# Ernest Renan in Casamicciola **At a glance:** The French philosopher and historian Ernest Renan stayed in Casamicciola Terme three times, in 1875, 1877 and 1879, to take courses of thermal treatment. During his long spring stay in 1877 he worked on the philosophical drama Caliban; in 1879 he lodged with his family at the Villa Zavota hotel, at the Sentinella. ## Useful information - **Type:** Famous people - **Period:** 1875, 1877, 1879 - **Stays:** 1875, 1877 (spring), 1879 (August–September) - **Reason:** Thermal treatment - **Where he stayed in 1879:** Villa Zavota hotel (Belle Vue), Sentinella - **Work linked to Casamicciola:** Caliban, a philosophical drama (1877 stay) - **Travelling with:** His wife Cornélie Scheffer and his children Noémi and Ary ## Who was Ernest Renan? Ernest Renan (Tréguier 1823 – Paris 1892) was one of the most debated intellectuals of 19th-century Europe: a philologist, historian of religions and philosopher, he became famous with his _Life of Jesus_ (1863). In the 1870s he chose Casamicciola, then an internationally renowned spa resort, as a place to rest and work. ## Three stays in Casamicciola ### 1875: the first cure Renan first came to Ischia in 1875 with his wife, Cornélie Scheffer, and stayed in Casamicciola to take the thermal baths. ### 1877: the Caliban spring Two years later he returned for a new course of treatment, this time with his children Noémi and Ary as well. It was a long stay, in spring, during which Renan worked on the philosophical drama _Caliban_, a political reworking of the characters of Shakespeare's _The Tempest_. ### 1879: the Villa Zavota hotel In August and September 1879 the Renan family was back in Casamicciola, staying at the **Villa Zavota** hotel, the “Belle Vue” on the [Sentinella](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/la-sentinella/) hill where [Giuseppe Garibaldi](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/giuseppe-garibaldi/) had stayed in 1864. On that occasion his son Ary, a painter, made several drawings of the island. ## Casamicciola, a magnet for European intellectuals Renan's stays belong to the golden age of Casamicciola's spa tradition, when the hotels, villas and baths of [Piazza Bagni](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/areas/piazza-bagni-spa-quarter/) welcomed guests from all over Europe. Before him had come [Alphonse de Lamartine](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/alphonse-de-lamartine/) and, in 1867, [Henrik Ibsen](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/henrik-ibsen/). For the background, read [Casamicciola, a European spa resort](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/casamicciola-european-spa-resort/). ## What to see today The Villa Zavota building, now known as Villa Parodi Delfino, stands in the Sentinella area, in the upper part of town. It is a private residence: you can see it from the outside on a walk that also takes in the area of the [Geophysical Observatory](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/grande-sentinella-geophysical-observatory/) and the sanctuary of the Immacolata. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many times did Renan come to Casamicciola? Three times: in 1875, 1877 and 1879. On all three occasions he took courses of thermal treatment. ### What did Renan write in Casamicciola? During his long spring stay in 1877 he worked on the philosophical drama Caliban. The work reinterprets the characters of Shakespeare's The Tempest. ### Where did Renan stay? In 1879 the Renan family stayed at the Villa Zavota hotel, at the Sentinella, the same building where Garibaldi had stayed in 1864. Today it is a private residence known as Villa Parodi Delfino. ## Also worth seeing - [Henrik Ibsen in Casamicciola](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/henrik-ibsen/) - [Alphonse de Lamartine in Casamicciola](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/alphonse-de-lamartine/) - [Casamicciola, a European Spa Resort](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/casamicciola-european-spa-resort/) - [La Sentinella](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/la-sentinella/) - [Giuseppe Garibaldi in Casamicciola](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/giuseppe-garibaldi/) - [Piazza Bagni and the Spa Quarter](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/areas/piazza-bagni-spa-quarter/) - [Grande Sentinella Geophysical Observatory](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/history/grande-sentinella-geophysical-observatory/) ## Sources and further reading - [Ernest Renan – Discover Campania, personaggi storici](https://discovercampania.it/en/historical-characters/248-ernest-renan) - [Casamicciola Terme – Discover Campania](https://discovercampania.it/en/the-territory-ischia/ischia-island/comuni/196-casamicciola-terme) - [INGVterremoti – Casamicciola, 28 luglio 1883](https://ingvterremoti.com/2018/07/27/i-terremoti-nella-storia-28-luglio-1883-la-catastrofe-di-casamicciola-sullisola-dischia/)