Anacapri - Monte Solaro, Cetrella and Barbarossa Castle

From the center of Anacapri, the summit of Monte Solaro can be reached by foot in approximately an hour and a half. Alternatively, visitors can take the chair lift, thereby arriving at the peak in just 12 minutes.
Here one finds the ruins of the “Fortino di Bruto” built at the start of the 1800’s, in the period of the battles between the English and the French.
Monte Solaro is the highest part of Capri, towering 589 meters above sea level, and boasting a 360° panorama of the island of Capri.
In the distance one can identify the mountains of Calabria, the Pennines and the Amalfi coast, the Sorrentine peninsula, the Gulf of Naples, and the islands of Procida and Ischia.
In the fifties the “Canzone del Cielo” complex was built, with swimming pool, solarium, restaurant and American bar. The latter remains open for business to this very day.
Monte Solaro is also called “Acchiappanuvole” or “cloud catcher” after the thick blanket of fog which forms around the summit, especially at dawn, when the thermal difference between the sea and the rock is accentuated. The warmer, damper sea air condenses in a dense mist on the ground, the temperature of which has notably diminished during the night. Where its path is obstructed, the vapors rise upwards generating a characteristic crown of clouds. This phenomenon also occurs in the evening, especially in the autumn. The wind clears away parts of cloud, randomly revealing various segments of the beautiful island landscape below.

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Cetrella - Anacapri

The area of Cetrella is situated a short distance away from the peak of Monte Solaro, at an altitude of approximately 476 meters.
It is thought that the name derives from the lemon scented herb, “erba cetra” which grows here, or from Venere Citerea, indeed, legend has it that this was once the site of a pagan temple dedicated to the goddess.
In the sixteenth century the hermitage of Santa Maria a Cetrella was built, right on the cliff edge towering above Marina Piccola.
The hermitage of C , similar to arrow heads, - a frequent addition made to the isolated buildings in the area.
The hermitage is comprised of a small church, bell tower and sacristy with a low dome, which was added in the seventeenth century.
Residence of friars belonging to the Franciscan and Dominican orders, who elected it as their spiritual retreat, the building conserves a number of cells, a large and well equipped kitchen, wash rooms and vegetable garden.
In the Church of Santa Maria a Cetrella there is a chapel opposite which one accesses the rest of the complex.
The back of the church opens out on to a terrace, part of which is protected by a wisteria covered pergola, furnished with benches and a long rustic wood table.
An image of St. Maria is conserved within the church. The icon was of particular importance to the sailors of Anacapri who, in the past, when the collection of coral took them especially far a field, used to climb up to the church of Cetrella in pilgrimage prior to departure.
Those fortunate enough to visit the site in spring will be guided to the spot by the intense scent of the freesias grown in the garden next to the sacristy of the church which flower in at this time of year, filling the air with their pungent perfume.
Passing through the small entrance gate, and the ivy covered walls, one has the impression of entering a nineteenth century novel.
The view from here is, arguably, the most beautiful of all the island of Capri, with its rich palette of colors created by the rocks, sea and sky, in a silence broken only by the murmur of the wind. The panorama sweeps across the whole of the Gulf of Naples, from Capo Miseno to Punta Campanella, from Mount Vesuvius to the islands of Procida and Ischia, wrapped in the blue haze of the sea.

Barbarossa Castle - Anacapri

On the cliffs to the northeast of Anacapri, perched on one of the smaller masses of Monte Solaro, one finds the ruins of the Barbarossa Castle, the name of which derives from the appellation “red beard” given to Khair-ad-din, the ferocious Turkish pirate who conquered it in 1535.
The Barbarossa Castle was built approximately 412 meters above sea level. The time of its construction is still matter of debate, but is considered to be some time between the eleventh and thirteenth century.
From Via Orlandi one has a good view of the walls of the fortress, and the two towers built on the side facing the town which was the more easily attacked.
The side facing Capri had the natural defense of the sheer cliff edge. Today there are still the remains of an apsed chapel, with barrel ceiling, and two small rooms with bell tower.
The Castle of Barbarossa is part of the Villa San Michele property, currently owned by the Swedish Consulate. Since 1956 this is also the site of an ornithological center, where migrating birds are observed and ringed.
This area was once premium bird hunting territory, until the practice was finally forbidden following the persistent complaints of Axel Munthe and the physician’s campaigns to abolish the shooting of migratory birds.
The WWF periodically organizes guided visits of the Castle of Barbarossa and nature trails through the surrounding countryside, in an area where the vegetation is particularly drought resistant.
In spring eufhorbia, heather, myrtle, broom, and arbutus bloom, whilst during the winter months one can find daffodils, anemones and honeysuckle in flower.
In the past, pine trees were planted here but, given the areas susceptibility to fires, the majority have since been lost.