The Phoenician Steps (Scala Fenicia in Italian) from Capri is an ancient, long, steep stone stairway that connects the port of Marina Grande with the town of Anacapri. Despite its name, it was built by Greek settlers around the 7th or 6th centuries BC.
It is currently formed of 921 steps, for a length of 1.7 km. As it is very steep in places and the steps being high, it is not easy to get down. By taking your time, it takes almost an hour to climb.
This path was a long time, until the opening of a road in 1877, the only way to access Anacapri, leaving near the port of Marina Grande (400 meters far from the port, near San Costanza). Not only to mount goods, it was necessary for the inhabitants of Anacapri to get water from Marina Grande, where is the only source of the island, the source of Truglio.
A major restoration took place in 1998.
The staircase arrives near the Villa San Michele in Anacapri, an attractive site of the island.
Halfway one passes a chapel dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Anacapri. Roman remains have been found here.
During the ascent, one can see engravings of crosses in the rock. They date from the seventeenth century, when the bishops of Capri had engraved its to protect the place, invoking divine protection against the falling rocks.
The end of the staircase is marked by the chapel of St. Michael (San Michele) and the door of the Differenza, delimiting the border between Capri and Anacapri.
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