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There is a small island off the picturesque coast of Naples. At first glance it is an idyllic gem including a luxurious villa. However, the residents of Naples avoid La Gaiola. The rocky island is deserted. No wonder: there would be a curse on the island.
The history of the island dates back to the Roman Empire. The island was then called Euplea. A temple was built in honor of the goddess Venus, but it fell into ruins over the years. According to legend, the famous Roman poet Virgil (70-19 BC) was a fan of the island and taught his students there.
Things remained quiet around La Gaiola for a long time, until a hermit known only as the “warlock” settled there in the 19th century. Not much is known about him; all we know is that he lived on donations from local fishermen. Overnight he mysteriously disappeared. Many locals believe he placed a curse on the island before his disappearance.
Dead wrapped in carpet
Only then did a terrifying series of deaths and accidents occur. The first accident happened in 1911: a captain wanted to buy the island, but died during a sightseeing tour. He drove his ship into the huge rocks, fell into the water and drowned. Neither ship nor captain were ever found.
Shortly afterwards, the Swiss Hans Braun lived on the island in the 1920s. One day his body was found rolled up in a carpet. The precise circumstances are unclear. His wife drowned in the sea a short time later. Then Otto Grumbach, a perfume merchant from Germany, bought the island. He didn’t live long either. He died of a heart attack.
Another legend says that the two men committed suicide after German Elena von Parish died in an accident. In 1926, the German took over the cable car that then existed between the mainland and the island when a cable broke due to a storm. Elena van Parochie fell into the sea. Her body was never found.
Suddenly he became the center of the mafia
But there were not only dead people on the island. Maurice Sandoz (1892–1958), a Swiss writer, became mentally ill during his stay on the island, left La Gaiola again and took his own life.
The island was then briefly owned by Gianni Agnelli (1921-2003), former director of Fiat. But since he was hardly on the island and relatives died there, he sold it to the billionaire American oil magnate Jean-Paul Getty (1892–1976). And a little later he found himself at the center of the mafia. They kidnapped the billionaire’s grandson and demanded a ransom worth millions. Getty initially refused to pay. Only when the hostage takers cut off the 17-year-old’s ear did the oil magnate pay.
Double murder directly opposite
In the 1970s, Gianpasquale Grappone, a Neapolitan entrepreneur, bought the island. His company went bankrupt. He ended up in prison and his wife died in a car accident on the day the island was to be auctioned again.
The island has since been abandoned. Apparently no one dared to go to La Gaiola anymore. Today it is owned by the Campania region. The island is a popular destination for tourists. Snorkeling tours are especially popular. In 2009 the island made the news again. At the time, a millionaire and his wife were attacked and murdered in the villa directly opposite La Gaiola. The Italian media saw a connection with the alleged curse of the island.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
