Until the
end of the last century, it consisted of coral-fishermen's houses overlooking
two tiny gravel beaches near an ancient dock of Roman origin; the area has
developed since the 1930's, as tourism increased due to its excellent position.
Lo Scoglio delle Sirene (Mermaids' Rock)
Tied by tradition to the myth, it actually represents the dock of one of the island's Roman landings; this is shown by the remains of walls and pudding-stone structures still visible despite the radical changes in the area as a result of the tourist facilities built in recent years.
La Canzone del Mare
Originally a small English fort protecting entry into Marina Piccola, it became a summer residence by the physician von Behring, and later lived in by the Marquis Adolfo Patrizi. In the 1930's, the famous English singer Grace Fields chose it as her residence. After the war, she transformed it into the "Canzone del Mare"("Song of the Sea") bathing establishment, an internationally known gathering place of the 1950's and 60's.
The Saracen Tower
Restored recently, it was part of a system of watchtowers built at the end of the middle ages and probably meant to defend the shipyards located in the nearby Arsenal Cave. It overlooks a small landing, today used as a bathing establishment and restaurant.
Cave of the Ferns
More than 150 meters above sea level on the south-east slope of Mount Solaro, it provides a small, barely visible shelter protected by a layer of rock that at some point detached itself from the mountain. It sits to the left of the much larger Cave of the Arch.
The cave was definitely inhabited during the Neolithic and bronze ages, as shown by the hearths and the remains of painted pottery, as well as the millstones and human remains found over time by researchers.
A scholar from Capri, Ignazio Cerio, gathered and arranged a significant collection of manufactured objects that he collection between 1882 and the early 1900's. These and other items found in later years are currently kept at the "Centro Caprense I. Cerio" in a building of the same name.