Naples is a city that remains in your heart and over the centuries there has certainly been no shortage of artists who have wanted to celebrate its beauty through their works. From Stendhal, who wrote “I am leaving. I will not forget either the via Toledo or all the other districts of Naples; in my eyes it is, without any comparison, the most beautiful city in the universe “, to Pino Daniele, with the song Napul è, the Neapolitan city fascinates and enchants its visitors just like the song of the siren which, according to legend, founded.
Naples is an open-air museum made up of contradictions, nuances and details and, to savor it at its best, you need to get lost in its streets and live side by side with the locals. But there are so many places of interest in the city and just outside it, one more beautiful, fascinating and steeped in history than the other.
Spaccanapoli
Any self-respecting visit to the city should start from the street that divides the heart of Naples in half and joins the Quartieri Spagnoli to the Forcella district. Seen from the top of the San Martino belvedere, it is possible to fully understand the meaning of the term, but it is only by walking in the narrow gut that you can experience the soul of the city to the fullest.
San Gregorio Armeno
Historic street of the city, it is a succession of artisan shops dedicated to the creation of nativity scenes. In this place in the center of Naples it is Christmas all year round, but it is above all with the approach of the holidays that the coming and going of people becomes uninterrupted throughout the day. Chat with the master craftsmen, get advice and let us guide you on a beautiful journey through Neapolitan traditions.
Piazza del Plebiscito
and palazzo Reale
Today entirely pedestrian, Piazza del Plebiscito is the meeting point for Neapolitans and tourists. The beautiful Royal Palace overlooks it, built in the early 1600s and completed in the record time of just two years to welcome King Philip III on a visit to the city. Connected to the palace is the beautiful San Carlo Theater, commissioned by King Charles of Bourbon and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Also on the square, there is one of the four entrances to the majestic Galleria Umberto I, the fashionable center of the city.
Underground Naples
Under the main city there is a network of streets dug into the tuff which over the years has performed various functions: air-raid shelter, source of drinking water, landfill and hiding place for criminals. Today, part of these paths have been recovered and thanks to the guided tours of Underground Naples it is possible to enter a parallel world steeped in history.
Capodimonte Museum
Commissioned by Charles of Bourbon, the museum contains the treasures of the Farnese collection, inherited from his mother, together with other works by more recent artists. Arranged over three floors and surrounded by a magnificent park with a view of the city, it is absolutely worth a visit.
Metro of Art
Lines 1 and 6 of the Naples metro are real works of art created by world-renowned architects. The Toledo station, for example, is considered by many to be the most beautiful in Europe, but the University, Town Hall, Dante, Museum and the following are also worth a stop. You will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a unique “museum” of its kind in the world.
Napoli is San Gennaro
and much more
The Neapolitans have a visceral bond towards San Gennaro that goes far beyond devotion. The treasures of the saint are kept in the Cathedral and it is here that there is also the “Yellow Face” the gilded silver mask depicting the saint.
However, to fully understand the importance of this figure for the city, one would have to witness the miracle of San Gennaro: the liquefaction of his blood has always been considered auspicious and occurs three times a year (the first Sunday in May, 19 September and December 16).
Also worth a visit are the Certosa di San Marino, one of the highest places in the city from which it is possible to admire a breathtaking view, and the church with adjoining cloister of Santa Chiara, which was almost completely destroyed under bombing but rebuilt as faithfully as possible. to restore its medieval charm.
It is impossible to leave the city without a visit to the Sansevero Chapel, a place rich in esoteric and religious symbols which houses the Veiled Christ. Legend has it that the veil was a fabric transformed into marble thanks to a particular liquid invented by an illustrious alchemist, the Prince of San Severo.
Castel dell’Ovo and Maschio Angioino
These two fortifications outline the panorama of the city. The first, located on an ancient islet connected to the mainland, is surrounded by the Borgo dei Marinai. Once it housed the fishermen’s houses while today it is a succession of clubs and nautical clubs that lead the visitor to the Belvedere dei Cannoni from which it is possible to admire a magnificent view of the city.
The Maschio Angioino, now home to the civic museum, was an important center of culture that saw people of the caliber of Petrarch and Giotto pass by. It was the latter who frescoed the Palatine Chapel, leaving an indelible mark of his passage.
Just outside Naples
If the city is not enough for you, you just have to discover its surroundings. From the ascent to the volcano Vesuvius, which imposingly stands out over the city, to the Campi Flegrei, where the fumes of the earth rise to the surface, creating an almost “infernal” panorama, passing through the islands of the gulf, you are spoiled for choice. Ischia, Procida and Capri are one more beautiful than the other and are among the most popular destinations for tourists as well as the beautiful Amalfi Coast.
Then take a step back in time walking among the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum or let yourself be enchanted by the majesty of the Royal Palace of Caserta, one of the largest in the world.
