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Since prehistory man lived on Ischia: 4,000 years of Mediterranean civilization are written on its stones, from the Neolithic to the modern age of mass tourism and the market globalization. Several flint and obsidian tools going back to the 3rdmillennium BC were found in various places of the island and especially on its inside. On the Castiglione hill were discovered some fragments of Mycenaean pottery that may be dated between the 15th and the 14th century BC (Bronze Age) thus proving the deep relationship with the Aegean-Anatolian world. Around 770 BC (Iron Age) the Greeks coming from the Euboea region (both Chalcis and Eretria) founded Pithekoussai. This was the first Greek colonization in the West, crossroads of the ancient world of the Geometrical Age, the dawn of the Magna Grecia.Giorgio Buchner mentions that «thanks to the Euboea people of Pithekoussai, the Etruscan, Latin and Italic peoples came for the first time into contact with the Hellenic civilization and the eastern artistic handicrafts… Anyway, the most significant conquest was represented by learning the writing ». Renowned findings of that age are the Nestor’s Cup with its famous three verses highlighting the birth of the alphabetical writing (around 725 BC) and the Wreck Crater, the first example of vase writing in the eastern world.The island was subsequently renamed Aenaria by the Romans who built on its territory their villas and brought out thermal water, especially the Nitrodi one where several bas-reliefs portraying the Nitrodi nymphs were brought to light. After the breakdown of the Roman Empire Ischia was invaded by various barbarian peoples.During the Middle Age pope Leone III, in a letter sent to the emperor Carlo Magno in 813, mentioned Ischia as “Insula” (island par excellance) that becamein time Insla, Isla, Iscla and finally Ischia. By the end of the duchy of Naples Ischia followed the destiny of its chief town: it was first dominated by the Normans and then by the Swabians, the Anjous and the Aragoneses. Due to the eruption of the Mount Trippodi in 1301 the Ischia inhabitants fled to the mainland and just after four years came back to the small Castello island.After a dark period Ischia enjoyed new importance thanks to the Bourbon dynasty. Carlo III brought about a policy of social reformation by suppressing the D’Avalos feudal regime and enacting edicts against the brigands spread on the mountains of the island. In consequence of the first reformation Ischia went directly under the control of the Royal State and was ruled by governors of royal appointment living on the Castello.In March 1799 during the Neapolitan Republic the local intellectuals – being primarily worshippers of Enlightenment culture – took great part to the Jacobin movement. Unfortunately the patriots’ hopes were repressed in the blood. Among the hanged victims there was Francesco Buonocore, grandson of the proto-doctor Buonocore, who had been appointed by the Championnet to administer the island. Under Gioacchino Murat’s rule the French settled on Ischia and put up resistance from the Aragona Castle to the Anglo-Bourbon navy.Thanks to the will of Ferdinando II of Bourbon the lake of Ischia was transformed into the present harbour, unveiled on September, 17th 1854 and the Church of Portosalvo as well as the Borbonica road were built, the latter connecting still today the various inside towns of the island. Through the Italy Unity Ischia enjoyed a real exploitation of its thermal water thus originating the development of an elite tourism primarily on Casamicciola where several important spas – among them the Pio Monte della Misericordia – were present.Another fundamental tourist increase was carried out by the Commendatore Angelo Rizzoli from the ‘50s to the ‘60s on Lacco Ameno. In fact he built the Regina Isabella Hotel & Spa as well as the Anna Rizzoli hospital.We hope and wish to succeed in planning the future on the basis of such a rich historical memory, still alive and vibrant in the Ischia present life.
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