Museum Graziella House

On the second floor of the Palazzo della Cultura (Formerly - Conservatorio delle Orfane ) of Terra Murata, from June 19th, 2011 it is possible to visit the reconstructed historical facility of the house of Graziella. In September of 1811 the French poet and writer Alphonse De Lamartine arrived in Italy when he was merely 21 years old and was the main character in Grand Tour. According to the tale of Graziella, Lamartine resided in Procida from April 1st, 1812 until the end of May of 1813 and, during this 14 month stay, the writer fell in love with a young local orphan named Graziella, who, at that time, was living with her grandmother, grandfather Andrea and her brothers, among who we remember only Beppo.

In 1849 Lamartine decided to write this beautiful novel. This romantic love story was born on this island, where between the atmospheric surroundings and the smell of the sea, Graziella, a young girl with dark eyes and long braids, makes the main character fall madly in love with her head over heals, due to her naive simplicity and raw beauty. This young woman was the daughter of a local fisherman, where Lamartine stayed on this lovely island. He immediately abandoned his traveling French wardrobe in order to become a part of the simple life and culture of the Island. This tender love that was born during the long days passed together, while working on the coral reefs and reading love letters in the small fisherman’s house, until it was interrupted by his unexpected departure to France. Alphonse left his lover Graziella with a promise that he would return to her as soon as possible. While waiting for his return this young woman fell ill with tubercolosis and, before dying, sent him a letter enclosing a strand of her beautiful hair. Alphonse kept the letter along with the strand for his entire life in order to commemorate this unique love that he would never be able to feel with any other woman.

Two tundred years after this event the cultural Association “La casa di Graziella”, with the collaboration of the Comune di Procida, have reconstructed this site. Obviously, this house is by far richer than a fisherman’s house (of which there was nothing left). The entire wardrobe is dated back between 1800 and 1900; however, nothing actually belonged to Graziella. The purpose of the museum is to save and continue to promote the history and culture of Procida through the eyes of Graziella that lived and died for love.