pre-recorded due to the sub-zero temperatures. It was his last concert. 
Luciano Pavarotti died on 6 Sept, 2007 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He will never be forgotten because his voice with its beautiful tone will live on in the many recordings that have been made. Luciano Pavarotti reached his dream to be primo tenore and his voice has become a national “Italian Treasure”.           - See more at: 

Italymagazine




                                               The Three Tenors singing Santa Lucia

Three days of events at the foot of Vesuvius , glowing pearl of Naples . A review of "volcanic" between art, music, cabaret and excursions.

The Experience Vesuvio Festival  begins Friday October 10  and ends Sunday, October 12 . In these three days you can go hiking in the saddle of a mountain bike or horse back and relax in the dining area. Relaxation  is the key word, think that Vivi Vesuvius has also thought about the parking, at the ' Hotel Sirio  (Boscotrecase).

The event is curated by Vivi Vesuvius , a young association (born 2004), born from the initiative and above all by the courage of Alfredo Silvio Hollyhock. The association has a mission  imposing: to introduce the beauty of Naples Vesuvius. 

Live Vesuvius Festival is an event that aims to raise awareness of  those Neapolitans who have always seen from a distance Vesuvius but they have never lived. If you're a part of that club, Vivi Vesuvio Festival offers a ' unique opportunity to experience the symbol of Naples .

To succeed in its aim Live Vesuvius put the Vesuvius National Park  in the center of the event, in fact the show  and the other attractions in the program will be held right in a protected area  of the volcanic park. This event is an explicit attempt to bring the bells, large and small, the area of the Vesuvius National Park, discovering the local culture . 


Full Schedule
 
Friday, October 10 from 21.00 
"Live Concert Vesuvio"
The brushes of Vermeer, opera Freak, The Shak & Speares
Special Guest: Valerio Jovine in "Jovine on the riddim"

Saturday, October 11 at 20.30 
"Live Vesuvius Show"
Guests: Luca Sepe, Peppe Iodice, The Bluebrunch, Tino Brigandi and the St. Mark's Gospel Choir

Sunday, October 12 from 10.00
"Live Vesuvius Baby Day"
Day decicata to children with animation, inflatable games and entertainment

Every day you can visit the art exhibition "The material Vesuvius", enjoy a refreshment area, hiking, cycling and horse riding.

If you feel volcanic but you've never been to Mount Vesuvius National Park you can not miss the appointment. 

For this we give you  all the information  you need:


Useful Information

Admission and parking: Hotel Sirio, Via Cifelli 38, Boscotrecase (Na)
Price: 6 Euros for days 10 and 11 October
Contact: tel: 347 858 07 44 
email: [email protected]

Ischia, an island in the Bay of Naples, is known for its thermal pools with healing waters and its health spas. The water from the natural hot springs, heated by volcanic action, is believed to be the most radioactive in Europe and is good for a variety of health treatments including rheumatism. The thermal springs have been popular since Greek and Roman times and spas and resorts have been built up around the best ones.


Ischia sees fewer tourists than its neighboring island, Capri, although in summer it's popular with Italians and Germans. The island is a good place for a relaxing vacation, especially in spring and fall. In addition to thermal pools there are beaches, geysers, gardens, ancient ruins, and a castle.

I asked Francesca Di Meglio, whose family comes from Ischia, about Ischia spas and thermal pools and she provided me with this information. She says that all of the thermal pools are helpful, based on her personal experience after three knee surgeries, and that they all help your skin tremendously.

You don't actually need to stay in a fancy hotel to partake of the healing treatments. Yes, some of the hotels, especially the fancy ones, have their own thermal pools and treatment spas but you could simply stay at an affordable hotel and go to the gardens or spas or pay to enter the treatment centers at one of the hotels. Most of them offer this kind of service.

Here are Ischia's top thermal resorts and spas to go to for healing treatments:

• Negombo in Lacco Ameno is Francesca's favorite place for thermal pools. The ten thermal pools are made of concrete and are found in the mountainside, so that they blend in with nature. There is also a beach so you can swim in the sea, too. Negombo is a thermal pool park, and you don't need a reservation. You can just show up, pay the fee and enter. If you want massages or some other personal treatment though, you should call ahead and make a reservation. Negombo website, in Italian.
• Poseidon is the most famous and largest of the thermal parks. It is lovely, set next to the sea where you can swim, and has about 20 pools of different temperatures, some with waterfall or hydro massage. The thermal pools here are typical pools fed by natural hot springs. There are gardens, restaurants, and a bar. It's a little expensive. Poseidon Gardens is on the Bay of Citara, on Ischia's west side.
• Cava Scura, in Sant' Angelo, is probably considered the best healing treatment spa and their thermal pools are thought to be the oldest.
• Aphrodite thermal park in Maronti (near Sant' Angelo) has a great reputation. Aphrodite has eight thermal pools and a beach. Classic treatments, such as mud baths and massage, are available.

• Castiglione is a more economical choice for thermal pools, making it popular with kids and families, so it can be crowded and less relaxing. If you're traveling with kids, Castiglione would be a good choice. The thermal springs here have been known since Roman times. In addition to the nine thermal pools, there are an Olympic-sized pool with sea water and two covered pools.
• Nitrodi in Buonopane (in the comune di Barano) has healing showers and the water is best known for helping with skin ailments.

By Martha Bakerjian