Castello Aragonese

The Aragonese Castle rises on a volcanic islet beside Ischia Ponte, linked to Ischia by a stone causeway. Within its fortifications, churches, convents, a cemetery and a rock-cut prison preserve the layers of the island's history.

Why it matters

The fortress became a refuge and settlement through successive periods of conflict and political change. Its buildings document Ischia's Greek and Roman past, its medieval religious life, Aragonese rule and later use as a Bourbon prison.

What to notice

The complex includes the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and a crypt with medieval frescoes, the Church and Terrace of the Immacolata, and the Convent of St Mary of Consolation with the Cimitero delle Monache. The rock-cut prison recalls the castle's penal history. A watchtower, wine-making remains and panoramic terraces point to the site's defensive, religious and agricultural roles.

Context and history

The castle's history is traced to a fortified settlement founded by Hiero of Syracuse in 474 BCE. The Romans established Aenaria at its foot. In the Middle Ages, the site became a fortified town with a cathedral and convents. Alfonso of Aragon captured it in 1423 and rebuilt the fortress, including a tunnel through the rock. The cathedral hosted the 1509 wedding of Vittoria Colonna and Ferrante Francesco d'Avalos. After bombardment in 1809, the castle declined and later served as a Bourbon prison. In 1911, lawyer Nicola Ernesto Mattera bought the abandoned fortress and began restoring it.