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Crazy and confusing, but also seductive and fascinating, Naples (Napoli), capital of the Campania region, has an energy that is palpable. Beautifully positioned on the Bay of Naples and overshadowed by Mt Vesuvius, it is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe.
Naples has its own secret society of criminals, the Camorra, which traditionally concentrated its activities on the import and sale of contraband cigarettes, but has now diversified into drugs, construction, finance and tourist developments.
Orientation
Both the Stazione Centrale (central train station) and the main bus terminal are just off the vast Piazza Garibaldi. Naples is divided into quartieri (districts). The main shopping thoroughfare into the historical centre, Spaccanapoli, is Corso Umberto I, which heads south-west from Piazza Garibaldi to Piazza Bovio. West on the bay are Santa Lucia and Mergellina, both fashionable and picturesque and a far cry from the chaotic, noisy historical centre. Southwest of Mergellina is Posillipo, where the ultra-wealthy live, and in the hills overlooking the bay is the residential Vomero district, a natural balcony across the city and bay to Vesuvius.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
Start by walking around Spaccanapoli, the historic centre of Naples. From the station and Corso Umberto I turn right into Via Mezzocannone, which will take you to Via Benedetto Croce, the main street of the quarter. To the left is Piazza del Gesii Nuovo, with the Neapolitan baroque Chiesa di Gesii Nuovo and the 14th-century Chiesa di Santa Chiara, restored to its original Gothic-Provencal style after it was severely damaged by bombing during WWII. The beautiful Chiostro delle Clarisse (Nuns' Cloisters) should not be missed.
The Duomo, on Via Duomo, has a 19th-century facade but was built by the Angevin kings at the end of the 13th century, on the site of an earlier basilica. Inside is the Cappella di San Gennaro, which contains the head of St Januarius (the city's patron saint) and two vials of his congealed blood. The saint is said to have saved the city from plague, volcanic eruptions and other disasters. Every year the faithful gather to pray for a miracle, namely that the blood will liquefy and save the city from further disaster.
Turn off Via Duomo into Via Tribunali, one of the more characteristic streets of the area, and head for Piazza Dante, through the 17th-century Port'Alba, one of the gates to the city. Via Roma, the most fashionable street in old Naples, heads to the left (becoming Via Toledo) and ends at Piazza Trento e Trieste and the Piazza del Plebiscite.
In the piazza is the Palazzo Reale, the former official residence of the Bourbon and Savoy kings, now a museum. It is open 9 am to 1.30 pm Tuesday to Sunday and also from 4 to 7.30 pm on weekends. Admission is 4 €. Just off the piazza is the Teatro San Carlo, one of the most famous opera houses in the world thanks to its perfect acoustics and beautiful interior.
The 13th-century Castel Nuovo overlooks Naples' ferry port. The early-Renaissance triumphal arch commemorates the entry of Alfonso I of Aragon into Naples in 1443. It is possible to visit the Museo Civico in the castle. South-west along the waterfront at Santa Lucia is the Castel dell'Ovo, originally a Norman castle, which is surrounded by a tiny fishing village, the Borgo Marinaro.
You will find the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Piazza Museo, north of Piazza Dante. The museum contains one of the most important collections of Graeco-Roman artefacts in the world, mainly the rich collection of the Farnese family, and the art treasures that were discovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum. It opens 9 am to 10 pm Tuesday to Saturday, and to 8 pm Sunday (6 €).
To escape the noisy city centre, catch the Funicolare Centrale (funicular), in Via Toledo, to the suburb of Vomero and visit the Certosa di San Martino, a 14th-century Carthusian monastery, rebuilt in the 17th century in Neapolitan-baroque style. It houses the Museo Nazionale di San Martino. The monastery's church is well worth a visit, as are its terraced gardens, which afford spectacular views of Naples and the bay. The monastery is open 9 am to 2 pm Tuesday to Sunday (4 €).
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