A thousand-year history. The island of Ischia has been known since antiquity as Pithecusa (from the Greek Pithekoussai), and is referred to by many scholars as the first Greek colony in western Italy. According to archaeological sources, Pithecusae was founded by Greeks from the island of Euboea around the 8th century BC (around 770 BC). In 1952 German archaeologist George Buchner initiated major excavations that revealed the wealth of this settlement: fragments of pottery, Egyptian scarabs, amphorae and other objects show that Pithecusae was a bustling maritime emporium connected with the Aegean, the Near East, Carthage and Etruria.
Among the most famous finds is the “Cup of Nestor,” a kotyle found in the necropolis of San Montano (Lacco Ameno) and dated around 725 B.C.: on the rim are engraved three verses in the Euboic alphabet that allude to the cup of Nestor from the Iliad. Thanks to these objects we now know that Greek language and culture spread early at Pithecusae, so much so that the “Cup of Nestor” is considered one of the oldest Western poetic texts.
By the fourth century BC. Pithecusae gradually ceded primacy to new colonial centers: around 740 BC, in fact, the colony of Cumae arose on the Campanian mainland, linked to the expansionist thrusts of Magna Graecia. In the following centuries the island – renamed Aenaria by the ancients – experienced a quieter past in Roman times. The main evidence from that period are tombs with modest grave goods, votive marble reliefs (from the Sanctuary of the Nymphs) and the remains of the submerged Carta Romana foundry.
Impossibile, poi, non citare le sorgenti termali sulfuree di Nitrodi, note sin dai tempi dell’antica Roma per le loro virtù terapeutiche. Le acque, situate nella frazione di Buonopane (nel comune di Barano), divennero famosissime (anzi, un vero e proprio centro di culto) tra il I secolo a.C. e il III secolo d.C.
Overall, the island’s archaeological findings thus tell us a very long history, from the earliest Neolithic settlements to the Hellenistic-Roman world, which the Archaeological Museum of Pithecusa (housed in the Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno) comprehensively illustrates.
Ischia, archaeological places to visit
Necropolis of San Montano (Lacco Ameno)
It is a vast burial area used by the inhabitants of Pithecusae from as early as the mid-8th century B.C. until the Hellenistic age. Hundreds of cremation tombs (mostly stone mounds) containing grave goods rich in vessels, jewelry and amulets have been excavated here. Among the best-known finds is the Shipwreck Krater, a large locally produced vase (mid-eighth century B.C.) painted with a shipwreck scene: it is one of the oldest examples of figured vase painting found in Italy. The aforementioned Cup of Nestor was discovered in the same necropolis. The site can be reached on foot from Lacco Ameno: today the tumuli and some plinths remain, while many finds can be admired at the nearby museum.
Villa Arbusto and Archaeological Museum (Lacco Ameno)
In the historic center of Lacco Ameno is Villa Arbusto, an elegant 18th-century mansion now housing the Archaeological Museum of Pithecusa. Inside is a collection of ancient artifacts found on the island: from Pithecusan grave goods (vases, jewelry, oil lamps and inscriptions are on display) to materials from the San Montano necropolis. The museum presents in chronological order the entire history of the island from the Copper Age to the Roman period. The tropical garden around Villa Arbusto, created by founder Angelo Rizzoli in the 1950s, is itself a reason to visit: a unique botanical park of exotic and Mediterranean plants.
Castiglione (Casamicciola Terme)
Castiglione Hill, above the center of Casamicciola, is the site of a protohistoric village investigated by Buchner in the 1930s. Here remains of huts and pottery from the Middle and Recent Bronze Age (ca. 15th-10th centuries B.C.) were found, as well as fragments of Mycenaean pottery. These findings indicate that Ischia was also connected to Mycenaean trade before the arrival of the Archaic Greeks. Today there is no large archaeological park on the site that can be visited, but a walk up the hill offers a view of the bay below.
Aragonese Castle (Ischia Porto)
For those who want to add a medieval touch to their tour, the Aragonese Castle of Ischia Ponte (originally “Castrum Gironis”) stands on a volcanic rock connected to the island by a stone bridge. The fortifications date back to the rule of Hieron of Syracuse (5th century BC). At the foot of the castle lies the ancient Roman city of Aenaria, founded in 315 BC at the time of the Republic. Today the castle is an open-air museum worth visiting for its late-antique and medieval history, as well as for the view of the Gulf of Naples.
Archaeological Ischia, recommended one-day itinerary
Morning in Lacco Ameno – Start the day at the Villa Arbusto Archaeological Museum: devote at least a couple of hours to visiting the museum rooms where the main artifacts of Pithecusa are displayed. Immediately afterwards, take a short hike to the San Montano Valley (reachable on foot in 10-15 min.), where the remains of the Archaic necropolis are located. Here you can see the burial mounds and imagine ancient Greek burial rituals.
Afternoon in Casamicciola – Reach by car or bus Casamicciola Terme and climb up to Castiglione Hill. From here, in addition to the beautiful view, you can learn more about the antiquity of Ischia by recalling Buchner’s discoveries of the 1930s. Although there are no museum facilities on the site today, it is worth admiring the site and then returning to the museum to review the Castiglione finds.
Evening in Ischia Porto – End the day in Ischia Porto, where the Aragonese Castle dominates. Visit the ancient village and climb to the castle: the path will remind you of the island’s oldest roots (in the 6th-5th centuries BC, Hieron of Syracuse settled here) and the Roman history of Aenaria at the foot of the fortress. Finally enjoy a dinner with a sea view in one of the typical restaurants, reflecting on the millennia of history you have just touched upon.
Journey to the Ischia of yesteryear: history that excites!
Sapevi che Ischia è stata la prima colonia greca in Occidente? Dalla leggendaria Coppa di Nestore ai resti sommersi di Aenaria, l’isola è un vero museo a cielo aperto. Condividi le tue scoperte archeologiche e tagga Visit Ischia!
Insightful insights
Books: recommended specialized texts include “Pithekoussai. The Necropolis” (vols. I-III) by Giorgio Buchner and David Ridgway, and “Ischia. Archaeology and History” by Piero Monti and Raffaele Castagna, which offer comprehensive overviews of the island’s excavations and evidence.
Podcast: listen to the Italian Walks series (ep. 03 “Ischia. Greek heroes make it to the Italian shores”), in which the first Greek colonizations in Italy are recounted. ArcheoTravelers’ “The Christmas of Rome” podcast also devotes episodes to Greek expansion in the peninsula. Another resource in Italian is Deep Island (Radio Sea Sound), e.g., the January 2025 episode with archaeologist Mariangela Catuogno on the ancient history of Ischia.
Exhibitions and events: keep an eye on the Villa Arbusto Museum calendar for thematic guided tours, lectures and temporary exhibitions on the island’s Greek-polytechnic world. Local universities and superintendencies organize seminars and workshops in Ischia from time to time, which can be excellent insights into the field.
