CAPRI, kii'prt. (Lot. (*uprise, from raper, goat). A beautiful rocky island in south Italy, at the southern entrance to the Bay of Naples, miles west of Cape Campanella—from which it is separated by the Buses Piceola—and 20 miles southwest of the city of Naples (Map: 1) 12). It is miles long, :3 miles wide, miles in circumference, square miles in area, and has over 6200 inhabitants. The est point is Mona Solaro. on the south coast, 1920 feet above the sea, commanding a tine V iONV of the bays of Gaeta. Naples, and Salerno, with the Apennines in the background. The onus flora is rich in variety, and there are many trees which have been made to flourish by the perseverance of the inhabitants. Capri has ways been celebrated for its delightful climate and air, and although the supply of ing-water is unsatisfactory. it is t isited yearly by over 30,000 strangers, who in spring and Will ter unpleasantly crowd the numerous hotels. It is a favorite summer resort for residents of Naples. Capri (population, in 1901, 1114), the capital of the island and an episcopal residence, is splendidly situated between two cliffs 460 feet high. From the Marina Grande, north of the town, where is found the only good landing place on the island. there is daily communica tion by steamboat with Naples and Sorrento. Anacapri (population, in 1901, 2110), which is SSO feet above the sea, on a. plateau in the western and more fertile part of the island, is reached by a winding road cut through the rock and COM plvted in 1S76. Previously it was necessary to climb a flight of several hundred steps, which have recently been restored. The town is com manded by the ruins of the Castle of Barharossa , named after tne pirate who destroyed it iu 1544. (In the shore north of Anaeapri. and miles
west of the Marina Grande, is the famous Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra). which is entered from the sea by a narrow opening not more than 3 feet high. The grotto is 175 feet long. 100 feet broad, and 41 feet high, with water 48 feet deep. It was forgotten (hiring the Middle Ages, and rediscovered in 1826. Near the :Marina Grande is the ancient Church of San Costanza the pa trol) saint of the island, whose festival is cele brated on May 14. The church marks the site of the ancient town, which pirates forced its citizens to abandon in the Fifteenth Century. In the northeast corner of the island are the precipitous rocks, 745 feet high, from which tradition says Tiberius hurled his victims into the sea, and the ruins of the twelve villas built by Tiberius in honor of the twelve gods, in the largest of which (Villa Jovis) he passed the last ten years of his life. Augustus had built palaces and aqueducts on the ancient Copreie, and these Tiberius improved. The English eaptured the iland in 18(16, during the Napoleonic wars, and built fortifications, some of which remain. In 1808 they lost it to the French under Lamarque; but recovering it in IS13, restored it to King Fer dinand IV. of Sicily. Local products comprise fine white and red wine, oil, oranges, lemons, and figs, fish, and quails, which, tiring in their mi gratory flight between Afriea and the north, are captured here in nets. The United States is rep resented by a consular agent. Consult: Gre gorovins, Die I asel Capri ( Leipzig, 1897) ; Al lers, Capri, illustrated (Alimieh, 1S94) heim, Bibliogratia dell' isola di Capri (Naples, 1899) ; Weichardt, /)as Schloss des Tiberius send milers Runicrbatacn auf Capri (Leipzig, 1900).