Semmarezio - Procida

A small piazza hanging there between sky and sea, facing the horizon. Crossing point between Corricella, Marina Grande and Terra Murata this place was the set of one of the most tragic episodes in the history of the island: the hanging of 16 citizens guilty of treason, because they supported the revolutionary branch of the “Repubblica Partenopea”. After that event, the name of the small piazza is “Piazza dei Martiri” (lit. “Martyr Square”) that replaced the former name of “Spassiggio”, which meant “strolling zone”. This name is still in use between some locals.
“Santa Maria delle Grazie’s” church, a baroque church, along with “De Iorio’s Palace” take over the scene in the small piazza. The palace was built at the half of 18th Century over a former gothic building. Another interesting trait of the area are the four “casale” that surround it: Casale, Casalieddo, Schianata and Vascieddo.
These are the first urban centers created outside the small town of Terra Murata. Their architecture is similar: a group of pastel painted small houses, gathered around a yard or a blind alley.
Going down from Terra Murata, all these four areas combined create a sort of maze: The “Casale della Spianata” with its long yard is the first one we run into, followed by “Casale Vascieddo” reachable from the first Casale through a covered path typical of the Arabic architecture heritage, then we have “Casalieddo”, a structure that recalls a building with defensive purpose and “Santa Maria delle Grazie’s Casale”, the biggest one. in size.
Last but not least, this unconventional walk finds its natural end in the “Vigna”, an area once meant to vine growing, where, besides the infamous “guagliuni” house described in the novel “Arturo’s Island” by Elsa Morante, you can run into a suggestive path right over the sea that is a shortcut to fastly reach Marina Grande.