The Campanian Archipelago (), also called Neapolitan Archipelago ('), is an

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...

in the

Tyrrhenian Sea The Tyrrhenian Sea (, ; or ) , , , , is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenians, Tyrrhenian people identified with the Etruscans of Italy. Geography The sea is bounded by the islands of C ...

, in southwestern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. It principally comprises 5 islands:

Capri Capri ( , ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. A popular resort destination since the time of the Roman Republic, its natural beauty ...

Ischia Ischia ( , , ) is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Although inhabited since the Bronze Age, as a Ancient G ...

Nisida Nisida is a volcano, volcanic islet of the Flegrean Islands archipelago, in southern Italy. It lies at a very short distance from Cape Posillipo, just north of Naples; it is connected to the mainland by a camera-enforced 1km-long pedestrian zone. ...

Procida Procida (; ) is one of the Phlegraean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. With its tiny satellite island of Vivara, it is a (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Na ...

, and Vivara. Most of the archipelago belongs to the

Metropolitan City of Naples The Metropolitan City of Naples () is a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Naples. The province was established on 1 January 2015 and contains 92 ''comuni'' (: ''comune''). ...

(and previously part of the

Province of Naples The province of Naples (; ) was a province in the Campania region of Italy. In 2014/2015, the reform of local authorities (Law 142/1990 and Law 56/2014), replaced the province of Naples with the Metropolitan City of Naples. Demographics The p ...

Extent

The five principal islands are all administered by the Metropolitan City of Naples: *

and * the 4

Phlegraean Islands The Phlegraean Islands ( ; ) are an archipelago in the Gulf of Naples and the Campania region of southern Italy. The name is derived from the common affiliation to the geologic area of the Phlegraean Fields. Geography It consists of the island ...

: **

& its companion islet, the

Aragonese Castle Aragonese Castle () is a castle built on a small tidal island east of Ischia (one of the Phlegraean Islands), at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, Italy. The castle stands on a volcanic rocky islet that connects to the larger island of Is ...

, **

, and ** Vivara. Nearby islets and

skerries A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. Skerry, skerries, or The Skerries may also refer to: Geography Northern Ireland *Skerries, County Armagh, a List of townlands in County Armagh#S, townland in Coun ...

are usually included in the archipelago as well: *

* the

Sirenuse The Sirenusas (), also known as the Gallos (', "the Cocks"), are an archipelago of little islands off the Amalfi Coast of Italy between Isle of Capri and southwest of Province of Salerno's Positano, to which it is administratively attached. The ...

(the ) & the nearby . *

Gaiola Island Gaiola Island is one of the minor islands of Naples, off the city's Posillipo residential quarter, in the Metropolitan City of Naples and Campania region, southwestern Italy. It is located within the "Parco sommerso di Gaiola". Geography It is l ...

* , * , * the Capri ''faraglioni'', * , * . Most of these minor islets belong to Naples as well, except the Sirenuse (Galli), which belong to the

Province of Salerno The province of Salerno () is a province in the Campania region of Italy. It has 1,054,766 inhabitants as of 2025. Geography The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 131,950; Cava de' Tirreni, Bat ...

History

The ancient name of this archipelago was the Parthenopaean Islands (', from

Parthenope Parthenope ( ; ) may refer to: * Parthenope (siren), one of the sirens in Greek mythology People * Parthenope (mythology), Parthenope, in Greek mythology, the daughter of Ancaeus (son of Poseidon), Ancaeus * Frances Parthenope Verney, Parthenope ...

, the ancient name of Naples). It originally included the

Pontine Islands The Pontine Islands (, also ; ) are an archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Lazio region, Italy. The islands were collectively named after the largest island in the group, Ponza. The other islands in the archipelago are Palmarol ...

, which are now considered an archipelago in its own right. , home to

Castel dell'Ovo Castel dell'Ovo ("Egg Castle") is a seafront castle in Naples, located on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula, on the Gulf of Naples in Italy. The castle's name comes from a legend about the Roman Republic, Roman poet Virgil, who had a ...

, used to be an island – albeit very near the coastline – in this archipelago. However, it is now a peninsula attached directly to the mainland.

Gallery

File:Capri Centre Belvedere.jpg, File:Ischia da procida.jpg, File:Nisida al tramonto.jpg, File:Procida1.jpg, File:Vivara vista ponte.jpg,

External links

Archipelagoes of Italy Archipelagoes of the Mediterranean Sea Campanian volcanic arc Islands of Campania Phlegraean Fields {{Campania-geo-stub