Capri tickets
Capri is an Italian island off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples. It has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic.
From the town 784 steps, carved in the rock, lead upward to Anacapri. To the west of the town of Capri is the Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto), a cavern, entered from the sea by a narrow opening not more than 1 m (3 ft) high, but which inside is of magnificent proportions. Elliptical in form, it is 50 m (175 ft) long, 30 m (100 ft) at the widest part, and 12 m (40 ft) high; the water in the cavern is 15 m (50 ft) deep. Stalactites hang from the roof and sides. The blue color within the grotto is caused by the light passing through the water. Capri contains relics of prehistoric ages and numerous remains of Roman times, including the ruins of the 12 villas built by the emperor Tiberius, who resided in Capri for ten years. No springs or streams are on Capri, but it has abundant rainfall and is fertile, producing olive oil, wine, and fruit. The tourist trade provides the principal source of income for the islanders. Area, 10 sq km (4 sq mi); population (1990) 7,400.
Features of the island are the Marina Piccola (Small Harbor), the Belvedere of Tragara, which is a high panoramic promenade lined with villas, the limestone masses called Sea Stacks that stand out of the sea (the Faraglioni), Anacapri, the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), and the ruins of the Imperial Roman villas.
Capri is in the region of Campania, Province of Naples. The City of Capri is the main centre of population on Capri. It has two adjoining harbours, Marina Piccola and Marina Grande (the main port of the island). The separate commune of Anacapri is located high on the hills to the west.
According to the Greek geographer Strabo, Capri was once part of the mainland. This has been confirmed by geological surveys and archaeological findings.
The city has been inhabited since very early times. Evidence of human settlement was discovered during the Roman era; according to Suetonius, when the foundations for the villa of Augustus were being excavated, giant bones and 'weapons of stone' were discovered. The emperor ordered these to be displayed in the garden of his main residence, the Sea Palace. Modern excavations have shown that human presence on the island can be dated back to the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.
In his Aeneid, Virgil states that the island had been populated by the Greek people of Teleboi, coming from the Ionian Islands. Strabo says that "in ancient times in Capri there were two towns, later reduced to one." (Geography, 5, 4, 9, 38). Tacitus records that there were twelve Imperial villas in Capri (or Capreae, as it was spelled in Latin). Ruins of one at Tragara could still be seen in the 19th century.
Augustus's successor Tiberius built a series of villas at Capri, the most famous of which is the Villa Jovis, one of the best preserved Roman villas in Italy. In 27 CE, Tiberius permanently moved to Capri, running the Empire from there until his death in 37 CE. According to Suetonius, while staying on the island, Tiberius (accompanied by his grand-nephew and heir, Caligula) enjoyed imposing numerous cruelties and sexual perversions upon his slaves.
