Perched atop a craggy islet next to the Italian island of Ischia, Aragonese Castle wows with its magnificent presence as well as its 25 centuries of fascinating history.
There’s certainly no doubt that well-heeled travellers cruising the Bay of Naples on an Italy yacht charter will be won over by the sight of Aragonese Castle appearing on the horizon.
Syracusan tyrant Gerone I built the first fortress here in 474 BC, but most of the current structure dates from the 1400s. This was when King Alfonso of Aragon gave the older structure a revamp, adding fortified bastions to protect against pirates and the stone causeway that still connects to Ischia today.
The castle has not only been home to royalty but, at one point, 2,000 of the island’s inhabitants. It’s also served as a prison in times of conflict, as well as a monastery. Today, it holds a museum, a hotel, and a castle-monastery garden with an olive grove and vineyards.
Those anchored nearby on their luxury yacht charter should stick around until dusk - as the sun sets and the castle lights up, it’s a sublime sight to behold
Museum visitors ascend to the castle via a lift or a series of paths. Sights include the stuccoed ruins of 14th-century Cattedrale dell’Assunta, the elegant, hexagonal prison which once held leading figures of the 19th-century Italian unification movement and a small and grisly torture museum.
Walking around the terraced grounds and lush gardens provide wonderful vistas of the surrounds. The eastern side looks over the entire Gulf of Naples, Capri, Procida, and Vivara, while the Bay of Sant ’Anna and Ischia can be seen from the eastern side, home to Il Monastero Hotel and its two al fresco restaurants serving up Italian dishes made from produce grown on the grounds.
Those anchored nearby on their luxury yacht charter should stick around until dusk. As the sun sets and the castle lights up, it’s a sublime sight to behold.
To visit Aragonese Castle on a yachting vacation, speak with your preferred yacht charter broker.
Alternatively, begin planning your next luxury vacation by viewing and comparing the entire fleet of superyachts available for Amalfi Coast yacht charters.
