Capri

Piazza Umberto I is the famous Piazzetta, Piazzetta square which looks onto Mount Solaro from the terrace with the white pillars of the funicular railway. The Piazzetta is the heart of the island of Capri both for tourists and residents. Anyone arriving on Capri has to pass through the narrow little streets dodging the bar tables and chairs that spill onto the road where everyone congregates for lunch of just a chat, discreetly shaded by colourful sun umbrellas.

I Faraglioni are three rocks which were left standing in the sea after the coast caved in, with the elements and erosion doing the rest. They have different names: the first one, which is linked to the land, is called Stella, the second, which is separated from the first by the water is the Faraglione di Mezzo or Middle Faraglione while the third is known as the Faraglione di Fuor (the Outside Faraglione) or Scopolo, which means promontory on the sea.

Capri’sThe Blue Grotto is famous the world over for its cavernous size, deep blue colour and the silvery white reflected ob objects under the water. There are two ways to get to the grotto, via land with a bus or taxi from Anacapri or by taking one of the boats that leave from Marina Grande and sail around the island, stopping off at the famous grotto. To get into the Blue Grotto you have to get into small rowing boats that can take no more than two or three people and then lie down to pass through the low entrance in the rock face.

Giacomo Arcucci started working on the Certosa monastery in 1363-65 on a piece of land donated by Queen Joan I of Anjou. In 1553 work began on the restoration, extension and fortification of the building and a tower, which collapsed in the 19th century, was added to the South side. The entrance to the Certosa is along a driveway at the end of which there is a fortified tower. Next to this tower stands the portico of the church. The Certosa consists of three units: one removed from convent life with a pharmacy and a church for women, a building for the brothers and guests with grain lofts, and a third building which was for the monks whose cells were around the large cloister while there were other premises around the smaller cloister.

The mythical Via Krupp is one of the best known and best loved parts of the island. Visitors love to stroll along this road with its tight bends and sheer drop to the sea to admire the landscape and watch the vistas change at every turn. The flora of the area is typical Mediterranean scrub with wild flowers, myrtle, juniper, agaves and lentisco sprouting from the rocks. The story of the road dates back to the early 20th century when Friedrich Alfred Krupp, owner of the German steel mines, decided to leave a tangible sign of gratitude to the inhabitants of this part of the earth he loved so much as it had helped him to overcome the two ailments from which he suffered: asthma and depression.