vantage

finding the HEIGHT of beauty

point The image of Capri summons up sparkling blue sea, bougainvil- lea-covered villas and a sense of luxury and Capri style that have capti- CStory and Photographyapri by Laura Thayer vated travelers, writers and artists from around the world for centuries. Since the days when ancient Greek ships sailed past the rocky shores, this island has been treasured for its enchanting and rare

Valerian natural beauty. flowers on Monte Solaro As one of the top tourist destina- to the sapphire blue sea, Villa Jovis in only a luxury but also a necessity for tions in Campania, however, it can Capri was once the home of Roman life in one of the most remote spots sometimes feel like there’s little of Emperor Tiberius. Named after Jove, on the island. that historic appeal left to discover. the king of the gods, this sprawling Tiberius once had private rooms Yet it is there, just beyond the bustling villa was completed in 27 A.D. and was overlooking the expansive view of Piazzetta and the hum of the Marina the scenic spot where Tiberius ran the the Bay of Naples with the tip of the Grande harbor. Roman Empire for the last 10 years Sorrento Peninsula jutting out into This escape to Capri visits the of his life. A fortress, luxurious palace the sea nearby. The Villa Jovis ends island’s two highest spots, each one and administrative headquarters all in abruptly with a sheer drop to the sea offering a unique vantage point on one, the Villa Jovis was a feat of Roman 1,095 feet below. This dramatic spot is the island’s history. The timeless construction and design. often called “Tiberius’s Leap” after the allure of Capri is still a reality, and just Built on several levels, an unusual rather gruesome legend telling about another reason to add it to your Italy feature for Roman villas of the peri- how the Emperor would have undesir- travel adventures. od, the Villa Jovis featured an inge- able guests or servants thrown into the Sitting high atop Monte Tiberio, nious system of water collection and sea. Peer over the edge these days and surrounded by pine trees and over- a large cistern to provide fresh water. you’ll find a more tranquil view with looking a sheer cliff dropping down Capri’s scarcity of water made this not boats bobbing and swimmers diving WWW.NIAF.ORG

View from the cliff

Ambassador 41 2Ambassador 42 WWW.NIAF.ORG ly passingbywith whatseemslikeonly gasps frompassengers, vehiclesquick- forthewaytheycause mia” curves what sometourguidescall “mamma buses andtaxisziparound roadswith pri. OnthewaytoAnacapri, tiny beginsinthevillage ofAnaca- journey reach thetopofMonteSolaro, which soarstojustover1,900feet.To Monte Solaro,Capri’s highestspot, er peakrisesabovetheisland.Thisis height ofVillaJovisandanevenhigh- mountains andliveamidstitsbeauty. to tameitsrockycoastlineandrugged this beautiful,challengingislandtotry a millennium,humanshavecometo breeze fromthesea.Formorethan salty pines andthescentofwarm, sound ofthewindblowingthrough withthe bytheruins, stand surrounded tourists, itisahumblingexperienceto day seems aplaygroundformodern or couldsustain.IftheislandofCapri in thestylethatonlyaRomanEmper- of oncegloriousandextravagantdays improvement ifyouaskme. into thesparklingwater. Asignificant On thewaytoVillaJovis Look acrossCaprifromthe Today, stilltellthestory theruins patches. Soon, theviewcapturesall ofgrape vinesandvegetable terraces villas andgardens,complete with you glideoverprivatehomes, holiday begins quicklyonceyouhop on.First, with individualseats,thechairlift to thehike.Muchlikeaski lift,but compared the toprathereffortlessly laro. Foramodestfeeyoucanreach side ofthemountainuptoMonteSo- you’ll spotthechairliftsscaling the centerofvillage.Lookupand the prettystreetstoPiazzaVittorioat your balanceagain,meanderthrough far morethan“mammamia!” first-time visitorsonthatepicridesay sheer dropsdowntothesea.Some millimeters tospareandviewsofthe Roman construction Once inAnacapriandfinding from allover the worldwhocome tain. MonteSolaro drawstravelers follow aroundthetopof moun- pathto scape witharoughlycarved flight ofstairs,youentera rocky land- the chairliftandclimbinga short beauty ofnature.Afterhopping off as somethingofashrinetothesheer Monte Solarocouldbeconsidered tonature. silence, itfeelslikeareturn the humofchairlifttobreak just lifefarbehind.With of modern the climbissteeperandsounds chia andNaplesacrossthebay. On aclearday, thereisaviewofIs- the brilliantblueofseabeyond. buildings ofAnacapristretchoutwith attention asthewhitehousesand As thechairliftreachespeak, ExploringVillaJovis Here, thatimmensenaturalbeauty sea, you’lljusthavetovisitforyourself. Solaro andsoaringbetweenland spiring feelingofstandingonMonte andawe-in- capture thevertiginous days. Butuntilacameraorphonecan it homewithyouanddipintoongrey capture itinonewayoranothertotake ever, ortodothenextbestthingand There’s tostayfor- aninherenturge that itishardtoprocessallatonce. wind fromthecliffs. the presentmomentlikegustsof float onthebreeze,callingyoubackto prickly cacti.Thecriesofseagullscry branchesand to gnarledrosemary blooms ofthebroombushesgiveway and strongwinds.Thebrightyellow withstand theextremesetting,hotsun plantsthatcan tough Mediterranean arecoveredwith above andthecliffs sea istantalizingevenfromsohigh before youreyes.Theclearblueofthe natural landscapeofCaprispreadsout possible. Andtheyshould. way–by takingasmanyphotographs to worshipthisbeautyinthemodern This is a natural beauty so intense This isanaturalbeautysointense High atopMonteSolaro,the harbor atthepeakofMonteSolaro Looking towardMarinaGrande Ambassador 43 WWW.NIAF.ORG from VillaJovis Sorrento Peninsula View ofthe for theholidays! gift certificates areavailable Makes aheartfelt present — assist withobtainingItalianpassports. about yourItalianroots.We canalso amazing andsurprisinginformation My ItalianFamilyhelpsyouuncover living relatives! walked, andperhapsevenmeetyour Visit thestreetswhereyourancestors your origins. Our researchersdigdeeptodiscover real history. Bring that visiontolifewith Italian ancestors? Do youeverimagineyour we’ve beendoingforcenturies. back formore.Afterall,that’s what enough onCapritokeepyoucoming beaches.There’sshops andgorgeous Gardens, theVillaAxelMuntheor the BlueGrotto,beautifulAugustus fascinating spotsontheisland,like while alsosavingtimefortheother eachexperiencedeserves and energy todedicatethetime be toorushed one longdayonCapri,thepacewould both MonteSolaroandVillaJovisin its radiancebeauty. and understanding ofCapri’s history withyouadeeper Jovis, youwillcarry and imaginingthesplendorofVilla the expansivebeautyofMonteSolaro hustle andbustleoflifebelow. After tothe to graduallymakeareentry erent feel,andreliefthatthere’s time up. There’s ahushedandalmostrev- anticipation oftheviewsonride more subduedthanthoseinanxious passengers descendingareoften muchpresent. still very that captivatedtheancientRomansis While it would be possible to visit While itwouldbepossibletovisit Riding downthechairlift, Call 1-888-472-0171 today, orvisitwww.myitalianfamily.com

sador. herwebsiteatciaoamalfi.com. Visit at aTime” intheFall2014issueofAmbas- OneStep Coast: Walking ThroughHistory witness guidebooks.Shewrote“TheAmalfi appeared inItalia!magazineandDKEye- the AmalfiCoastsince2007.Herworkhas who hasbeenliving,writingandhikingon historian Laura Thayerisawriterandart of VillaJovis Roman ruins from a10%discount on NIAF members benefit all our services (since 2007!) Ambassador 45 WWW.NIAF.ORG