In the ancient world it was known as Pithecusae, Aenaria, Inanime, Iscla, today it is called Ischia. Situated on the extreme western part of the Gulf of Napoli, is amongst some of the most renown coastal areas for thermal centers, both in Italy and abroad. The island has a circumference of only 39 kms, an area of 47km sq. And a population of around 60.000 inhabitants spread throughout the six communities (Ischia, Casamicciola, Lacco Ameno, Forio, Serrara Fontana, Barano). The highest part of the island is at the top of Mt. Epomeo (788ft) which has been an extinct volcano since 1302. The island enjoys a mild climate, with temperatures around 18-20 ° by day and falls to 12-14 ° at night. Recently it very rarely drops lower than 15° Celsius.

Colonised by the ancient greeks which amed the island, PITHECUSAE which referred to the terracotta vase production; the island has always been sustained by fishing and agriculture since. It was the Romans who discovered the curative potential of the thermal springs, it became the most prestigious nuceas for thermal baths in the Roman Empire. Today there are 120 thermal bath establishments and of which GIARDINI POSEIDON, il NEGOMBO e il CASTIGLIONE are the biggest and most recognised, along with their hotels. Other than the famous baths, the island is also distinguished by its natural heritage the gorgeous beaches and beautiful bays (almost all of which contain natural springs). "Il coniglio all'ischitana" (rabbit) and the "zuppa di pesce" (Fish soup) are the island’s tradition platters along with the other Mediterranean dishes so appreciated abroad, the gastronomic flair contains the double spirit of the island, that of Marine and woodland.

Eduardo Cocciardo was born on the island of Ischia (off the coast of Naples) on 17.10.1975. In 1999 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Drama from the University of Siena, obtaining the maximum grade possible, equivalent to a First Class Honours. His dissertation was a critical analysis of the stage career and films of Massimo Troisi. Eduardo has been a lover of the theatre since he was a child; when he was thirteen he won a poetry competition reciting “’A livella di Totò”. Before moving to Tuscany to attend university he took part in the staging of various plays in dialect. From '95 to '98 he worked for the theatre company RIDI PAGLIACCIO based in Grosseto. During this period he also began intensive research on the “Commedia dell’Arte”.  In '99 he participated in a workshop on narrative theatre and dramatic literature under the tutorship of Laura Curino. In the same year he was the lead actor in “La Paura del Sonno” (“The Fear of Sleep”), a play adapted from selected novels by Pirandello and staged by the University of Siena Theatre Company. In September ’99 he took part in the Comedians' Oscars, a cabaret-style competition organised by “Studio Uno” of Rome, reaching the finals. From September 2000 to the present day he has been collaborating with the Siena Committee of the Dante Alighieri Society as a teacher of Italian language and culture to adult foreigners. He has organised with the students various theatre workshops and plays of differing lengths and on various topics. From March to April 2001 he took part in a workshop on the comic qualities of the tragic and the tragic qualities of the comic held by Lello Arena at the “Scuola Professione Cinema” in Rome. For the last five years he has been working mainly alone, on the idea of a kind of theatre-cabaret that reinvents the traditions of classical drama, disarming it of its high pretensions that distance it from the audience. In fact he is passionate about peripheral stories, those magical yet everyday stories of people who run breathlessly after their own ideals. On this subject he has written Io come io, Una settimana di ordinaria comicità, Quando credo alle cicogne and Canto di un viaggiAttore solitario, Un circo chiamato casa. He has written and produced a show on Totò called “Un altro Totò” a brave and experimental interaction between poetry, music and dance.  [ continue reading ]

Meteo

Weather Napoli - Free service by Weather Webcam