On a small patch of land near the port of Procida, a small picturesque island just an hour by ferry from Naples, a man has called on a group of children to help him build a large paper boat.
The paper has been treated to be water resistant – so good that the man, German artist Frank Bolter, then plans to sail the sea with it. After all the necessary (giant) folds are made, the heavy but surprisingly substantial-looking construction is thrown onto the beach.
After a few moments of making sure he’s definitely detailed, Frank is helped in and, towed by a friendly sailboat, begins his first trip to the Med.
It’s one of the wonderfully eccentric pieces of performance art that marks the inauguration of Procida, a previously under-the-radar destination, as Italy’s Capital of Culture.
Although it was among the locations used for Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1999 film The Talented Mr Ripley, Procida is usually overlooked in favor of its glitzier Gulf of Naples sisters, Capri and Ischia.
This year, however, this charming and vibrant island is grabbing some of the limelight.
From the moment I arrive, greeted by an abundance of buildings in shades of Neapolitan foam ice cream, I fall in love. I take one of the island’s compact electric buses (to be used for free until the end of the year) to my hotel in Chiaiolella, right by the water.
The driver navigates incredibly narrow streets, often overtaken by intrepid nonnes and nonni (grandmothers and grandfathers) who effortlessly navigate the sometimes steep streets on e-bikes, dodging delivery vans that pounce from the alleys as the aroma of honeysuckle permeates the air.
The island is mainly visited by well-known Italians from the mainland, but this year’s program of cultural projects – from music to art and cinema, featuring 240 international artists – aims to attract a wider range of visitors.
It’s the first time the title has gone to an island and the laid-back locals are extremely proud. I chat with Vincenzo, a handsome, rugged-faced 78-year-old who owns Ristorante Graziella in the ridiculously beautiful fishing village of Corricella, where every building is the color of a candied almond.
As I tuck into a dish of the local specialty, spaghetti with lemon sauce, he tells me: ‘Ischia is the big island and Capri is rich, but we’re the authentic island, so it’s good that we’re being noticed.’
His friend Giulia, who volunteers during the initiative, adds: ‘Procida is a really open and friendly place – there’s a great sense of community.’
I notice this from wandering around, as people greet each other in passing or stop for a quick chat outside supermarkets (there are only 10,000 people and the island covers less than two square miles).
I then head up a winding slope, past lemon and olive groves, to Terra Murata, the walled area at the top of the island where the population first settled in the 15th century.
They landed here to get away from pirates, including Barbarossa and his gang, later fictionalized as Barbossa in Pirates Of The Caribbean.
Dominating the skyline is the Palazzo d’Avalos, built as a fortification and inhabited by a number of aristocratic families until it was converted into a prison in 1830. It is now used for events and exhibitions and offers wonderful views of Naples and Vesuvius, and the black beaches volcanic coastline.
I end my day with a dip in the sea, squinting for any sign of Frank, though I later hear that his boat trip was uneventful.
That night, the sunset is gorgeous, evolving from pink to deep orange and purple; only Procida being colorful to finish.
Rooms at Grand Hotel Oriente, Naples, from £158. Rooms at Hotel Crescenzo from £104.
Download the Procida Island app for bus and ferry schedules and more. See procida2022.com and visitprocida.com for more information.
Flights to Naples from £75 return, via Wizz Air. Ferries from Naples to Procida from £14 one way, via Caremar.
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