Monte Epomeo is the highest mountain in Ischia and it is 787 meters high. It is located right in the middle of the island and it has always been the preferred excursion by tourists, becouse from its top they could enjoy a magnificient panorama over the island and the whole Gulf of Naples, particularly over the near Phlaegrean Fields. Before the construction of the car road, only some muletracks led to the top: the shorter and much frequented one started from the centre of Fontana, where the "ciucciari" (mule's owners) waited for tourists to carry on mules' back up to the top of the mountain.

The name Epomeo comes from the ancient Greek and it means "look around", to emphasize the panoramic view not obstructed on any side. Near the top there are the church and the hermitage of San Nicola (St.Nicholas), excavated into tufa rocks. This place had always been consecrated to him: in the 15th century here already was a chapel, but the actual church and hermitage were built in the 1754, when the Captain of the Castle of Ischia, Joseph of Argouth, who escaped to death in a miraculous way after he implored San Nicola, decided to withdraw and embrace monastic life in this place, togheter with some companions. The church has a marble altar and a majolica pavement belonging to the restoration works done in 18th century. There is also a low relief of 1504.

The climbing of Mount Epomeo has always been felt by excursionists as an extraordinary inward experience, producing soul sensations which could not be expressed by words or images. To feel them you have to go to the top by walking at least the final stretch of the road, appreciating the achievement through the physical exertion, which increases the sensorial perceptiveness and causes to enjoy deeply the final award of the view over the landscape. Instead the islanders, accustomed to the constant but faraway presence of the moountain, generally climbed on top only for the religious recurrence of San Nicola, when they organized a short pilgrimage ending with a Mass.

On the southern side of the mountain, rough and jagged, with few initial settlements, now there are the communes of Serrara-Fontana and Barano, which were for a long time untouched by touristic flows. As a matter of fact, they consist of several hamlets spread over the municipal territory, each with its own characteristics and traditions. On this side of Ischia island there are some very suggestive ravines, excavated into the tufa rocks by the erosion of stream water (called "cave"), which led to the Maronti Beach. Inside them there are also some thermal fountains: the most interesting are Cava Scura, Cava dell'Acquara, Cava Pallarito.  [ More...]