Panza ''(sometimes Panza d'Ischia)'' is a small town of 7,000 inhabitants on the island 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 ...

, Italy. It is a hamlet (''

frazione A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

'') of the municipality of

Forio Forio (known also as ''Forio of Ischia'') is a town and ''comune'' of c. 17,000 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Naples, southern Italy, situated on the island of Ischia. Overview Its territory includes the town of Panza, the only ''frazi ...

Name

According to archaeological discoveries the place was so named by the first

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

colonists in the 8th century BC astounded by the rich variety of the flora and fauna. They settled and founded a small farm ready to colonize all the island founding the first western Greek

colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...

: Pithecusae. After the Roman conquest of the Island, the village was named Pansa Vicus, from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

verb ''pandere'' namely ''outstretched in the sun''. In

Neapolitan language Neapolitan (Exonym and endonym, autonym: ; ) is a Romance language of the Italo-Romance languages, Italo-Romance group spoken in most of continental Southern Italy. It is named after the Kingdom of Naples, which once covered most of the area, ...

the word ''panza'' means belly, in a variant of the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

word ''pancia''.

Overview

The bay, not far from the center of the modern village, is a suggestive places within the island. Set among two promontories, the inlet offers a show of natural wild scenery and, to lines, hostile. The access in the bay is given by an ample staircase that counts 214 steps, but it is possible to also reach Sorgeto by sea. The bay of Sorgeto is world-famous for its hot mineral springs. Different thermal veins flow in fact along the whole bay, but it is from a single spring that water always gushes out with impetus and in abundance. The temperature of the water reaches 90 °C and mixes itself with the salty water of the sea so to create natural tubs of different temperature gradations. In the 16th century a Calabrian physician, G. Jasolino, first examined the thermo-mineral waters that according to Jasolino had varied curative effects:''beneficial to the gouts, to the frigidity and the sterility''.

Citara

One of the most interesting areas is the bay of Citara with its famous thermal gardens ''Poseidon''. 22 pools (Thermal, Kneipp, and ocean-water) have been installed according to latest technical and medical knowledge. The water temperature varies from ). The abundance of water means that it is constantly renewed. A Roman

Sauna A sauna (, ) is a room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a sauna is used to meas ...

and a large private beach is equipped with deck-chairs and beach umbrellas, various restaurants one situated in a

grotto A grotto or grot is a natural or artificial cave or covered recess. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide. Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden fea ...

of local

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock co ...

stones and a boutique with a newspaper kiosk are provided by this establishment.

Name

Overview

Citara

Transportation

References

External links