Giuseppe D'Ascia, author of the monumental and encyclopedic history of the island of Ischia (1867), was born in Forio on February 23, 1822. At the age of losts both parents within walking distance of each other. He studied in Naples for about six years and in 1845 married Maria Capuano, who died prematurely, leaving him a widower and father of two children. The pain does not end for him in 1860, after surviving an ambush by tesagli by personal enemies, he must face the loss of their son. The following year he married Teresa Calise, from whom he had four children. He is three times Mayor of Forio (1861 - 1863, 1868 - 1869, 1870 - 1872) and council from 1861 to 1878.In the earthquake of 1883 lost the house and its extensive library, which preserves manuscripts and rare documents. He died in Forio on June 7, 1889.
His name is linked primarily to the reconstruction of the history of the island. Even with the limits of a work written by a councilor eager to make a "tribute of affection to the country, which, forgotten by her, was somewhere illustrated by foreign pen', the text of D'Ascia remains a 'work for those who want basic approach to the reconstruction of the island's past. The volume is divided into four parts - physical history, civil, administrative and economic statistics, history monograph of the six municipalities of the island and the Castle of Ischia - and is the result of an intense face, as stated in the Preface, to "unearth everything about the island of Ischia, both from historical works, both published by signs, memories edition; either from the archives, from the chronicles and traditions, which remained obscure, obliate in shelves of some municipal secretary, or between the webs of ancient memory book of some families of this island”.
