The Montevergine Hermitage, the earliest settlement in the area, dating back to the early 1700s, occupies a panoramic position overlooking San Francesco beach, which is about 100 metres from the entrance beside the church of San Francesco.
This unique setting is just 2 km from Forio city centre, in an exclusive location always considered a residential area, with villas and prestigious hotels served by restaurants bars and supermarkets. It an ideal location for those who want to enjoy a holiday steeped in the special atmospher of Ischia, with its nature, relaxation and fun, while enjoying absolute peace and quiet. Nearby are the Zaro woods, with“la Colombaia”, the villa that once belonged to the director Luchino Visconti and is now home to a cultural foundation dedicated to film and entertainment. The woods also have a place of worshipdedicated to Our Lady of Zaro, while a few steps from the Hermitage you can visit the famous “Gardens of Mortella”, considered one of the ten most beautiful gardens in Europe.
The Hermitage can be accessed from the square in front of the church of San Francesco di Paola, through a wrought iron gate. A long covered patio with an ancient well, lined by beautiful wide arches, opens out to an irregular-shaped uncovered patio leading to the main staircase, with classic motifs in Piperno stone.
From the main staircase, a large, bright entrance leads to the main section of the hermitage, the Petrea apartment, formerly the residence of an early 20th century English peeress. It is positioned at the centre of the apartments like the pistil of a flower surrounded by the petals. The exposure of the hermitage to the west allows the beautiful sunsets to be seen from nearly all the apartments, as well as the outline of Ventotene Island on the horizon. Right after sunset, when the atmospheric conditions are right, you can see “the vanishing sunfrolic, amuse itself and emit a gentle, bewitching, fleeting ray of light: THE GREEN FLASH”.
Montevergine Hermitage offers its guests seven exclusive holiday accomodations, most of which have terraces and sea views. The apartments have characteristic names: Petrea, Galatea, Calypso, Nesea, Teti, Actea and Seaview Dome and vary in terms of size and layout, accommodating a minimum of two to a maximum of six guests.
Each renovated and furnished apartment has a cooking area with a fully equipped kitchen, satellite TV, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and private parking.
Petrea, whose name comes from Greek mythology and means “source of the rocks”, is in the oldest part of the hermitage and is ideal for a family or group of friends.
The apartment can be accessed from the gate beside the church of San Francesco, through a large shared courtyard embellished by beautiful old palm trees, and also from the upper garden, with its terraces and various viewpoints, where there is an entrance from the street.
It consists of:
- a spacious master bedroom, with old wooden beams, a fireplace and a complete bathroom, which was part of the original residential core of the eighteenth-century building. The bedroom, joined to the apartment, can also be accessed independentlytrough the glazed doorsto the upper garden, onto which it looks;
- avery scenic double bedroom with a queen size bedand a complete bathroom;
- a third double bedroom, known as the “hermit’s cell”, also with a complete bathroom and a window that originally opened onto a portico when the hermitage was first built, more than two centuries ago; over the years, with the extension of the house, it has acquired a unique view over the bright, scenic entrance;
- a fourth complete bathroom serving the living room;
- a spacious internal kitchen;
- an ample entrance and a large living room of about 150 m2 in size, with a splendid view over the Bay of San Francesco. It has an adjoining level covered terrace with arches, around 40 m2 in size, which can be used all the year round to enjoy the view of the sea, the beautiful sunsets and the outline of Ventotene Island on the horizon. The terrace, on the same level as the living room, serves as the roof of the overpass, a surprising but very effective architectural solution by the English previous owner, who designed it personally at the beginning of the last century. A small wrought iron balcony, also designed by the previous owner, stands above the entrance gate, givingharmony and proportion to the facade.
For total relaxation, Petrea also has a private sun terrace, accessed via the entrance staircase, which overlooks the beautiful Bay of San Francesco and is furnished with sun loungers and a mini spa.
Finally, the guests in the apartment can enjoy a large garden with old trees, scenic terraces and a courtyard, shared with the other apartments in the building.
Petrea is therefore a large apartment, with a floor area of about 250 m2, plus external spaces, just waiting to be discovered. It sleeps six persons, has four bathrooms and is ideal for your holiday with relatives or frien
