The Sculptures of the Grotta Azzurra at Capri

Abstract

The Grotta Azzurra is a well-known sea cave located on the north west side of the island. Between 27 and 37 Capri became Tiberius’s permanent residence and it was the capital of the Roman World. The Grotta Azzurra is famous for the bright blue tones and the mysterious silver appearance of the objects immersed in the water. This effect is caused by the sunlight, which passes through an underwater cavity that shines through the seawater and illuminates the cavern. But for a long time the magical attraction was forgotten. It was not until 1826 that two German scholars discovered the cave which then became one of Capri’s most popular sites. In 1964 two statues were found on the sea bottom and ten years later archaeologists recovered even more statues and fragments. The statues are now depicted as a marine thiasos, one Neptune and three Tritones. But is an identification that clear?