The hub of town, characterized by homes with terraces and pergolas, is the famous "piazzetta", nickname of the tiny Umberto I Square, the open-air salon of tourists and high society life. The Baroque church of Santo Stefano dominates the square, with its arabesque cupola and priceless Roman pavement, transplanted from Villa Jovis. To the right is Palazzo Cerio, dating back to 1372.
The complex of the Certosa di San Giacomo is one of the finest examples of Caprese architecture. Built in the 1300's and expanded in the 1600's, it has a gorgeous view of the Faraglioni. In spite of the numerous reconstructions, the original lines are conserved particularly in the medieval extrados vaults, typical of Capri.
The gardens of Augustus are not far away, and the view of the Faraglioni and the Marina Piccola is stunning.
The park, criss-crossed by innumerable alleys and little stairways, is an oasis of green with a magnificent belvedere. From the gardens one arrives at the Marina Piccola by way of via Krupp, a tortuous street that descends to the sea. It offers enchanting glimpses of views onto the sea and the Faraglioni. The most famous walk of Capri is the one that takes you to the belvedere of Tragara, a shaded square with views over the Faraglioni and the Marina Piccola. Under Tragara begins the street that descends to the Faraglioni, the three famous rock-cliffs. The first, Stella, nearest to the coast, is 109 mt high, the middle one, Faraglione di Mezzo is 81 meters, and the third, known as Scopolo, is 104 meters high and inhabited by the rare blue lizard.
Breathtaking scenery immersed in luxuriant vegetation also accompany you along the way from Capri to the Arco Naturale (Natural Arch), a scenic rock arch on a sheer cliff over the sea. The Grotta di Matermania is reached going down the stairs. It is a grandiose natural cove already consecrated in Roman times by the Cibele cult, the "great mother of the latins" (the Latins'Magna Mater).
Imbedded in the rocky landscape of Masullo Point is Villa Malaparte. Built at the end of the 1930's by Adalberto Libera for the writer Curzio Malaparte, it is still eccentric and extraordinarily modern.
On the northeastern point of the island rises Villa Jovis (Jove's Villa), the most conspicuous Roman remains on the island, ordered built by the Emperor Tiberius. You get there from the town of Capri following a long walk that passes the San Michele Church, skirts the panoramic park of Villa Astarita and then leads to the archaeological area. The grandiose ruins dominate a marvellous panorama towards the Sorrentine peninsula and are on a sheer cliff 330 meters high, known as the Jump of Tiberius, from which, it is said, the Emperor had his victims thrown. The Villa is a huge palace on many levels, with the 'working parts' (foyer, thermal baths, servants quarters, private apartments of the Emperor, and receiving rooms) all grouped around a central nucleus, occupied by a gigantic cistern.
Pino Falcone Photographer