Capri Arco Naturale and Pizzolungo

To the left, at the end of Via Camerelle, there is a steep but short path which leads to Via Tragara, a road which dates back to Roman times. The road is flat and well kept, lined with hotels, high class restaurants, and magnificent villas, of which passers-by can catch only a glimpse of the entrances amidst the lush vegetation which screens the property from indiscreet eyes.

Buildings of particular note along Via Tragara include the German Evangelical Church, built in typical transalpine style and most unusual for Capri; Villa Discopoli, residence of the writer Rainer Maria Rilke; Villa Lo Studio where the poet Pablo Neruda stayed, and the Hotel Punta Tragara, said to have been designed, if only in part, by the architect Le Corbusier.

Via Tragara terminates in a large terrace with fabulous view over the Faraglioni rocks. To the left one can glimpse, across the waters, a part of the Amalfi Coast whilst, to the right, there are houses clinging miraculously to the slopes, the castle-topped Monte Castiglione, Monte Solaro and the bay of Marina Piccola.

Pizzolungo

From the viewpoint of Tragara one joins, along a little pathway which skirts round the right hand part of the terrace, or down the steps close to the hotel, the Pizzolungo walk, a route which traces the coastline up to the Natural Arch.

This is arguably one of the most beautiful walks on the island of Capri. Extremely pleasant throughout the summer months and quite spectacular during the winter when the strong cold winds and the stormy seas paint the panorama with colors which have bewitched so many artists.

The tops of the rocky cliffs are adorned with a thick covering of Mediterranean shrubs with myrtle, euphorbia, and broom, other species of the flora of Capri and coastal pine trees. Along this stretch of coast one has the sensation of having been catapulted far from the modern world, in an era when the only protagonists of the island of Capri were the rocks and the sea.

During the walk, which is without refreshment points, one meets roughly 775 steps alternating with level stretches of land. Here and there one finds a bench on which to rest or, via a series of stone steps, any of a great number of panoramic viewpoints where to gaze out across the sea.

The route proceeds until meeting a narrow and extremely steep flight of steps which leads to the Grotta di Matermania. Scholars have attributed the cult rituals which were performed in the cave to the divinities Mitra or Cibele, goddess of fertility. After the cave there are another 200 steps to climb before arriving at the Natural Arch.

Natural Arch

The Natural Arch, an extraordinary Paleolithic sculpture, is all that which remains of a deep and incredibly high cavity of underground origin, which was discovered in the aftermath of a landslide. The incoherent nature of the rock has determined the continuing corrosion of the stone, leaving a 12 meter wide section of the vault suspended roughly 18 meters above the ground, which forms a natural bridge between the two pillars of rock. The Natural Arch is elevated high above sea level and its semicircular opening provides the perfect picture frame for the spectacular sea scenery in the distance.

Grotta di Matermania

The cave is most often called the Grotta di Matermania although its is also known as the Grotta del Matrimonio or di Matrimonia. It is formed by a cavity roughly 30 meters long and 20 meters wide, with a median height of 10 meters. From the remains found within its interior it is not clear to which divinity the cave was dedicated in ancient times, although its use as a sacred place is certain. It is believed that the cult of the god Mitra might possibly have been practiced here, the associated rituals of which were almost always carried out in caves; or that of Cibele, goddess of nature, of animals and wild places.

It is thought that in the Roman period the Grotta di Matermania was transformed in to a luxurious nymphaeum, typical of the time, where the inhabitants met to dine and relax. The building would, at one time, have been completely walled in order to avoid the dangers of the rock collapsing, and land filling techniques used so as to level the pavement.

The walls were ornamented with numerous decorations, most probably mosaics formed by glass paste, coral, and shell tesserae, which would have been used to emphasize the marine theme of the Grotta di Matermania. A trough, the remains of which were found in the cave, would have been used to collect the water which dripped from the walls, and channel it into the center of the room.