It is second the District of the island by extension and it has an agricultural physiognomy of undeniable charm.
It has a hilly development which slopes towards the sea on the southern side, where the Maronti bay opens, a very important touristic centre. In addition to the county seat, the itinerary among the internal agglomerations offers excursions and trekking opportunities, including cellars, houses with barrel roofs and eloquent signs of the farmer culture. In Buonopane, the Nitrodi spring, already known in the first century BC for its miraculous properties, is an unmissable stop for the wellness holiday-makers, as well as the Buceto spring in Fiaiano, among woods and pine groves. Buonopane (the ancient Moropano), is the home of the most famous dance of Ischia folklore, the ‘Ndrezzata, a warm and rhythmical dance, full of symbolic meanings. Starting from the south, from Testaccio, you can embrace the splendid Maronti bay. The square now houses the monument to Saint George, patron saint of the place, with the commemorative plaque that remembers the work of General Giorgio Corafà of Greek origins who, in 1763, at his own expense, asked to build the road that leads to the coast. Not far away, towards the hill, there is the church of Madonna delle Grazie founded in 1748 by the priest Aniello Nobilione. After having crossed the church, you can see the ancient Tower of the Siniscalchi family and the parish church of Saint George, which we know about from the 16th century. The cult of Saint George has been documented since the 14th century: he is venerated as the minor patron saint of the island. Thanks fo the parish archive, precious historical information has been handed down regarding the invasion of the island by the Turkish corsair of Greek origins Khair ad-Dîn, also called Barbarossa in 1536 and, especially in 1544; as well as the number of prisoners he took away to be sold as slaves in Algeria.
Walking along the Pianole, the plain still cultivated with apples and fruit trees, we walk towards the Vatoliere, with its deep volcanic valley, the mythical “hole”, shortly after the church of Sant’Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori: from here you can proceed for a trek to Chiummano, overlooking the sea, and travere the mule track leading to the pebbly beach of the Scarrupata. Continuing on, there is the hamlet of Piedimonte, anciently called Piejo, with the church of Santa Maria la Porta, once dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. Continuing uphill, towards the district of Fiaiano from where, in 1301, the volcanic lava flowed and created the area of the Arso d’Ischia. There is a beautiful pine grove, and then leads us to the wooded oasis of the Creatio with the spring of Buceto, a must destination for the walkers, thanks to an equipped path. The road for the Cretaio, opening to the view of the Gulf of Naples, winds through the chestnuts groves up to the suggestive rural church of the Crucifix, built by the Menga family in 1731. Visiting the centre of Barano, the county seat, you can see the parish church of San Sebastiano Martire, perhaps built at the end of the 16th century, and the church of San Rocco, recently restored. On the opposite side of the municipal territory, we must mention the Sanctuary of the Schiappone, dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, an ancient hermitage founded in the 17th century by the Siniscalchi family. The church, at the beginning of the 19th century, was decorated with stuccoes by Domenico Savino, while the altar and the marble balustrade are from the 18th century. From here, another essential stop, there is the promontory of San Pancrazio with the small chapel dedicated to the saint which has given its name to the place: it overlooks an extraordinary natural setting of steep coast and Mediterranean scrub.
