Forio: a place to be discovered

Forio is an Italian town of 18 029 inhabitants located on the beautiful island of Ischia. It can be considered the cultural center of the island. Forio has undergone several invasions by the Saracens over the centuries, of which it retains marked signs in the local architecture. From 1938 to 1945 it was aggregated to the municipality of Ischia, together with the other municipalities of the island, forming a single administrative entity of the island of Ischia. The Church of San Gaetano was built in 1655 at the behest of the sailors and fishermen, who, saved from the force of the sea, donated numerous votive offerings to the Saint. Further on we find the Basilica of Santa Maria di Loreto, next to which we find the ancient hospital and the Oratory of the Assumption. The Church of San Francesco d'Assisi was built in 1646, following a terrible plague that struck Forio. However, one of the most beautiful and representative churches of Forio is the Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, also known as Santa Maria della Nave. Built overlooking the sea in the mid-fourteenth century in the Greek-Byzantine style. Formerly an Augustinian convent, suppressed in 1653. The church, as we see it today, dates back to 1864. Built according to the canons of the ancient maritime municipalities, it has a very white facade with a staircase covered with 18th century majolica.