Visit to Argonese Castle

The most famous attraction of Ischia is located on a high rock formed by volcanic lava, two hundred meters from the eastern shore of the island.

History of the Aragonese castle

As established by historians, the first fortification on a rock near the island of Ischia appeared in 474 BC. A small fortress was built by the Syracuse tyrant (in Ancient Greece, the so-called rulers who came to power by force) Heron I and bore his name - "Castrum Gerones"...(read more)

Church of the Immaculate conception

Construction of the church began in 1737, when mother Baptiste Lanfreschi, abbess of the monastery of Saint Clarissa, conceived the idea of building a Grand Cathedral on the site of a chapel dedicated to Saint Francis...(read more)

Monastery Of Saint Mary The Comforter

The monastery was founded in 1575 by Beatrice Quadra, the widow of d'Avalos, the Governor of the island. Initially, the monastery was located on the top of Monte Epomeo, next to the church of St. Nicholas, where four dozen nuns settled...(read more)

Cemetery of the nuns

Of all the monastic buildings, only one place is available for tourists to explore, the most unexpected and impressive...(read more)

Views from the monastery terrace

The belvedere of the monastery of St. Mary the Comforter offers a stunning panoramic view of the eastern part of the island...(read more)

House Of The Sun

The name of the house comes, as you might guess, from the temple of the Sun, on the ruins of which it was built...(read more)

The Village Of St. Nicholas

In the 16th century, the rock was quite densely populated, with about two thousand families living here. This population density is explained simply - the rock of the castle was inaccessible to the Saracen Arab pirates who made regular raids on Ischia...(read more)

Church of the Madonna della Libera

On the edge of the Borgo di San Nicolo is the oldest surviving сhurch in the castle grounds...(read more)

Steps Of St. Christopher

From the church Of Madonna Libera, the top is reached by a stone staircase called "Steps Of St. Christopher". A staircase once led to a small сhurch dedicated to this Saint...(read more)

Church of St. Mary delle Grazie

The structure overhangs the eastern tip of the island, for which it has another name - Madonna della Punta (Madonna on the cape)...(read more)

Terrace of olive trees

In the northern part of the island, under the castle walls, there is a small garden planted with olives...(read more)

The Bourbon's Prison

The building was built in the 17th century, but it became a prison only in 1823 on the instructions of king Ferdinand VI of the Bourbon dynasty (read more )

The winery

Winemaking on the island was started relatively recently - in the first half of the 19th century. As a room for the distillery used the cellars that survived the RAID of the British squadron in 1810 (read more )

Cathedral of the Assumption Ruins

In the western part of the castle, between the Casa del Sol and the convent of St. Mary of Consolation, are the remains of the Cathedral (Cattedrale dell'Assunta), built in 1388 (read more )

Ancestral crypt in the Cathedral of the Assumption

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Museum of the Medieval period

The tour of the castle ends in a small but very interesting Museum. Here are collected items that perfectly convey the spirit of the era...(read more )

Ischia Ponte Bridge

The rock where the Aragonese castle is located is connected to the island by a long stone bridge (read more )