The Abandoned Gaiola Island: Mysterious yet Stunning Place with Majestic Scenery

BENGALURU: Isola Della Gaiola, also known as Gaiola Island is a small island in Naples, Italy. It is located in the Gulf of Naples and in the center of a 42-hectare marine protected region called Gaiola Underwater Park. Crystal clear water, winding lanes, gorgeous views, and a majestic villa provides it a majestic look. The island combines two isolated islets and they are only 30m away from the coastline that one can swim easily from the shore. One islet contains solitary villa and another one is uninhabited. A very narrow and natural looking bridge of few meters stretch connects these islets.

The island was originally known as Euplea, protector of safe navigation; later its name changed to Gaiola Island by taking from cavities that dot the coast of Posillipo. A small temple of goddess Venus is located at the site, there are also several ruins dating back to roman era, and several other structures are found under water. There is a belief that the poet Virgil taught here at the ruins.

In the early 19th century, a saint known as ‘The Wizard’ lived on the island. Later, the currently standing villa is considered to be constructed owned by ‘Siren Land’ author, Norman Douglas. The island is a perfect place to spend time after retirement, but as believed by the locals, the island is cursed. This belief rumored because of some frequent premature death of owners of the islands.

The chain of disasters started around the 1920s, when a Swiss man Hans Braun, owner of the place was murdered and his body was found wrapped in a rug. After some time his wife also was mysteriously drowned into the sea. A German man, Otto Grunback was the next owner of the island who died from heart attack during his stay at the villa. A similar kind of incident happened with Maurice-Yves Sandoz, a pharmaceutical industrialist, who committed suicide in mental asylum at Switzerland.

Baron Karl Paul Langheim, the German steel industrialist was the next owner who faced an economic downfall because of his wild living. Gianni Agnelli, head of Fiat bought the island after which his only son committed suicide, later he adopted his nephew Umberto Agnelli but he also died at the age of 33 from some rare cancer. The grandson of another owner Paul Getty was kidnapped after buying the place and the last owner Gianpasquale Grappone was jailed because of the failure of their insurance company.

Then on, the island is abandoned and uninhabited. Now, Campania Region authorities own the island, which built the Gaiola Underwater Park and delegated the area as marine protected.

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