Bagni di Lucca and Beyond

While most people might have heard of Capri and possibly even Ischia, I think that Procida is a bit more elusive. It is the smallest of the islands in the Bay of Naples and has charms all of its own.

We took the ferry from Molo Beverello in the port of Naples. The trip takes about 40 minutes. Ferries go fairly regularly.

We landed at Marina Grande and wandered along the edge of the sea looking at the colourful buildings that line the port.

We decided to take a bus up to Terra Murata, the historical centre of the island. The tourist office was not open, but the signora at the ticket office gave us some information. We waited a while for the little bus to arrive (the buses to Terra Murata leave the port every 40 minutes) and soon we were driving along some of the narrowest streets known to carry a bus.

We went through an even more narrow arch and arrived in the upper piazza.

We went a little further on to the entrance of what was once a prison, where we got off the bus. A short, uphill walk took us to an excellent viewing point.

Nearby is the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo clinging to the edge of the cliff. The church was begun in 1026 in Benedictine times and has had many modifications over the centuries.

It has an amazing terrace on the side of the cliff.

It has a great sundial.

The interior is stunning with an intricate wooden ceiling and trap doors in the floor where priests and wealthy residents were buried.

There is a very special nativity scene in the church which I will show you in another post.

It was time for lunch so we walked back towards the Piazzetta, past houses built into a high wall.

On the way we stopped at Santa Margherita Nuova which dates from the second half of the 16th century.

From the terrace there are wonderful views up to the Abbey.

The gorgeous Marina Corricella managed to shine below, even though the day was a little dull.

We stopped briefly in the Piazzetta.

It was then a short walk down to Marina Corricella, past colourful houses. Scenes from Il Postino (The Postman) were filmed here. It is a very pretty part of the island, you can see why it might be chosen as a film set.  Scenes from The Talented Mr Ripley were also filmed on the island.

The buildings along the water’s edge are painted different colours, all with balconies looking towards the sea. It is the oldest marina on the island and many buildings date from the 17th century.

Some have added a modern touch. You have to admire this effort, with its marine theme.

It was comforting to see a group of gentlemen discussing, and possibly solving, some world issues.

Our lovely friends Stephanie and Paul recommended La Gorgonia for lunch. They introduced us to Ischia last year and we are always happy with their suggestions.

There were pretty views from the restaurant. The large building on top of the hill is the former prison. Palazzo d’Avalos was built in 1500 by the d’Avalos family, governors of the island until 1700. It was converted to a prison in 1830 and closed in 1988. It is possible to visit, but you must book ahead.

Obviously we ordered seafood. First course was dried fish, which was delicious.

Second course was also fish, with pepperonata and a speciality of the island, lemon salad. We even managed to save some room for dolce.

After lunch we walked back up the hill to wait for the bus near the Piazzetta. After waiting for some time, we decided to walk back to Marina Grande to take the ferry back to Naples.

To our great surprise it only took about 10 minutes to arrive at the port. The bus took quite a long time to drive up, so we expected to take some time to do the trip on foot. Clearly the bus takes a circuitous route to the top of the island. Next time we won’t be waiting for the bus in either direction.

Procida is a lovely island to visit. It is completely different from Ischia and Capri, much more quiet and relaxed. We were there in spring, before the busy season, but I think it would be less busy than the other islands even in summer.

It has quite a large local population, around 11,000, on an island only 4.1 square kilometres. There are few hotels, so Procida has an authentic southern Italian feel. Its dilapidated buildings only add to its charm. The food is great, there are some pretty beaches…why not take a day trip to Procida?