Among the pictures of my album there are photos about my first visit to Mount Epomeo.

My hair into a bob, four years or so, smiling astride a donkey to reach the summit. It is a must for discovering Ischia, known always as an island of land.

Epomeo is a seemingly unattainable place, where the lush vegetation lets pass to the green tuff, creating a place of meditation and energy only.

 

From here you are on cloud a nine, immense at sunset, with colors of orange and its nuances to paint the skyline. With the finger you can touch all the points, outlining the perimeter of the island.

Glance at Capri and the Sorrento peninsula, Pozzuoli, the Domitian coast. Here also Ponza and Ventotene. You can follow the 'boot' (so-called Italy) out of sight until the Circeo. Last month, after the rains, even the Apennines were visible.

Reaching Epomeo with pack animals is a tradition that has been repeated from generation to generation for years. Grandparents often speak about it remembering funny anecdotes. Suffice it to say that while in Lacco Ameno Angelo Rizzoli was already talking about tourism, the population of Serrara was still rural. They walked on foot and often the main means of transport were donkeys and horses. There was only one coach that ran twice a day.

During the summer, when farmers didn't work the land, the men took to the streets with the animals and guided the tourists on Mount Epomeo. Then there was the donkey man that tasked of ensuring order and establishing priorities. It was a sought-after role, that often it was cause of quarrel. The visits were so frequent that people took turns at doing it. From dusk until dawn people could get on and off up to eleven times.

I try to imagine, to identify myself, but nowadays, this tradition has waned. That's why I was excited about the initiative of Epomeo ride that I discovered by accident by looking in a brochure.

With Simona, a friend of Bologna, and Noelle we decide to put jeans and comfortable shoes.

We choose as meeting point the square of the gift shop Miscillo at 19.00. Appropriate timetable for enjoying the sunset and avoiding saunas. And there, we choose our four-legged traveling companions. My instinct drew me to Conchita, Noelle chooses Gianna, Simona Jessy. As guide, the friends of Epomeo in the saddle. Special Cicero: Agostino Iacono. He with Giuseppe Zabatta and Eugenio Iacono found this association. To help them, the young Cristian, Emmanuel, Giuseppe, and even some girls, like Yolanda, Ilaria, Silvia and Teresa.

Along the way, while Conchita insistently tries to eat grass, we cross the forest of chestnut trees that serves as umbrella with bushy hair. We also note the silver poplar, the oaks. Not far away, there is the first viewpoint and a few brooms, which colors the green area in June of a deep yellow. These places make me immediately think of the tasty "Menesta Maretata" of Mrs. Mercede, who you will find at the Epomeo bar in Serrara. She keeps the wise peasant culture. The secret of this goodness is contained in a mixture of wild herbs with unknown names such as u 'Papagno', 'cinagular', a canteen, tunz 'and paparastiell'.

Our stop is just before the summit where there is the oldest church of the island dedicated to St. Nicola di Bari dug into the tuff. Beside there is the chapel renovated and enlarged in 1754 by Giuseppe D'Argouth, at that time captain of the Aragonese Castle, which survived the attack of enemy soldiers by voting and retreating with his comrades in arms here, where he died on August 17, 1778. It is all closed and demolished, but we listened carefully to what our guides tell us.

We then proceed toward the highest point, waiting for the sun dips and disappears on the horizon, while we take pictures and chat. Agostino sits astride on the rocks honeycomb, shaped by time. It is evident that this place belongs to him, that this green, the smell of fresh air, the sounds of the forest fill the eye and heart. He wants to revive this place, to engage young people, to restore the traditions.

We begin the descent at 21.00 p.m. Despite the hour, the thought of waiting for the dawn flashed through my mind, sleeping at least one night on Mount Epomeo, just like several years ago. Noelle and I were amused, thinking it will certainly be one of the things to do when Simona comes back next summer.

For info and reservations

Via Epomeo 22 Serrara Fontana of Ischia.

081999566. mob. 328.46.12.073 - 333.25.21.882

On request, a shuttle will pick you up from the center of Forio and escorted to Miscillo souvenirs.