The State Nature Reserve of Vivara Island is one of the landmarks of the Gulf of Naples. With its distinctive half-moon shape, it has a perimeter of about 3 kilometres and its highest point (110 metres above sea level) is right in the middle. Connected by a bridge to the island of Procida, it is completely uninhabited and is an oasis for a variety of bird species, which live here in peace and quiet.
Excavations on the island started in 1975 and were conducted first by University of Rome La Sapienza and later by University Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples. These works confirmed the existence of an economic and cultural activity dating back to the Bronze Age, with evidence imported from the Aegean. Moreover, in the 18th century, King of Naples Charles III turned wild Vivara into a hunting reserve, enriching it with roe deer, rabbits and pheasants.