Terra Murata is the historic core of the island of Procida and takes its name from the surrounding 16th-century walls. The fortress, 90 metres above the sea, was a safe haven where islanders gathered in times of danger and political uncertainty.
When walls did not yet exist to protect the village, houses alone, leaning against each other and almost without openings to the outside, acted as a defensive barrier. However, inside the village the architecture changes and among the narrow alleys you will discover small balconies, terraces, staircases and arches, amidst the pastel shades of Procidan houses. D’Avalos Palace, built in the 16th century and later converted into a prison, dominates the entire area of Terra Murata. A library of no less than 8,000 texts is housed on the lower floors of the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo.