An epic place, a mixed heritage of the Mediterranean and Europe, a city rich of culture like few others. Museums, churches, noble palaces, squares, wonderful views, poetry at every step.
Naples: you must visit this city at least once in a lifetime! Naples is one of the most famous cities in the world, a unique crossroads of cultures, landscapes and flavours. Fascinating and a bit chaotic, it shows its many faces to every curious tourist. The pizza – excellent almost everywhere but made famous by some pizzerias know all over the world – the “frittatine”, the “sfogliatelle” and the the “babà” punctuate every day spent in Naples. The many excellent restaurants of typical cuisine know how to bewitch the most demanding lovers of food and wine tourism.
What to visit in Naples
From Castel dell’Ovo to Palazzo Reale, from Piazza Plebiscito to the seafront of Mergellina, passing through its many museums, theatres and historic buildings: it is impossible to summarize in a few lines what is unmissable in Naples, but it is worth a try!
Spaccanapoli – It is one of the most important streets in the city. It is so called because it clearly divides the ancient city between the North and the South (it can be seen particularly well looking out from the belvedere in front of the Certosa di San Martino). A walk through Spaccanapoli offers a lot: famous churches (for example the Church of Gesù Nuovo), breathtaking noble palaces (e.g., Palazzo Carafa di Maddaloni), imposing sculptures (such as the Obelisk of San Domenico, in front of the church of the same name). In addition to the architectural beauties, however, Spaccanapoli remains in the memory for the atmosphere that is perceived by walking through it, modern and ancient, fun and profound at the same time.
San Severo Chapel and the Veiled Christ – The most famous stone veil in the world is here, in the San Severo Chapel: the Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino is an extremely evocative sculpture, whose hypnotic charm is accentuated by its location. The Sansevero Chapel is in fact a place full of mysteries: according to the legend, the perfection of the veil is due to the alchemy of the famous Raimondo di Sangro. The Veiled Christ has enchanted the most illustrious travellers since the eighteenth century (it is said that Antonio Canova himself tried to buy it) and is ready to inspire new wonder every day.
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) – This spectacular museum contains a very precious selection of finds from the excavations of Pompeii, and has a large section dedicated to Egyptian antiquities (in third place in the world after those of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Egyptian Museum of Turin) and Etruscan, can boast the custody of an important part of the Borgia collection and has a numismatic section that includes the Santangelo collection. The “Secret Cabinet” is very special, containing ancient frescoes and sculptures dedicated to the theme of eroticism. The Torture of Dirce, better known as the Farnese Bull, is the largest single sculpture ever recovered from antiquity.
Palazzo Reale and Piazza Plebiscito – The colonnade of the church of San Francesco di Paola and the Palazzo Reale are two jewels of the city. Walking around Piazza Plebiscito – one of the largest squares in Italy – and visiting the Royal Apartment, the Royal Chapel, the gardens and the Court Theater are a must for every tourist in Naples. We are here between via Toledo – the shopping street – and the seafront, made eternal by painters and poets of all historic periods.
Underground Naples and the Bourbon Gallery – The belly of Naples, dug into the tuff, preserves the story of an underground life that took place in the most difficult periods of the city: caves, tunnels and ravines served as a refuge during the bombings, as cisterns for water, as landfills and hiding places for criminals. The underground city can be visited: from Via dei Tribunali, you can access the classic route that crosses the Greco-Roman aqueduct, the air-raid shelters, the War Museum, the underground gardens and the “Arianna” Seismic Station. Also, underground is the Bourbon Gallery, created with the aim of joining the Royal Palace with Piazza Vittoria, to allow the defensive troops to quickly reach the Royal Palace and to allow the sovereigns an escape route to the sea if necessary. This is definitely worth a visit too!
Capodimonte Museum – Located inside the palace of the same name, this museum houses galleries of ancient art, one of contemporary art and a historic apartment. Among the paintings on display are the signatures of great names in Italian and international painting: Raffaello, Tiziano, The Parmigianino, Bruegel the Elder, El Greco, Caravaggio, Luca Giordano, Francesco Solimena. In the contemporary collection, a real gem is Vesuvius by Andy Warhol. The collection of weapons and armour enthrals tourists of all ages, alike with suggestions of a chivalrous novel. The park of the Capodimonte palace is also very special: once used by the sovereigns for hunting trips and for large parties, today it has become a public park, which can be visited for free.
Castel dell’Ovo – The oldest castle in the city of Naples is one of the elements that stand out most in the famous panorama of the Gulf. According to legend, it is so called because the poet Virgil would have hidden a magical egg in his dungeons, which still has the power to keep the entire fortress standing today. It can be visited, it often hosts splendid exhibitions, and it is not uncommon to come across a couple of newlyweds looking for the best angles for the wedding photo shoot!
The Cathedral and the treasure of San Gennaro, the subway station of Via Toledo, the Posillipo hill, the MARTE museum, the shepherds of San Gregorio Armeno, the Maschio Angioino, the San Carlo Theatre… the list of attractions of Naples is endless and staying a short distance from Naples is the best way to enjoy its carefree happiness!
