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Capri

Island of Capri Italy Capri Vacation Italy

Located on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, the island of Capri has been a vacation destination since the times of the Roman Republic. The majestic views from the towns of Capri and Anacapri, the colorful and quaint fishing villages as well as the genuine Italian feel this island exudes have attracted visitors from Italy and around the world, making Capri a very popular luxury vacation retreat in Italy.

Capri Highlights

• Picturesque Villages
• Authentic restaurants
• Cosmopolitan life
• Beautiful Beaches

Capri History

Capri is known today as an exclusive luxury vacation destination in Italy for various European royal families, wealthy jetsetters, and celebrities. Today Capri is a holiday resort open to all, but excavations have revealed that the island of Capri was once part of the Italian mainland and was occupied since the Neolithic and Bronze age. However, it was Emperor Augustus who started to develop the infrastructure on Capri by building roads, villas, temples and gardens so he could use the island as a private retreat. Emperor Tiberous further developed Capri by building a sequence of beautiful villas throughout the island, and was so enchanted by this wonderful place that in 27 AD he relocated to Capri and ruled the Roman Empire from there. Capri is also the island that Lucilla was banished to by her brother - Emperor Commodus in 182 AD. For those with an interest in film trivia, these names will appear familiar from the Hollywood movie “Gladiator”. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Capri had a turbulent history changing “owners” quite often, as it was frequently “given away” by the reigning Emperor. The only constants in the island’s history were the ruthless and regular attacks from pirates. These attacks climaxed during the reign of Charles V, with the island being captured by the famous admiral Barbarossa or as he was known on the high seas “Red Beard”. Capri was captured by Napoleon in January 1806, but was quickly evicted by the British who transformed the island into a fortified naval base, destroying much of the ancient archaeological sites in the process.Capri was captured by Napoleon in January 1806, but was quickly evicted by the British who transformed the island into a fortified naval base, destroying much of the ancient archaeological sites in the process.