L'Isle of Capri conquers anyone who visits it with its charm and striking views. What is romantic and impressive, however, are not only the wonderful corners of the island, but also the stories and legends that make it even more magical.

Historical background on the discovery of Capri

The first discovery of Capri is due to Octavian, not yet Augustus, when, in the year 29 B.C., he traveled to Naples on his return from the East.

Suddenly, attracted by the wonder of Capri, he landed on the island, and his stay was so pleasant that he nullified Capri's dependence on Naples, turning it into a private possession of the now nascent principality, returning to Naples in return the largest and richest island of Ischia.

Then began the Mediterranean life of Capri, which went from its solitary existence as a small Greek island to the beating heart of the imperial life.

The romantic legend of Capri and Vesuvius

Imagine that the birth of Capri and the volcano Vesuvius Are the fruit of a destroyed love. Absurd, isn't it?

The legend of two lovers tells us this romantic and bizarre version. The story is very reminiscent of the love of Romeo and Juliet, but it comes from the pen of the writer and journalist Matilde Serao.

Vesuvio, un nobile cavaliere napoletano, si innamorò di Capri, una fanciulla di immensa bellezza la cui famiglia disapprovava l’unione dei due giovani, e per questo motivo decisero di far imbarcare la dolce ragazza su un battello diretto in terra straniera, stroncando la relazione sul nascere.

Capri was so desperate at the thought of losing her beloved that she take one's own life Throwing himself into the sea.

It disappeared in the waves, and in its place, from the waters of the Gulf of Naples, emerged a verdant island whose physiognomy resembled precisely the silhouette of a woman. The tragic news reached Vesuvius, who began to weep. tears of fire.

The blazing fire of rage turned the boy into a mountain, but not just any mountain, a volcano whose lava bubbled constantly.

Today Vesuvius watches Capri from afar, with the sea still dividing the two lovers. Vesuvius does not give up, however, and every now and then we happen to see him seething with anger and despair giving vent to his inner torment.

The legend of the Faraglioni

There are several legends revolving around the birth of the famous Faraglioni of Capri. According to Homer, Polyphemus would hurl these giant boulders into the sea against Ulysses. Virgil, on the other hand, in theAeneid identifies the Faraglioni as the mermaid house, magical sea creatures that beguiled sailors with their song, leading them to certain death against the rocks.

According to more realistic interpretations, these huge rocky blocks once served as the lighthouse for boats through fires that were lit on their tops; not surprisingly, the term stacks comes from the Greek "pharos", i.e. lighthouse.

According to other popular beliefs, the stacks are symbol of fertility for all women: they brighten their path and facilitate the fertility period for those who spend a lot of time on the island.

Not a legend, but an interesting curiosity, is the presence of a cute animal living on the Faraglione di Fuori: the blue lizard. The lizard took on this vivid hue differing from the usual one we are used to, although both belong to the same species, arousing the interest of many visitors who even climbed up to see the peculiar creature.

Michaelmas bell

The Michaelmas bell is one of the undisputed symbols of the island, also known in the United States as the island gave it to the President Roosevelt at the end of the World War II to celebrate victory. The story of the bell has very distant origins and is linked to the episode of a poor pastor Who took his only sheep out to pasture one evening.

As night came on, the little shepherd lost sight of his sheep. Suddenly he thought he heard the jingle of the bell tied around his neck, so he decided to follow that sound, risking falling into a gully.

From this emptiness rose a sudden blinding light, from which appeared St. Michael on a white horse and with a bell around the neck. He slipped it off and gave it to the child, telling him that this object would save him from all danger and fulfill his every wish.

The young man found the sheep and gave the bell to his mother: today, in fact, this gift is auspicious symbol.

Currently at the site of the apparition stands Villa San Michele, built at the behest of the Swedish physician Axel Munthe.

The mystery of the Blue Grotto

Even the famous Blue Cave is the subject of mysteries and fascinating stories. The Cave is famous for the wonderful light games that the sun's rays create by penetrating through a undersea window which opens below the entrance, and which, as it passes through the water, allows it to assimilate the color red and then pass blue.

At one time this cave was the nymphaeum of theemperor Tiberius, not surprisingly, some Roman statues today preserved in the Red House; it later began to be known as the refuge of evil spirits and ghosts, in fact until the 19th century no one dared to enter it anymore, even it was called nicknamed the Devil's Cave.

La spelonca fu poi riscoperta nel 1826 dallo writer German August Kopisch, along with the painter Ernst Fries and to the fisherman Angelo Ferraro that allowed the whole world to discover its beauty again. It is also said that there is a secret passage in the ravine that leads to the Villa of Damecuta, positioned hundreds of meters away.