Gaiola is one of the small islands of Naples, Italy. The island is located in the Bay of Naples in the heart of the Gaiola Underwater Park. The island has an area of regarding 42 hectares and is a protected area. The island is easy to reach, just 30 meters off the coast of Posilipo. Gayola consists of two small rods. On one of these a single isolated villa can be seen, while on the other island no signs of habitation can be seen. There is a narrow bridge between these two.
The name of the island derives from the small caves located on the shores of Posilipo. It was called ‘Caviola’, which means ‘small caves’ in Latin, and later became Lopich Gaiola. Before that, the place was known following the god Yupli, who is considered to be the god of safe travel. The island also had a temple dedicated to Venus, the goddess of beauty. There are many other remains of the Roman era. Beneath the islands are many submerged Roman structures, all of which are now home to marine life.
In the early 19th century, a hermit known as the “Wizard” lived on the island. Later, the island was owned by writer Norman Douglas for a while. Many people don’t have a good opinion regarding this beautiful looking island. Many look at it with horror. There is a belief that whoever owns the island will die prematurely. That is why Gayola is also called the cursed island.
The series of misfortunes began in the 1920s when the then owner, a Swiss man named Hans Braun, was found murdered and wrapped in a carpet. Soon his wife drowned in the sea. The next owner of the villa was German Otto Grünbach, who died of a heart attack on the island. The next owner, pharmaceutical tycoon Maurice-Yves Sandoz, committed suicide in a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland.
Baron Karl Paul Langheim, a German steel tycoon, later bought the island. Soon following acquiring the island, the baron lost all his property and went bankrupt. The island was later owned by Gianni Agnelli, head of Fiat. After the sudden death of his son, Gianni put his nephew Umberto Agnelli in charge of Fiat, but Umberto also died of a rare form of cancer at the age of 33. After another owner, billionaire Paul Getty, bought the island, his grandson was kidnapped. The last owner of the island, Gianpasquale Grappone, was imprisoned when the insurance company failed. Today, the villa is uninhabited and abandoned.
English Summary: Gaiola Island in Italy