Tiny prison island to become bigger tourist attraction with plans for new cable cars
AN island off the coast of Naples is getting a huge upgrade.
The former prison island of Santo Stefano is being transformed into a bar, hotel and open-air museum.
The latest plans are to link the island to its neighbour, Ventotene, with a two-kilometre cable car.
Ventotene, one of the Pontine Islands, is 25 miles off the coast of Italy and is home to around 700 residents.
The neighbouring island of Santo Stefano is a former prison location that was in use from the 1700s.
It was formerly used to house prisoners during the 1930s and 1940s, with inmates tortured and escapees drowned.
By the 1950s, it was transformed into a more regular prison with a movie theatre and football field built.
The prison closed in 1965.
In 2021, it was revealed that the island and prison were undergoing renovation work.
By 2026, Santo Stefano is set to become a tourist destination and a hub for academics.
The ambitious plans involve creating an open-air museum, accommodation and artist residencies.
They also hope to open a cocktail bar by 2025, built where the bakery used to be – with views of Mount Vesuvius.
With the island set to become hugely popular after the works are completed, the proposal is to link Santo Stefano and Ventotene via a cable car.
There will be a single span of cable, offering transport for up to 12 people at a time, operating year round.
The crossing will take under six minutes in total.
Currently, the island of Santo Stefano gets around a thousand visitors a year, and they have to travel to Ventotene by ferry before taking another boat over to the island.
With no official dock, visitors have to jump onto the rocks before climbing up 1,000 steps to the top of the island, which can take up to 40 minutes.
Visitors are required to sign a form, assuming personal responsibility for the risks, before they can buy a ticket.
While a new cable car, which will take visitors to the peak of the island, without the risk, seems like a good idea some locals aren’t keen.
Speaking to Italian publication, Il Messaggero, locals have made their feelings clear, with one branding the idea “a joke”.
They added that Ventotene needed to be look at first and said; “The basics are missing here.
“In winter the power fails, the ATM doesn’t work, the Wi-Fi is unstable and there are few beds available.”
Carmine Caputo, the mayor of Ventotene, said: “It’s a fantastical idea and with a major impact [on the landscape].
“Instead we should reactivate the five landing sites used by the Bourbons and, until the 1960s, by us as well.”
Others have said they would welcome the cable car if it would “help the economy.”
How To Visit Five Italian Cities In One Day
There's a very clever way to see five Italian cities in 24 hours...
A TRAVEL expert has revealed how holidaymakers can visit five holiday hotspots in Italy in just one day – for less than a meal out at Pizza Express.
Travelling 480 miles from Milan to Naples in one day is no easy task, especially with three stops en route.
But research from online travel booking company Omio has explained how Brit holidaymakers can visit Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples in for as little as £19.
That’s less than a large pizza at Pizza Express; a Pollo Italiano costs £19.95.
The travel expert recommends using inter-city bus routes to visit all five Italian cities in just one day.
The travel giant recommends starting in Milan in the north, with holidaymakers working their way south towards Naples.
This is their proposed bus route:
- Milan to Bologna with a journey time of 2 hours and 55 minutes, tickets start from £3
- Bologna to Florence, with a journey time of 1 hour and 20 minutes, tickets start from £6
- Florence to Rome, with a journey time of 3 hours and 15 minutes, tickets start from £6
- Rome to Naples, with a journey time of 2 hours and 50 minutes, tickets from £4.
Here’s another Italian island we found that’s cheaper than Capri.
And why you should consider taking a cruise around Italy rather than your traditional break.