Flegrean Islands
Encyclopedia
The Flegrean Islands are an archipelago
in southern Italy
, comprising the islands of Ischia
, Procida
, Vivara
, Capri
and Nisida
.
The islands, situated in the Gulf of Naples
: Ischia
, Procida
, Vivara
and Nisida
. are denominated also Flegree islands, name that derives from the common affiliation to the geologic area of the Phlegraean Fields.
The island of Capri
, also situated in the gulf in Naples
, it doesn't generally come inclusive in the archipelago flegreo, in how much not belonging to the geologic area Flegrea.
The flegrean islands and Capri are defined in fact with the name of Archipelago they live (Partenopeo or Napoletano); more rarely also as Partenopee Islands, locution that was also given once Ponziane or Pontine
(before the institution of the province of Latina
, and before still in the province in Naples) to the islands. The locution has actually remained in use to the institution of the political regions, happened in 1970 in realization of the Constitution, following which the province of Latina meets in the Lazio.
In classical epoch the flegree islands was called Pithecussae (from Pithekousai) "islands of the monkeys." The myth, of Greek origin, it tells in fact that two brigands Cercopes
of Ephesus
, making himself pranks of Zeus, they were from this punished, turned into monkeys and relegated in the islands of Aenaria (Ischia) and Prochyta (Procida).
Another Greek myth, conflicting with the precedent, it says that Zeus was fighting with two Titans, one called Typhon
and the other Miming. The clash ended with the defeat of the two Titans, that, for punishment, they came buried under two blocks of rock: precisely, Tifeo under Ischia and Miming under Procida. This version of the myth could be important as probable answer of the ancient Greek to the mystery (for them) of the volcanism of the whole area: earths would have been so changeable because of the constant intervention of a divinity.
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
in southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, comprising the islands of Ischia
Ischia
Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has...
, Procida
Procida
Procida is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. With its tiny satellite island of Vivara, it is a comune of the province of Naples, in the region of Campania. The population is about ten...
, Vivara
Vivara
Vivara is a satellite islet of Procida, one of the three main islands in the Gulf of Naples. -Geography:...
, Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
and Nisida
Nisida
Nisida is a volcanic islet of the Flegrean Islands archipelago, in southern Italy. It lies at a very short distance from Cape Posillipo, just north of Naples; it is now connected to the mainland by a stone bridge. The islet is almost circular, with a flooded crater forming the bay of Porto Paone on...
.
The islands, situated in the Gulf of Naples
Gulf of Naples
The Gulf of Naples is a c. 15 km wide gulf located in the south western coast of Italy, . It opens to the west into the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered on the north by the cities of Naples and Pozzuoli, on the east by Mount Vesuvius, and on the south by the Sorrentine Peninsula and the main...
: Ischia
Ischia
Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has...
, Procida
Procida
Procida is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. With its tiny satellite island of Vivara, it is a comune of the province of Naples, in the region of Campania. The population is about ten...
, Vivara
Vivara
Vivara is a satellite islet of Procida, one of the three main islands in the Gulf of Naples. -Geography:...
and Nisida
Nisida
Nisida is a volcanic islet of the Flegrean Islands archipelago, in southern Italy. It lies at a very short distance from Cape Posillipo, just north of Naples; it is now connected to the mainland by a stone bridge. The islet is almost circular, with a flooded crater forming the bay of Porto Paone on...
. are denominated also Flegree islands, name that derives from the common affiliation to the geologic area of the Phlegraean Fields.
The island of Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
, also situated in the gulf in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, it doesn't generally come inclusive in the archipelago flegreo, in how much not belonging to the geologic area Flegrea.
The flegrean islands and Capri are defined in fact with the name of Archipelago they live (Partenopeo or Napoletano); more rarely also as Partenopee Islands, locution that was also given once Ponziane or Pontine
Pontine Islands
The Pontine Islands are an archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the west coast of Italy. The islands were collectively named after the largest island in the group, Ponza. The other islands in the archipelago are Palmarola, Zannone,...
(before the institution of the province of Latina
Latina
Latina is the feminine form of the term Latino.Latina may also refer to:*Province of Latina, a province in Latium , Italy**Latina, Lazio, the capital of the province of Latina**Latina Nuclear Power Plant*Latina , a district of Madrid...
, and before still in the province in Naples) to the islands. The locution has actually remained in use to the institution of the political regions, happened in 1970 in realization of the Constitution, following which the province of Latina meets in the Lazio.
In classical epoch the flegree islands was called Pithecussae (from Pithekousai) "islands of the monkeys." The myth, of Greek origin, it tells in fact that two brigands Cercopes
Cercopes
In Greek mythology, the Cercopes kerkos "tail") were mischievous forest creatures who lived in Thermopylae or on Euboea but roamed the world and might turn up anywhere mischief was afoot...
of Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
, making himself pranks of Zeus, they were from this punished, turned into monkeys and relegated in the islands of Aenaria (Ischia) and Prochyta (Procida).
Another Greek myth, conflicting with the precedent, it says that Zeus was fighting with two Titans, one called Typhon
Typhon
Typhon , also Typhoeus , Typhaon or Typhos was the last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, and the most deadly monster of Greek mythology. He was known as the "Father of all monsters"; his wife Echidna was likewise the "Mother of All Monsters."Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus,...
and the other Miming. The clash ended with the defeat of the two Titans, that, for punishment, they came buried under two blocks of rock: precisely, Tifeo under Ischia and Miming under Procida. This version of the myth could be important as probable answer of the ancient Greek to the mystery (for them) of the volcanism of the whole area: earths would have been so changeable because of the constant intervention of a divinity.