Programme of Small-scale partnerships in school education of the Erasmus+ Project

From Intangible Expression to Digital Cultural Heritage

European number: 2021-Round 2-KA210-SCH-0A1738D9

 

THE ISLAND OF PROCİDA

    On the 25th of October, 2022, early in the morning our interesting cultural trip from Paglieta to Naples began. When we arrived in Naples we were astonished by the magnificent volcano Vesuvius. The participants from the three countries Italy, Bulgaria and Turkey took the ferry to the Procida island.

Procida Island - the smallest island in the Bay of Naples, which this year is the capital of culture of Italy. We sail for 40 minutes in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Behind the shining waves in the distance you can see the islands of Capri, Issia, Nisida.

The island is only 4 square kilometers, and its population is only 11,000 people. Procida's heart is shaped like a lemon.

The first lesson we learned is that Procida has its own traffic rules. We raced taxis through the narrow one-way streets to get a feel for the atmosphere.

 

The highest point here is the old town, Terra Murata, with its ramparts. In ancient times, the city was used as a place to trade wheat and wine. In 1563, on the top of this territory, a magnificent palace was built, which was later used as a prison until 1988.

We saw the Avalos Palace, which until recently was turned into a prison for Italian mobsters. Cultural events will be held there to enrich people.

There are about 5 functioning churches.

Port "Koricheli" - a legend about it and the fishermen. There is a fisherman in every house here and every house is painted a different color. So when fishermen look at the shore, they can point to where their home is.

Procida's main port, Marina Grande, is a colorful cluster of pastel-colored houses that seem to be piled on top of each other on the coastal slope.

Just a 15 minute walk from Procida's main street separates us from Marina Coricella, the oldest fishing village on the island that has been here for centuries. In it we enjoyed the slow life that one can only find in the countryside and on the small islands.

Close to the port, just a few steps away, is the main square of Procida. From there we headed to the old town, the higher we climbed, the more beautiful the view of the port, which was created in the 17th century.

Around the southwestern part of Procida is the harbor "Marina di Chaiolello", which is shaped like a crescent. This part of the island used to be a volcanic area, which today has been transformed into a place with many bars, shops and restaurants. The port is surrounded by the hilly territory of the satellite island of Vivara, which is connected to Procida by a bridge.

We had lunch at a restaurant on Procida Island, where we ate authentic dishes based on home recipes.