After the earthquake of Casamicciola (of which it was considered up then a hamlet and shared part of the touristic success between 18th and 19th century) in 1883, Lacco Ameno lived in obscurity for seventy years, restricting itself to a poor economy based on fishing and on straw handicrafts.

In the Fifties of the 20th century Lacco lived a new period of great fame, this time on its own and not reflected, thanks to the presence of Angelo Rizzoli, magnate and publisher from Milan.

Using at their best the national funds for touristic development of thermal resorts, Rizzoli reactivated and enlarged the thermal establishments in Lacco, promoted the construction of new hotels and made a huge advertising campaign (thanks to his newspapers and his movies production company) attracting to Lacco Ameno the most important personalities of the show business and of Italian politics.

Still nowadays Lacco Ameno, which has become the most exclusive and luxury centre of Ischia island, enjoys the fruits of that farsighted economic operation promoted by Angelo Rizzoli. He settled here too, in the wonderful Villa Arbusto on the hill with the same name, which overhangs the bay and the centre of Lacco with its magnificient colonnade.

This villa, which has always been the most elegante residence in town, was built in 1789 for the Duke of Atri, Don Carlos Acquaviva, upon a preexisting country villa with annexed farm, which had been built upon and ancient Greek settlement. Today it is part of the patrimony of the Municipality of Lacco Ameno and it is used as museum.