Nisida, the island that is not there

About this activity

Nisida is a mysterious and small island belonging to the Phlegraean Islands archipelago, along with Ischia, Procida and Vivara. It has volcanic origin and is a crater partially filled by water that emerged with the succession of eruptions with a diameter of five hundred meters and an almost perfectly circular shape.

From an administrative point of view, it is part of Bagnoli, a neighborhood in the municipality of Naples. In 1936 it was physically connected to the hill of Posillipo by a long pier, and since then its status as an island has been very uncertain: it is often referred to as the island that is not there, partly because the inhabitants of the mainland sometimes forget its existence and what it houses. The Naples juvenile penal institution is located here, which is precisely why it is not accessible by sea or land today.

History of the island of Nisida

The ancient Greeks called it Nesís, island, and Nesida, small island, and Homeric tradition defined it as the islet of goats where Odysseus landed.

In Roman times, the military Lucius Licinius Lucullus and the politician Marcus Junius Brutus built their villas there, of which, however, there is no trace.

During the Middle Ages, the island was home to the monastery of Saint Archangel de Zippioera while in modern times Joan II of Anjou, queen of Naples, built her villa here, later converted into a castle to counter the fleet of pretender to the throne Louis II of Anjou. The castle of Nisida became one of the main defenses of Naples.

Subsequently, the son of Joan of Aragon, John Piccolomini, bought Nisida and renovated the castle: many were its owners, such as the prince of Squillace Pietro Borgia, the prince of Conca Matteo Capua, and the marquis of Roggiano Vincenzo Macedonio. In 1623 it passed to Giambattista de Gennaro, who used it as a den for Barbary pirates, and later the viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo took possession of the island to counter the raids of the famous pirate Barbarossa.

In the 17th century the Bourbon bought the island and turned it into a hunting reserve, and then the French general Joachim Murat used the island's watchtower as a penitentiary, the small harbor was enlarged and a penal bath was built where prisoners poured in inhumane conditions. During the Fascist period it became an Agricultural Judicial Reformatory and then into a Re-education Home.

In 1961 the Air Force Academy established its headquarters here but today it has moved to Pozzuoli and Nisida is divided between a military garrison and the juvenile prison opened in 1934.

Curiosities about the island of Nisida

Naples is a city rich in legends and ghosts, and one of the most compelling and tragic tales related to the island of Nisida and Posillipo could not be missed.These two places are named after the protagonists of the tale, Posillipo and Nisida.

The legend of Nisida and Posillipo

Posillipo was a gentle young man with a peaceful life, well-liked by everyone but one day he fell madly in love with a woman, Nisida, who never reciprocated his feelings. Nisida was a country woman of uncommon outward beauty but great poverty of spirit: she made her victims fall in love only to enjoy their suffering. Posillipo ended up in her trap and tormented by her impossible love he decided to take his own life by throwing himself into the sea.

However, the young man was turned into a promontory, and Nisida also became a rock just opposite Posillipo: they were destined to remain the only one near the other without ever touching, and ironically, today Posillipo is one of the most beautiful places to relax and have fun while Nisida has become a place of imprisonment.