Aragonese Castle () is a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

built on a small

tidal island A tidal island is a raised area of land within a waterbody, which is connected to the larger mainland by a natural isthmus or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide, causing the land to switch between being ...

east of

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 ...

(one of the

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 ...

), at the northern end of the

Gulf of Naples The Gulf of Naples (), also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9.3 mi) gulf located along the south-western coast of Italy (Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania region). It opens to the west into the Mediterranean ...

, Italy. The castle stands on a volcanic rocky islet that connects to the larger island of Ischia by a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

(').

History

A first castle was built by

Hiero I of Syracuse Hiero I (; also Hieron ; ) was the son of Deinomenes, the brother of Gelon and tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, from 478 to 467 BC. In succeeding Gelon, he conspired against a third brother, Polyzelos. Life During his reign, he greatly increased ...

in 474 BC. At the same time, two towers were built to control enemy fleets' movements. The rock was then occupied by Parthenopeans, the ancient inhabitants of

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. In 326 BC the fortress was captured by Romans, and then again by the Parthenopeans. In 1441

Alfonso V of Aragon Alfonso the Magnanimous (Alfons el Magnànim in Catalan language, Catalan) (139627 June 1458) was King of Aragon and King of Sicily (as Alfons V) and the ruler of the Crown of Aragon from 1416 and King of Naples (as Alfons I) from 1442 until his ...

connected the rock to the island with a stone bridge instead of the prior wood bridge, and fortified the walls in order to defend the inhabitants against the raids of pirates. Around 1700, about 2000 families lived on the islet, including a

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare (Latin language, Latin: ''Ordo Sanctae Clarae''), originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and also known as the Clarisses or Clarissines, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Or ...

convent, an abbey of

Basilian monks Basilian monks are Greek Catholic monks who follow the rule of Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea (330–379). The term 'Basilian' is typically used only in the Catholic Church to distinguish Greek Catholic monks from other forms of monastic ...

(of the

Greek Orthodox Church Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Christianity in Greece, Greek Christianity, Antiochian Greek Christians, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christian ...

), the bishop and the seminar, the prince with a military garrison. There were also 13 churches. In 1809, the British troops laid siege to the island, then under French command, and shelled it to almost complete destruction. In 1912, the castle was sold to a private owner. Today the castle is the most visited monument of the island.

Location and description

The castle is built on a small

east of

(one of the

), at the northern end of the

, Italy. The castle stands on a volcanic rocky islet that connects to the larger island of Ischia by a

('). It is accessed through a tunnel with large openings which let the light enter. Along the tunnel there is a small chapel consecrated to

John Joseph of the Cross John Joseph of the Cross, OFM (born Carlo Gaetano Calosinto; 15 August 1654 – 5 March 1739) was an Italian Catholic priest and professed member of the Order of Friars Minor who hailed from the island of Ischia.

(), the patron saint of the island. Outside the castle are the Church of the Immacolata and the Cathedral of Assunta. The first was built in 1737 on the location of a smaller chapel dedicated to Saint Francis, and closed after the suppression of Convents in 1806 as well as the nunnery of the Clarisses.

Uses

Ischia Film Festival The Ischia Film Festival (IFF) is an annual international film festival held in the Aragonese Castle on the island of Ischia, Italy in late June to early July. Founded in 2003 and still directed by Michelangelo Messina, the festival focuses on ...

, an international

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent ...

, is held in the castle each year from late June into early July.

In popular culture

The castle was used as Riza's 'Fortified Fortress' in the 2019 film '' Men in Black: International''.Men In Black International (2019) film locations
''Movie-Locations.com''] Retrieved November 1, 2019

References

Castles in Campania {{Italy-castle-stub

History

Location and description

Uses

In popular culture

See also

References