Archive for 'Campania'

Baia, in the Campania region of the south of Italy was once the Las Vegas of the Roman Empire where anything went and parties were had. A prominent resort city for centuries, the town was dedicated to the recreational whims of rich and powerful Romans looking to blow off a little steam. In fact, some of the most famous and influential figures of antiquity are known to have visited on multiple occasions, with some even building holiday homes there. Among these was Nero, Cicero and Caesar. This all came to a grinding halt when the town was sacked by invading Saracens. By 1500, it was completely abandoned and the water level slowly rose so that the land was reclaimed by the sea.

Cimitero delle Fontanelle, or Fontanelle Cemetery, is an ancient necropolis in the Valley of the Dead, Naples. A 30,000 m² cavern in Capodimonte Hill, it holds the skeletal remains of those too poor to afford proper burial, vast numbers that died from disease and the numbers that overflowed from local burial places. In use since the 16th century, estimates suggest that at one point it held over eight million bones. The cemetery began as a secondary burial ground but, unusually for an ossuary, saw the bones come to be cared for exceptionally carefully and lovingly. Closed for a period, it is now reopened to the public and makes for both an extraordinary site of worship for the faithful and an astounding sight for all others.

Villa Jovis is a site on Capri at the end of the Viale Amedeo Maiuri which houses the ruins of a villa from the first century B.C. which is attributed to the Roman Emperor, Tiberius. Perched on a cliff-top, it now provides visitors with astounding views but once afforded its occupants both privacy and security. Once the largest and most sumptuous of the twelve Roman villas on the island, it is now reduced to ruins, though a considerable percentage still survives. In fact, the amount of survival from the original complex means that the visitor centre has reliable reproductions of what it might have looked like.

The “Valle dei Mulini”, or “Valley of the Mills” in Sorrento, not far from Naples, is an extraordinary site. Exceptionally lush greenery surrounds as far as the eye can see and, enveloped and reclaimed by this natural beauty, are a group of ruins of mills that were active until the twentieth century and eventually abandoned in the 1940s. Now the area is hauntingly beautiful and a reminder of the power of nature and impermanent nature of the creations of men.

If you want to experience this fascinating corner of the globe for yourself, find a villa with pool in Sorrento and take a day out of a wonderful holiday to stop by and admire the site.

The beautiful island of Capri is known for its stunning seascapes, pretty towns and luxury but its single most famous attraction is probably the Grotta Azzurra, a sea cave which is lit by an eerily lovely blue light.

Like something from a movie, storybook or other world, this magical corner of the globe should be visited by those with vivid imaginations or wishing to claim back their childhood. It's the type of place that one could imagine mermaids or mystical sea creatures would gather and congregate.

If you want to join them, find a villa with pool in Capri and experience this magical place for yourself.