Procida the wonderful island that has always seduced

Set in the Gulf of Naples the Island of Procida is a small treasure chest of beauty. Its charm it has been captivating for centuries, so much so as to make it the protagonist of some artistic productions. An enchantment that continues today and that has recently seen it named capital of culture for the year 2022.

The charm over time

From Boccaccio to film production, Procida has always been appreciated for its beauty. Abundantly described in the classical era, it is then chosen for the development of the sixth story of decamerone. A seductive ability that reaches the most recent times with The island of Arturo by Elsa Morante. From the pages to the camera, the transition is due. Like this Procida becomes the site of numerous films including the well-known The postman, with Philippe Noiret and Massimo Troisi. But how has the island managed to keep so much interest alive?

Procida between lanes and beaches

Close to the mainland, and therefore easily accessible, near Procida there is a sister island. It is Vivara to which it is connected by means of a bridge. Vivara allows you to immerse yourself in a more purely naturalistic context; here is in fact the State Reserve. Procida offers instead panoramas that allow you to make a foray into its history. It is possible to explore the past of the island by taking the paths that lead to piazza Olmo, center of the village divided into nine districts. The church of Sant'Antonio Abate and the cemetery behind it represent a site from which to reach new destinations. From these works of art and faith, fruit of the human hand, the journey continues towards the homages of the Earth.

Right next to the campo santo, which is an example of island architecture, the descent leading to the sea begins. Specifically, it is the road that leads to famous beach de The postman, whose real name is Pozzo Vecchio beach. If man builds, demolishes and shapes, so does Nature, capable of generating new enchantments from destruction. Examples are the tuff stacks born from a landslide and which, symbolically, seem to act as guardians of the Ciraccio and Ciracciello beaches. Procida is a small, intimate island that can be explored on foot. The center of the village always acts as a compass, Piazza Olmo from which it is possible to return or leave in search of new views. Near this fulcrum there is the long staircase that leads to Chiaia beach, overlooking the Corricella.

Island architecture

Spontaneous, popular but linked to certain codes, Procida's architecture is unique. This in fact belongs to the inhabitants of the place who have made it their own thanks to specific distinctive features. The arch, the humpback staircase, the vaults, the polychromy of the houses. Functional solutions adopted on occasion for various purposes. Like this the arch, in the residential area, becomes a connecting element between the road and the entrance but it can also be found on the terraces.

Often on the arch rests a rampant staircase that leads to the upper floors of the house. Details that are repeated in the architecture of an island made lively by the colors of which it is tinted. Pastel shades punctuate the chromatic rhythm of the houses which by custom are never the same. It is difficult to find two buildings of the same color next to each other. Tradition has it that i fishermen they wanted to be able to look at their homes even from the sea. A popular story, perhaps, but which contributes to the poetry of the place.