DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.57734#0040
This last view has much in its favor for those
who know that, up to the present time, the inter-
course between the harbor and the land above is
carried on almost entirely over steps.
The serpentine high-road leading from the sea to
Capri and thence to Anacapri is only about 20 years
old, but it is never used by the inhabitants in trans-
porting their burthens, for they prefer the direct
stairway — which was probably made at the time when
the Capriotes migrated to the higher part of the island.
The last portion of the ground, leading from the
Contrada Torre to the sea, is just that which is of
considerable steepness, so one must assume that such
stairway served to connect the harbor with the ancient
city and that it was continued up to the stairway
to Anacapri. All the loads which had to be taken
from the harbor to the upper city must, consequently,
as is the case to this day, have been carried over the
gigantic stairway and have either been borne on the
head or dragged over the steps. It is, therefore, self-
evident that the needs of the Anacapriotes must have
been extremely simple and dependent neither on ex-
port nor import. But how were the valuable and
heavy pieces of masonry, the columns from Ciplino,
the great blocks and statues of marble and bronze,
together with all the many articles required in the
imperial palaces, carried up to the heights? — One
can only assume that such heavy objects were drawn
up to the heights over specially-constructed inclined
planes on sledge-like contrivances, or rollers, namely
up to the present Capri, because from the level of
this new city, standing at an altitude of about 140
metres above the sea-level, there are everywhere
distinct traces of broad roads — in many places cut
into the rocks — which connected the palaces of the
eastern half of the island with each other. Again, a
narrower road, but one available for heavy traffic, led
up to the very considerable height on which the Villa
3i
who know that, up to the present time, the inter-
course between the harbor and the land above is
carried on almost entirely over steps.
The serpentine high-road leading from the sea to
Capri and thence to Anacapri is only about 20 years
old, but it is never used by the inhabitants in trans-
porting their burthens, for they prefer the direct
stairway — which was probably made at the time when
the Capriotes migrated to the higher part of the island.
The last portion of the ground, leading from the
Contrada Torre to the sea, is just that which is of
considerable steepness, so one must assume that such
stairway served to connect the harbor with the ancient
city and that it was continued up to the stairway
to Anacapri. All the loads which had to be taken
from the harbor to the upper city must, consequently,
as is the case to this day, have been carried over the
gigantic stairway and have either been borne on the
head or dragged over the steps. It is, therefore, self-
evident that the needs of the Anacapriotes must have
been extremely simple and dependent neither on ex-
port nor import. But how were the valuable and
heavy pieces of masonry, the columns from Ciplino,
the great blocks and statues of marble and bronze,
together with all the many articles required in the
imperial palaces, carried up to the heights? — One
can only assume that such heavy objects were drawn
up to the heights over specially-constructed inclined
planes on sledge-like contrivances, or rollers, namely
up to the present Capri, because from the level of
this new city, standing at an altitude of about 140
metres above the sea-level, there are everywhere
distinct traces of broad roads — in many places cut
into the rocks — which connected the palaces of the
eastern half of the island with each other. Again, a
narrower road, but one available for heavy traffic, led
up to the very considerable height on which the Villa
3i