D'Avalos Palace (Ex Prison)

Kraak! At the top of Terra Murata, at the highest point of the island, stands one of the most history-laden and mysterious places in all of Procida: Castello D'Avalos, today known also as the former Bourbon prison.

Its story begins in 1563, when Cardinal Innico d'Avalos d'Aragona, Abbot of San Michele, had it built as a residence. In 1744 the Bourbons expanded it and transformed it into a Royal Palace. Then, as so often happens with great buildings, its purpose changed: in 1818 it became a military school, and between 1830 and 1831 it was turned into a penal colony of the Kingdom of Naples — a maximum security prison, one of the harshest in southern Italy. Criii! Within these walls, stories as heavy as stone were lived out, suspended between the sea and the sky of Procida.

The prison closed its doors in 1988. In 2013 the complex was transferred from the State to the Municipality of Procida, with the aim of restoring it and giving it new life through a Valorisation Programme. Its approximately 30,000 square metres of abandoned space — overlooking the historic centres of Terra Murata, Corricella and Marina Grande — are destined to become cultural and tourist facilities.

Squa-squa! Today, thanks to initial clearance and safety works, the castle is already open to visitors. And I can tell you — stepping inside is an experience you won't forget: a suspended atmosphere of deep silences, walls that speak, and sea views that take your breath away. It hasn't finished telling its story yet — and perhaps that's exactly why it's so worth seeing now, while it's still in the midst of its transformation. Have you booked your visit yet? Kraak!