Of all the magnificent places I’ve visited in Italy, there is one that captured my imagination more than any other. I revisit it often in my mind - Procida.
It was 2012 when my friend and I were organizing a trip to the Amalfi Coast over Easter weekend. It would be my first visit, and there was so much I wanted to do: go to the famous Positano and Amalfi, walk up to Ravello, take a day trip to Capri.
My friend, on the other hand, had only one request: to spend time in Procida, where Il Postino was filmed. She wanted to go on Good Friday as there was supposed to be a special procession on the island that day.
No one had ever recommended Procida to me, and I’d never seen Il Postino. Before we left, my friend procured me a copy of the DVD. After seeing it, I couldn’t wait for our visit.
On Holy Thursday, we rode from Naples to the Amalfi Coast. It was a rainy, windy day. Local passengers on the bus warned that our ferry to Procida wouldn’t depart the next day if there was mar mosso, a rough sea.
Waking up early in the morning, we were relieved to find that the wind and waters had calmed. We could go to the island.
As our ferry entered the port, rows of cheery pastel houses and brightly colored fishing boats welcomed us. The port was sleepy and calm, despite the Good Friday Procession - one of the island’s most important events of the year.
Started around the seventeenth century by the local order of the Jesuits – the Turchini brotherhood, Procida’s Good Friday Procession commemorates the Bible’s mysteries. Elaborate floats represent important events and miracles from the Old Testament and the New Testament including Stations of the Cross.
The floats are works of beauty. Some carry statues that have been part of the procession for hundreds of years. Others are designed and made new each year by groups of villagers with materials like paper mache and wood but also fresh fish and produce.
Accompanied by a funeral march in honor of Jesus’ Passion, the men and boys and Procida carry the floats from the abbey on the hilltop – L’Abbazia di San Michele Arcangelo – to the Marina Grande. They are dressed in the traditional deep blue and white hooded robes of the Turchini brotherhood.
Watching the procession, my friend and I had no words. We were awestruck – carried away by sights, sounds, and emotions. The intricacy of the floats, the beautiful sunkissed people carrying them so proudly, the beating rhythm accompanying the march. We were so fortunate to have happened to be in Procida for this special day – an incredible glimpse into the heart and soul of the entire island.
As the Procession ended, we slowly shook ourselves out of our mesmerized state to explore the island.
Divided into nine districts across just 4 square kilometers (1.5 square miles), Procida is brimming with natural beauty and culture.
Formed thousands of years ago by volcano eruptions, different rock formations and sands abound. Touring around, you see lots of flowers and vegetation as well as two delicacies grown in Procida – lemons and artichokes. Attached to Procida by a small bridge, you will find an uninhabited island nature reserve, Vivara.
Even though the island is tiny, the coastline is so jagged that it runs for around 16 kilometers (10 miles) and is full of beaches to visit. We began with the most famous – La spiaggia di Pozzo Vecchio, better known as La Spiaggia del Postino. Over a lunch of fresh fish and calamari at the bar where the movie’s main characters meet, we imagined what the beach was like during filming.
After lunch, it was time to explore the districts, which amazingly all have their own character despite being so close to each other. In the oldest village and highest point on the island, Terra Murata, we pondered what life must have been like as a prisoner in the ex-palace and prison Palazzo d’Avalos that stands guard over the island. In Sent’cò, we visited the Marina Grande. There were various churches to visit across the other districts – the majority of which are named after saints: San Leonardo, Santissima Annunziata, Sant’Antuono, Sant’Antonio.
Ending the day in the colorful fishing port of Corricella, we admired the hard work and spirit of the Procidians, many who dedicate their lives to the ocean, fishing and seafaring.
Getting back on the ferry to Amalfi, we were sad to leave Procida behind us. We’d just had the privilege to taste a life that wasn’t ours and experience the magic of it.
When Procida was declared Italian Capital of Culture in 2022, something strange happened – I began learning that many people I know had also been to Procida. None of us had ever talked about it before. It was as if we’d all had the same reaction: our experiences there had almost been too memorable and special to share. We had kept Procida for ourselves, maybe hoping it could really be a place that would never change.
Italian Vocabulary related to Procida
All Around Italia helps you learn about Italy and also learn Italian! Here are some words related to Procida. Have you heard these before?
l’aliscafo – hydrofoil, a higher-speed ferry boat
Abbiamo viaggiato da Amalfi a Procida in aliscafo che è più veloce del traghetto. / We traveled from Amalfi to Procida by hydrofoil, which is faster than a ferry.
frastagliato – jagged
La costa dell’isola di Procida è molto frastagliata. / Procida’s coast is very jagged.
una contrada – district, quarter; this word has Medieval origins
La piccola isola di Procida è divisa in nove contrade. / The little island of Procida is divided into nine districts.
Because of its great beauty and allure, Procida has received quite a lot of attention from writers, filmmakers, and artists.
The island has been the setting of various films such as: The Talent Mr. Ripley with Matt Damon, Francesca e Nunziata with Sophia Loren, and Un detenuto di attesa di giudizio with Alberto Sordi. The film that has achieved most success – and my personal favorite – is Il Postino.
Il Postino is a charming story of love and friendship set in Procida in the 1950s featuring Massimo Troisi, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, and Philippe Noiret (whom you may remember from Cinema Paradiso – another favorite of mine). Troisi plays Mario Ruoppolo, a local of Procida, who befriends a Pablo Neruda (Noriet), a Chilean poet exiled to the island for polical reasons. During filming, Troisi was seriously ill and passed away from a heart attack before the film’s release. Understanding Troisi’s incredible level of commitment to the movie makes it all the more powerful.
You can view the movie on Youtube here.
Buona visione!
