is one of the
Flegree Islands off the coast of
Naples ,
Italy . It is also a town, that covers the whole territory and, in addition, the near little island called
Vivara , between
Cape Miseno and the island of
Ischia , with a population of 10,000.
The island name is due to the
Latin name ''Prochyta''. According to another theory, this name comes from ''Prima Cyme'', that means 'near Cuma'. Another theory says that 'Procida' comes from the
Greek Verb ''prochetai'', meaning 'lays', because of the appearance of the island seen from the sea.
Procida is located between Capo Miseno and the island of
Ischia . It is less than 4
Km&2 (1½
Mi&2 ). Its coastlines, very jagged, are 16
Km (10
Mile s). The ''Terra Murata'' hill is the most high point of the island (91 m).
From the
Geologic point of view, this island has been created by the
Eruption of four
Volcanoes , now
Dormant and submerged.
Procida was held by
Micenei in the period between the
16th and
15th centuries BC. During the
8th Century BC the first
Greek settlers to this island were immediately replaced by other Greek people coming from
Cuma .
During
Roman Rule , Procida became a renowned resort for the
Patrician class of Rome.
After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire and the Byzantine reconquest with the
Gothic Wars (6th Century) ), Procida remained under the jurisdiction of the
Duke Of Naples . The continuous devastations brought by Vandals and Goths first, and later by the Saracen, pushed the population to resettle in a fortified village typical of the
Medieval times. The population was sheltered on the cape of the Earth, naturally defended from walls to peak on the sea and later on more times fortified, changing therefore the name in Earth Bulwark.
Testimonies from this period are from those who manned the
Watchtowers on the sea, which become the symbol of the island. With the
Norman conquest of
Southern Italy , Procida experienced also the
Feudal dominion; the island, with annexed a mainland part, the future Mount of Procida, came under to the family of Da Procida, that controlled the island for more than two centuries. The most famous exponent of the family was Giovanni Da Procida III, councilman of
Frederick II Of Sicily and leader of the revolt of the
Sicilian Vespri .
In the 1339, the
Fief , together with the Island of Ischia, was handed over to the Cossa family, of
French origin, loyal follower of the Angevine dynasty then reigning in
Naples . Baldassarre Cossa was elected
Antipope in 1410 with the name of
John XXIII . In this age a deep economic transformation of the island began, as agriculture was slowly abandoned in favour of fishing.
During the domination of
Charles V the island was granted in to the D'Avalos family. The raids of the pirates continued in this age. Particularly cruent was that one of 1534, led by the famous
Turk admiral
Khair Ad Din , better known as Barbarossa.
In 1744 King
Charles III made Procida a royal
Game Reserve . In this period the Procidana fleet reched its period of highest splendor, backed by a flourishing shipbuilding activity. The population rose to approximately 16,000. In 1799, Procida took part part to the revolts that led to the proclamation of the
Neapolitan Republic . With the return of the Bourbon, a few months later, 12 Procidani were beheaded.
The
Napoleonic Wars saw several heavy devastations, because of the island's strategic position in the sea war between French and
English . In 1860, after the fall of the
Kingdom Of The Two Sicilies , the island become part of the newly formed
Kingdom Of Italy .
The 20th century saw a crisis in Procidana shipbuilding, due to the competition with industrial
Conglomerate s. In 1907, Procida lost its mainland territory, which became independent and is commonly called Mount of Procida.
In 1957, the first underwater
Aqueduct in Europe was built in Procida.
In the last few decades, the population has slowly began to grow. The economy remains in great part tied to the marine industry, although the tourist industry has also grown.
Several writers have set their
Novel s in Procida. On of the most notable is the novel ''Graziella'' written by
Alphonse De Lamartine , who came to Procida at the beginning of the 19th century while in the
French army. Another celebrated novel is ''
L'isola Di Arturo '' (1957), one of the greater works of
Elsa Morante .
Procida has been chosen like film set for a numuerous movies, mainly for its
Panorama s and its typical
Mediterranean Architecture . The most famous are ''
Il Postino '', with
Philippe Noiret and
Massimo Troisi , and ''
The Talented Mr. Ripley , starring
Matt Damon .
There are many religious traditions on the island tied to the period of the Saint Week before
Passover . The most evocative of these are the Procession of the Apostles of the Saint Thursday and the Procession of the Mysteries of the Saint Friday. The last one is based on a tradition going back to the end of the 1600s. In the
Procession , the young males of the island, dressed of the classic garment of "Confratello of the Turchini", carry
Allegorical wagons (called "mysteries") of religious character for a fixed distance, from the village of Torre Murata to the port of Marina Grande. The "mysteries", often highly artistic, are prepared by the young people and generally nobody except them would have, at least in theory, seen them before the procession. After the the procession, they are taken apart or destroyed.
Every summer, there is an election of the ''Graziella'' ("Little Graceful"), a young woman that wears the customary clothes of the island, referring itself to the history told in Alphonse de Lamartine's novel, ''Graziella''. Also during the summer, a
Literary Award dedicated to Elsa Morante and her novel, ''Arthur's Island'', is awarded.
