The history of this convent is long and fascinating.
The monastery was founded in the 16th century by Friar Agostino da Miglionico, a 'poor monk' of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, also called 'Barbanti' for their flowing beards. Friar Agostino built a small cell in the bowels of the mountain that, with time, grew into a more comfortable monastery.
There are still important traces of the past that contribute to the enchantment of the place, such as the Chapel of San Giovan Giuesppe della Croce, the patron saint of Ischia of vibrant religious fervour, who passed the last twelve years of his life at Santa Lucia al Monte. He died in the monastery and is buried there: his cell, still impregnated with his memories, has been faithfully preserved and can be visited.
Evocative and important spaces from the ancient complex have been skilfully preserved, such as the oven where the bread was baked and the frescoed refectory that still seems to resound with the far-off echo of the prayers and readings that accompanied mealtimes. Here and there you will find fragments of frescoes, old majolica and decorations that testify to the place's artistic heritage.
All 44 rooms offer a spectacular view of Naples and the gulf. A careful renovation of the old monk's cells has preserved their enchantment, architectural structure and several period details.
The decor is characterized by measured elegance: delicate colours, lamps and classic furnishings. All the rooms have a bathtub or Jacuzzi spa and all the most modern conveniences.The top floor of the hotel brushes against the San Martino hill, an authentic piece of countryside in the middle of the city. A roof garden has been created here that is without equal: there is a 360 view of the city, the gulf, Vesuvius and Capri on one side, the hill and vineyard of San Martino on the other and the Carthusian monastery of the same name and the tuffaceous Castle of Sant'Elmo, above.