The ancient village of Ischia Ponte: history, culture and good food

Ischia Ponte - The island of Ischia is one of the three islands in the Gulf of Naples and is home to six municipalities. It is an island full of beauties that attract thousands of tourists every year. The offer linked to tourism is mainly seaside but the island is also famous for its thermal waters and for the ancient establishments, as well as for the historic buildings and churches, and finally for the gastronomy.

The typical products of the area, in addition to fish cooked in a thousand ways, are: the Ischia-style rabbit, the migliaccio (typical dessert of the whole Campania region), and the typical white wine called 'Biancolella'. The town of Ischia, commonly called Ischia Ponte, is dominated by the Aragonese Castle which is a bit the symbol of the whole island. The port of the municipality welcomes 80% of visitors and is made up of several villages. Ischia Ponte is located in the eastern part of the island and is also a trading port as fishermen land there every day. The main place of worship is the cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, which has undergone several destructions and reconstructions. Today it houses works from the Augustinian period and also the few that were saved from earthquakes and bombings. Of particular value is the Catalan crucifix, and the baptistery where the one who would become the patron saint of the town, or San Giovann Giuseppe della Croce, was baptized. Next to the cathedral stands another religious place, the church of the Holy Spirit, dating back to the seventeenth century. This too contains some important works, such as the wooden statue of the patron saint.