Naples Guide

8/9/2019 Naples Guide

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The earliest Greek settlementswere established in the Naplesarea in the 2nd millennium be-fore Christ.In the 9th century B.C., Greksailors established a small com-mercial port on the island of Megaride.

In the 6th century B.C. a newurban zone, called Neápolis(Νεά πολις , or new city) wasfounded on the plain below Mt Vesuvius.

It eventually became one of the foremost cities of the so-called Magna Graecia (GreaterGreece).

In 326 Naples was declared aRoman colony. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Naples be-came the capital of a Duchy thatmanaged to stave off the invad-ing Longobards. In 1137 theDuchy fell into the hands of the

Normans. After the death of Frederick II of Svevia, Carlod'Angiò made his triumphal en-trance to Naples in 1266. In 1442,after a long war that brought the

city to its knees, power thenpassed into the hands of Alfonsod'Aragona.

Important civil engineeringsuch as the opening of viaToledo and the construction of the Spanish Quarters - formerlymilitary barracks) were under-taken and completed during thefollowing two and half centuriesup to the arrival of the Bourbons(1734), who ruled the Kingdomof Naples until 1860, when Italywas nally united.

THE HISTORICAL CEN-TER: FROM SPACCANAPOLI

TO PIAZZA MERCATO

The heart of Naples is theGreco-Roman historical center,a chessboard divided by threemain roads, the decumans, in-tersected at right angles by roadscalled "cardinals".

It is here that the pulse of the

City is best felt: the alleys, the ar-tisan workshops, the innumer-able artistic marvels thatsurprise you in the least ex-pected places, the voices of the

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Naples As difficult as beautiful

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"Napolitani". It is also the cul-tural center of the City, with theUniversity on via Mezzocan-none, the literary cafes of BelliniSquare, the bookshops of Port'Aiba, and the Italian Insti-tute for Historical Studies on via

Benedetto Croce.The piazza di the Gesù Nuovois the entrance gate to the oldcenter. The steeple of the lmma-colata (1747) and theChiesa delGesù Nuovo(#1 on the map) in-troduce baroque religiousness tothe city.

The vault has frescoes byBelisario Corenzio and Paolo deMatteis, while the back of the fa-cade has an “Expulsion of He-liodorus from the Temple”painted in 1725 by the baroquemaster Francesco Solimena.

Around the altar are threebronze bas-reliefs on a blackmarble base: on the left, TheSupper at Emmaus, on the right,The Promise of the Eucharist atCapernaum, and in the middle aLast Supper.

The chapel of the Visitationhas an altar-piece by MassimoStanzione.

At the end of the right aisle,there is the Sacred Heart chapel,with an altar-piece displayingthe Virgin with Child Jesus and3 Saint attributed to GiovanniBernardino Azzolino (1560–1610).

In the Chapel of St Ignatius of Loyola is a picture of the HolyTrinity with Groups of Saints, byGuercino.

In the Chapel of the Crucix is

Castel dell’Ovo

by amalficoasting.org


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1 Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo2 Chiesa di Santa Chiara3 Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore4 Palazzo Corigliano5 Chiesa di Sant'Angelo a Nilo & Statua delNilo6 Cappella del Monte di Pietà7 Cappella Sansevero8 Chiesa di San Gregorio Armeno9 Chiesa di San Paolo Maggiore10 Chiesa di San Lorenzo Maggiore

11 Chiesa di Santa Maria del Purgatorio adArco12 Chiesa di San Pietro a Majella13 Chiesa dei Girolamini14 Duomo15 Museo Civico Filangieri16 MADRE, Museo d’Arte ContemporaneaDonnaregina17 Complesso di Pio Monte della Misericor-dia18 Castel Capuano19 Chiesa di San Giovanni a Carbonara20 Piazza Mercato21 Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine22 Port of Naples23 Castel Nuovo24 Palazzo San Giacomo25 Galleria Umberto I26 Chiesa Santa Brigida27 Teatro San Carlo28 Chiesa di San Fernando29 Piazza del Plebiscito30 Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola31 Palazzo Reale32 Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III33 Spanish Quarters34 Chiesa di Sant'Anna dei Lombardi35 Chiesa Santa Maria la Nova36 Foro Carolino37 Museo Archeologico Nazionale38 Chiesa di Santa Maria della Sanità- Cata-combe di San Gaudioso39 Palazzo dello Spagnolo

40 Palazzo Reale e Museo di Capodimonte41 Castel dell’Ovo42 Borgo Marinari43 via Caracciolo44 Villa Comunale45 Villa Pignatelli46 Chiesa di Santa Maria di Piedigrotta47 Palazzo Donn'Anna48 Villa Floridiana49 Castel Sant'Elmo

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duced the new Church of SanDomenico Maggiore. The workwas done between 1283 and 1324,but the church has undergonemodications over the cen-turies.

The monastery annexed tothe church was the original seatof the University of Naples. It ishere that Thomas Aquinas, aformer member of the Domini-can community there, returnedto teach theology in 1272.

The sacristy houses a series of sepulchres of members of theroyal Aragonese family, includ-

ing that of King Ferdinand I.In piazza San Domenico youcan also admire the lovelyfaçades of the 18th centuryPalazzo Corigliano(#4).

The palace, originally called"Palazzo Sangro Vietri", was de-signed in the 16th century by ar-chitect Giovanni Francesco

Mormando Cosentine, but littleor nothing remains of that orig-inal building prior to the 1688earthquake that damaged it,along with other buildings inNaples. The interior is in the Ro-

coco style. On the second oor,in the reading room of the Li-brary of Asian Studies, you canadmire the frescoed ceiling andwalls.

Today the palazzo is the seatof the University of Naples pres-tigious Istituto Orientale, orOriental Institute.

In piazzetta Nilo stands the

Hellenistic statue of Nilo , redis-covered in the middle ages, towhich the Neapolitans havegiven the affectionate name of "Body of Naples". Here the littleChiesa di Sant'Angelo a Nilo(#5) stands.

Built in 1385 and altered in the18th century, it contains the

San Domenico Maggiore

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a wooden statue of Christ cru-cied, with the Blessed Virginand St. John, sculpted byFrancesco Mollica, a pupil of Michelangelo Naccherino.

The two imposing side Reli-

quaries, with 70 busts of saintmartyrs in golden wood, weremade in the most part in 1617by the Neapolitan woodcarverGiovan Battista Gallone.

Not far away is the austereBasilica di Santa Chiara(#2),built in 1310 by Roberto d'Angiòin a Provencal gothic style andtransformed with baroque dec-

orations in the mid 1700's. After being damaged by thebombings of 1943, the Basilicawas restored back to its origi-nal, more sober, form. Hereyou will nd the sepulchralmonuments of the royal Anjoufamily (14th century), work of sculptors of the Tuscan school.

A stroll in the cloisters of theBasilica is not to be missed. HereNaples suddenly becomes silentand perfumed by narcissus andwisteria. Yellow, green and blueare the dominating colors of thetiles that dress the magnicentoctagonal columns and the seatson which Donato and GiuseppeMassa painted pastoral and

mythological scenes.In via Benedetto Croce the14th century Palazzo di Filo-marino della Rocca was the

home of philosopher BenedettoCroce.

Piazza San Domenico is one of the Aragons' most notable urbanlegacies, a peaceful co-existenceof contrasting architecturalstyles. First you can appreciatethe 13th centuryChiesa di SanDomenico Maggiore(#3).

The official church of the Aragonese dynasty, it wasfounded by the friars of the Do-minican Order who incorpo-rated a smaller, original church

built on this site in the 10th cen-tury.Charles II, King of Naples,

began the rebuilding that pro-

Cloister maiolicato of Santa Chiara


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the Life of the St Gregory the Ar-menian.

The Idria Chapel housespaintings of the Life of Mary byPaolo De Matteis,. Over thechapel's high altar is a medievalicon, in Byzantine style, of theMadonna dell'Idria.

The cloister, built in 1580, hasa marble fountain in the center,with statues of "Christ and theSamaritana" by Matteo Bot-tiglieri.

In the two months beforeChristmas San Gregorio Ar-meno lls up with stands thatsell little gurines and decora-tions for nativity scenes. Apart

from the traditional baby Jesus,Mother Mary and father Josephgures the craftsmen competewith one another to make g-

urines depicting political andgossip columns’ personalities.

At the end of this street youare in the heart of the Greco-Roman city, the part of townthat was the agora and forum.Its center is piazza San Gaetano,with the Chiesa di San PaoloMaggiore(#9).

The Baroque style church islocated on the site of the 1st-century temple and was builtupon its ruins.

The church includes twoCorinthian columns from theancient edice. They stand infront, linked by a fragile beamprojecting from the facade.

The church erected here inthe 8th-9th century was dedi-cated to St. Paul to celebrate avictory in 574 of the Duchy of

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beautiful Renaissance tomb of Cardinal Rinaldo Brancaccio,made in Pisa from 1426 to 1428by Donatello, Michelozzo andPagno di Lapo, and sent toNaples by sea.

Strolling along via San Biagiodei Librai (also known as Spac-canapoli) you can browse in thelittle shops full of antiques, reli-gious objects and jewelry. Atnumber 114 you come across amasterpiece from the late Man-nerism period of the 17th cen-tury - the Cappella del Monte diPietà (#6), part of the monu-

mental Palazzo Carafa and dec-orated with frescoes by BelisarioCorenzio with the help of LuigiRodriguez and Batistello Carac-ciolo.

Almost hidden in a tiny alleythat intersects with vico SanDomenico you nd the smallbut extraordinaryCappella diSansevero(#7).

A visit to this spectacular

baroque complex is a must asthe statue of the Veiled Christ,by Giuseppe Sanmartino, is atrue masterpiece.

Just nearby you will notice thebell tower and theChiesa di SanGregorio Armeno(#8).

In the 8th century, the icono-clast decrees in Greece caused anumber of religious orders toee the Byzantine empire andseek refuge elsewhere. San Gre-gorio Armeno in Naples wasbuilt in the 10th century overthe remains of a Roman templededicated to Ceres, by a group of

nuns escaping from the Byzan-tine Empire with the relics of St.Gregory, bishop of Armenia.

The construction of the pres-ent day church was begun in1574 and nished ve years later.The façade has three arcadessurmounted by four pilasterstrips in Tuscan order. The inte-rior has a single nave with veside arcades: the decoration,with the exception of the vechapels, was nished by LucaGiordano (also author of theSaints over the windows of thedome) in 1679. The interiorhouses also the famous HolyStaircase, used by the nuns dur-ing their penitences.

The cupola was painted with aGlory of San Gregorio by LucaGiordano. The cassettoni ceil-ing, or framed canvases, depict

San Paolo Maggiore

Sansevero Chapel, Veiled Christ


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knows the exact dimensions of the "dark" Naples, but speleol-ogists have counted up to 700cavities for a total area of 1 mil-lion metric cubes.

A two-hour time travel tripbegins in piazza San Gaetano,in the heart of the historicalcenter. The Greek-roman the-ater has a picturesque low en-trance in Cinquesanti alley.From the cloister of the SanLorenzo Maggiore church it is just a few paces to step back-wards 2,600 years among thestones of the Greek walls.

In the Spanish Quarters thedescent is to 40 mts below theground along stairs that lead tothe ancient cisterns and aque-ducts (which were used as shel-ters from the bombing duringthe World War II).

In via Tribunali, to the left, thelittleChiesa di Santa Maria delPurgatorio ad Arco(#11) is char-acterized by a bizarre baroquedecoration: the skull and bonesin front of the church symbolizethe devotion of the Neapolitansto the "pained souls", known as"pezzentelle", a slang for "with-out relatives". The church, com-missioned by several aristocraticfamilies in Naples, was built in1616.

The portal and the tondoabove the relief of the “Madonnawith the Souls of Purgatory”

were made in the early 18th cen-tury by sculptor Giuseppe deMarino.

The interior has a nave withside chapels. The sanctuary andthe apse were decorated byDionisio Lazzari in 1669. Behindthe 18th-century altar, precededby a marble balustrade, there isan altarpiece of the “Madonna of the Souls in Purgatory” paintedby Massimo Stanzione between1638 and 1642. The canvas,clearly inspired by Caravaggio,has a marble frame decoratedwith winged skulls.

Just a little ways on is theChiesa di San Pietro a Majella(#12), home to one of the most

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Naples against the Saracens.In the early 1580s, general re-

construction of the churchbegan with the erection of thetransept and the polygonal apse.This was followed by the navebuilt by Gian Battista Cavagni.The aisles, designed by GiovanGiacomo di Conforto date from1625 onwards. As the buildingwas proceeding, it was deco-rated, notably by MassimoStanzione who painted the naveceiling with a series of canvasesdepicting events in the life of StPaul.

The decoration continued inthe 18th century with, amongothers, Domenico Antonio Vac-caro and Francesco Solimena,who re-used marble elementsfrom the ancient edice for thenew pavement and the pilastersof the nave.

The nave has remains of Stanzione's frescoes depictingHistories of Sts. Paul and Peter.Other frescoes by FrancescoSolimena can be seen in the sac-risty.

Notable for their marble dec-orations, are the Chapels of Fir-rao di Sant'Agata and theMadonna della Purità, both dat-ing from the 17th centuries. Themain altar was sculpted in 1775-1776 to a design by FerdinandoFuga.

The cloister was built in the

late 16th century, and occupiesthe area of the former pagantemple using columns takenfrom the former Palaeo-Christ-ian church.

At the precise geographic cen-ter of the ancient Greek-Romancity, stands theChiesa di SanLorenzo Maggiore(#10). Rightbeneath the church was an an-cient Roman market, which hasbeen excavated and is now theonly large-scale Greek-Romansite visible in the downtownarea.

The cupola of the Cacace

Chapel was frescoed by NiccolòDe Simone, who nished the jobof the prior artist, MassimoStanzione. It depicts the “Trinityand Glory of the Virgin”, thoughthe fresco is severely damagedand hardly visible nowadays.The altarpiece, painted by Mas-simo Stanzione, depicts the“Our Lady of the Rosary”, a sub- ject that became popular afterthe Council of Trent of 1563.Stanzione’s style is reminiscentof Caravaggio, though withbrighter use of color.

In the cloister of the church iswhere writer Giovanni Boccac-cio met his darling Fiammetta in1336.

A trip in the underground of Naples is an exciting experiencethat would reveal the historyand legends of the city. No one

San Lorenzo Maggiore


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the transept feature paintings byMattia Preti depicting Episodesfrom the life of St. Peter Celes-tine and Saint Catherine of Alexandria (1657-1659).

The rst chapel on left hasmajolica tiles with designs typi-cal of Aragon.

The transept, second to theleft of the apse chapel, has a ma- jolica tiled oor and Giottesquefrescoes depicting ‘’Stories of Mary Magdalene’’.

On the fourth chapel on rightthere is a painting of theMadonna appearing to St Peter

Celestine, by MassimoStanzione.The nearby piazza Bellini is

very lively, especially in theevenings, and full of cafes. In theopposite direction, towards theend of via Tribunali, theChiesadei Girolamini(#13) rises andhouses the gallery of the samename with paintings from the16th -18th centuries.

The rst cloister, known as"chiostro maiolicato" for its em-bedded maiolica, is on the site of an earlier building, the PalazzoSeripando, which was bought in1586.

Such palazzo was demolishedand construction started on thenew structure in 1592 on plansby the Florentine architect Gio-vanni Antonio Dosio.

The much larger second clois-

ter, dating from the 17th cen-tury, is reached from the rst; init are found the entrances toboth the "Quadreria" or art col-lection, previously housed in thesacristy of the Church, and themagnicent library of the Ora-torian Fathers, the BibliotecaGirolamini, now run by the Ital-ian state

The church, completed in1619, is also the work of Dosio aswell as that of Nencioni and is inthe style of the Florentine Ren-aissance: a Latin cross with threenaves supported by arcuated

colonnades and with lateralchapels.The Church and the convent

gallery contain works by LucaGiordano, José de Ribera, GuidoReni, Francesco Solimena, Sas-soferrato, Andrea Sabbatini,Francanzano, Beinaschi, andother artists.

The counterfacade has a Gior-dano painting of Jesus ejectingthe moneylenders from theTemple. The st chapel on theright has an altarpiece depictingSs. Giorgio e Pantaleone by Gae-tano Pandol of Bologna. Thepaintings in the third chapel areby Luca Giordano. The fourthchapel on the right has a paint-ing of St Agnese, by CristoforoRoncalli , known as il Pomaran-cio. The fth chapel has a StFrancis of Assisi by Guido Reni.

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important conservatories of music.

The church is considered oneof the most signicant examplesof Angevin architecture inNaples and was built at thewishes of Giovanni Pippino daBarletta, one of the knights of King Charles II of Anjou.

It was built in the early 14thcentury and was named for anddedicated to Pietro Angeleri daMorone, a hermit monk fromMaiella, who became Pope Ce-lestine V in 1294. He was thefounder of the Celestine monas-tic order, which occupied thechurch until 1799, when monas-teries were suppressed by theNeapolitan Republic.

San Pietro a Majella under-went a Baroque make-over by

the Spanish in the 17th century,although a 20th-century restora-tion partially restored its originalGothic appearance.

The interior has three naves,separated by pillars supportingGothic arches, with nine lateralchapels, plus four on each side of the chancel, and transept. The14th century tomb of Pepino diBarletta, architect of the church,is placed on the counter-façade.

The main 17th century altar,with large vases and candlesticksin silver, is preceded by abalustrade covered in poly-chrome marbles. A 15th-centurywooden crucix stands on it,while behind there are 17th cen-tury frescoes and 16th centurysculptures.

The ceiling of the nave and

Chiesa dei Girolimini


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1881-82, during an urban re-newal of Naples, the buildingwas dismantled and moved backsome 20 meters to widen thestreet. The museum was inau-gurated in 1888 by Gaetano Fi-langieri, princie of Satriano. Thecollection is composed of a dif-ferent art objects – armaments,porcelain, books and furniture. Among the artists are Jusepe deRibera, Bernardino Luini,Francesco Solimena and Lucadella Robbia

Going up past the Duomo, tothe right, on a cross street, is theDonna Regina Palace. This iswhere MADRE Museo d'ArteContemporanea Donnaregina,the Contemporary Art Museum(#16) has its seat. The buildingwas designed by Portoguese ar-chitect Alvaro Siza. It hostsworks that were once shown inpiazza del Plebiscito and the Ar-chaeological Museum, as well asworks conceived, projected,painted or built expressly for this

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From the right transept youcan enter the Sacristy where youwill nd a series of painting in-cluding a St. Francis in Ecstasy(1622) and Jesus meets St. Johnthe Baptist (1622) by Guido Reni,and a St. Nicholas of Bari savesthree children from a vat, SanCarlo Borromeo kisses the handof St Phillip Neri, St. CharlesBorromeo and St. Philip Neri byLuca Giordano.

Via Tribunali intersects withvia Duomo, which in turn takesits name from theDuomo, orCathedral of Naples (#14), a

gothic structure completed byRobert of Anjou in 1313.The façade has been reno-

vated, as the original one col-lapsed in the 1349 earthquake.Inside, the structure has threenaves and is richly decorated.You can clearly see the 18th cen-tury baroque interventions onthe central nave. Along the leftnave is the entranceway to thepaleo-Christian basilica of SantaRestituita.

Founded in the 4th century bythe Emperor Constantine, todayit reveals a Baroque interior cre-ated after the 1688 earthquake.The ample fragments of mosaicpavement seem to belong to yetanother paleo-Christian basilica,Stefania (6th century). UnderSanta Restituita you can seeGreek-Roman archaeological re-

mains.On the left of the apse is the

entrance to the Battistero di SanGiovanni in fonte, built betweenthe 4th and 5th century, andtherefore the oldest building of its kind in the Christian world.On the square structure rests amosaic-covered dome.

Other than the frescoes of medieval chapels, we recom-mend a visit to the 17th centuryChapel of the Treasure of SanGennaro.

For its embellishments theking summoned the most fa-

mous painters of the period(Fanzago, Domenichino, Ribera,Lanfranco). The magnicentchapel is highlighted by the pre-cious decorations and large sil-ver reliquery busts. It is here thatfor the two weeks of celebrationof the miracle of the liquefactionof San Gennaro's blood the reli-quary is on exhibit.

At number 288 of via Duomois the Museo Civico Filangieri(#15).

The museum is housed in thePalazzo Cuomo, whichl wasbuilt in a Renaissance style, withan ashlar stone facade, between1464 to 1490 by merchant An-gelo Como (or Cuomo). The ar-chitect was the FlorentineGiuliano da Maiano. It was soldin 1587 and was incorporatedinto an adjacent monastery. In

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museum: important works of such artists as Long, Bianchi,Clemente, Horn, Kapoor,Kounellis, Paolini, Sol Lewitt,Serra, and others.

Cross via Duomo and, on theright, on via dei Tribunali is theComplesso del Pio Monte dellaMisericordia(#17), founded in1601. It is on of the city's oldestcharitable organization.

It was founded in August 1601by seven young nobles. In 1602they established an institutionand commissioned a smallchurch, built by Gian Giacomo

di Conforto, near the staircaseleading to the Cathedral.The church was consecrated

in September 1606. In the sec-ond half of the 17th century theedice was enlarged with theannexation of neighboringstructures, , forming a complexwith a palace and a renewedchurch.

The main altar of the churchhouses Seven Works of Mercy,painted by Caravaggio in 1606and 1607. There are also paint-ings by Luca Giordano, CarloSellitto, Fabrizio Santafede, Bat-tistello Caracciolo and others.

At the end of via dei Tribunaliyou are in front ofCastel Ca-puano (#18), the oldest of Naples’ four castles. Built in theNorman era, it became thePalace of Justice and is today the

seat of the Civil Court. One of the gates of Naples is also here,Porta Capuana. Erected in 1484it was the most important east-ern entrance to the city.

Here, and near Porta Nolana,by the train station in GaribaldiSquare, there are two of themost picturesque of the city'smarkets, specializing in sh,fruit and vegetables.

Not far away is the Chiesa diSan Giovanni a Carbonara(#19).

The complex of San Giovanniwas founded by the Augustini-

ans in 1343. The church wascompleted in the early 15th cen-tury under King Ladislaus of Durazzo, who turned the churchinto a Pantheon-like tribute tothe last of the Angevin rulers of Naples.

The façade, with its sceno-graphic stairwell entrance wasbuilt in 1707 or 1708 by Ferdi-nando Sanfelice. It maintainsthe Gothic portal with a lunettefrescoed by the LombardLeonardo da Besozzo.

The interior is on the LatinCross plan, with a rectangularnave. The main altar decoratedwith polychrome marble datesfrom 1746.

The Caracciolo del Sole, nearthe apse, is a Renaissance stylechapel with frescoes by Per-inetto and Leonardo da Besozzo.

The Seripando Chapel, orCapella del Crocisso, houses aCrucixion by Giorgio Vasari.

The last stop ispiazza Mer-cato (#20), one of the crucialcorners of Neapolitan history:here Konradin, the last Hohen-staufen heir to the throne of thekingdom of Naples, was be-headed in 1268 at the hands of Charles I of Anjou, thus begin-ning the Angevin reign of thekingdom. In 1647 Neapolitanpopular hero Masaniello alsogathered his people here duringthe anti-Spanish revolt he led. In

1799, the piazza was the scene of the mass execution of leaders of the Neapolitan Republic.

The square is dominated byone of the most popular andvenerated churches of all of Naples, theBasilica di SantaMaria del Carmine(#21).

The church was founded inthe 13th century by Carmelitefriars driven from the Holy Landin the Crusades, presumably ar-riving in the Bay of Naplesaboard Amaltan ships. Somesources, however, place the orig-inal refugees from MountCarmel as early as the eighthcentury.

The church is home to tworenowned religious relics: therst one, a painting of the so-called "Brown Madonna", orMadonna Bruna, is said to have

been brought by the originalCarmelites; the second is a g-ure of the Crucixion in whichthe crown of thorns is missing. According to legend, the crownfell off as Christ's head movedwhen the building was struck bya cannonball in 1439 during the Aragonese siege.

The elaborate Baroque deco-ration in the interior includestucco, carved wood, and poly-chrome marble.

Beside a funeral monument toConradin of Swabia, the churchhas altarpieces by Mattia Preti,

Giovanni Sarnelli and FrancescoSolimena.The Chapel of the Virgin del

Carmelo, has a 12th century iconof the Virgin and child.

In July, a reworks competi-tion is held that concludes withthe burning of the highest belltower of the City (75 meters).

Finally, on via Nuova Marina,you will nd thePort of Naples(#22). It was begun by Charles IIwith the Angioino Pier, and en-larged in the course of the cen-turies until the early 1900's,when it reached its present daydimensions.

FROM CASTEL NUOVO TOFORIA AND THE SANITÀ

The area along via Toledo, in-cludes some of the most impor-

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son, sculpted in 1570 by Gio-vanni da Nola. Near the en-trance are two sculptures byFrancesco Cassano. In additionthe tomb of Ferdinando Maiorcaand his wife Porzia Coniglia inthe apse was completed byMichelangelo Naccherino.

The Galleria Umberto I(#25)was built between 1887 and 1890and was a cornerstone in thedecades-long rebuilding of Naples called the risanamento.It was designed by EmanueleRocco, who employed modernarchitectural elements reminis-

cent of the Galleria VittorioEmanuele II in Milan.It was named for Umberto I,

who was King of Italy at the timeof construction. It was meant tocombine businesses, shops, cafesand social life — public space —with private space in the apart-ments on the third oor.

The Galleria is a high and spa-cious cross-shaped affair sur-mounted by a glass dome bracedby 16 metal ribs. Of the fourglass-vaulted wings, one frontson via Toledo (via Roma), stillthe main downtown thorough-fare, and another opens onto theSan Carlo Theater. It has re-turned to being an active centerof Neapolitan civic life afteryears of decay.

A few doors down from one of the entrances to the Galleria isthe Chiesa di Santa Brigida(#26).

The origins date to 1609 butthe church was expanded during1637-1640. Because of its loca-tion near the Castel Nuovo, theSpanish authorities demandedthat the church only have a lowdome, which would not blockthe view from gunners in theCastle.

Castel Nuovo

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tant monuments of the City: theMaschio Angioino, the RoyalPalace, piazza del Plebiscito, theSan Carlo Theater, the UmbertoI Gallery, the National Archaeo-logical Museum.

Castel Nuovo (#23) wasnamed so as to distinguish itfrom the older royal residences -Castel dell'Ovo and Castel Ca-puano. Also known as Maschio Angioino, it is an impressivefortress begun in 1279 by CharlesI of Anjou. It has a trapezoidbase and is surrounded by amoat where the foundations of

the ve cylindrical towers stand.The Triumph Arch marks theentrance to the castle and is itsmain ornament. It was erectedto commemorate the triumphalentrance to the city by Alfonsoof Aragon in 1443. Its sculptedreliefs represent the nest exam-ples of Renaissance sculpture inthe south.

The Civic Museum here wasinaugurated in 1992 (open Mon.– Sat. from 9:00 a.m. to 7.00p.m.; Sundays 9:00 a.m. to 2:00p.m.; closed on January 1st andDecember 25th). The Museumincludes the "Hall of theBarons"; the "Sala Maggiore", theisetting for royal audiences inthe 14th century, completedwith frescoes by Giotto, andcharacterized by the 30-foothigh vaulted dome; the "Picture

Gallery", with mostly religiousworks from the 15th to 18th cen-turies on the rst oor, andworks from the 18th to 20thcenturies, including a collectionof 19th century Neapolitanpaintings, on the second one;the "Palatine Chapel", which re-veals the remains of a cycle of frescoes by Giotto and hisschool; the "Chapel of the Soulsin Purgatory", whose interiorshas Baroque decorations; the"Chapel of St. Francesco diPaola", decorated in the Baroquestyle.

Castel Nuovo dominates thecenter of piazza Municipio. Atthe high end of the square is thePalazzo San Giacomo(#24).

This palace was built by KingFerdinand I of Bourbon adjacentto the fortress of the CastelNuovo as a central block of of-ces for the ministries of hisgovernment. It is now the mu-nicipio or City Hall of Naples.

The complex incorporates the16th century Church of San Gi-acomo degli Spagnoli.

The original church was com-missioned in 1540 by the Span-ish viceroy Don Pedro Álvarez deToledo and dedicated to StJames, the patron saint of Spain.

The interior still retains anumber of monumental tombs,including for the viceroy DonPedro de Toledo, his wife and


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Antonio Vaccaro and GiuseppeSanmartino. The main altar-piece is a canvas depicting SanFerdinando by Federico Mal-darelli.

The church is home to a greattradition: every Good Friday theStabat Mater of Pergolesi is per-formed.

Crossing the piazza Trieste eTrento the famouspiazza delPlebiscito (#29) opens up, thelargest of the city, spectacularbackdrop of cultural events andconcerts. The piazza is denedby theChiesa di San Francesco

di Paola(#30), with its neoclas-sical colonnade and an interiorinspired by the Pantheon of Rome.

The façade is fronted by a por-tico resting on six columns andtwo Ionic pillars. Inside, thechurch is circular with two sidechapels. The dome is 53 metreshigh.

The interior has a number of statues.

In the chapels on the right,there are a series of altarpieces,including a San Nicola da To-lentino and a St Francis of Paolareceiving a stem of charity froman Angel, by Nicola Carta, and aFinal Communion of San Ferdi-nando di Castiglia by PietroBenvenuti.

In the apse is a painting of StFrancis of Paola resuscitating a

dead man by Vincenzo Camuc-cini. In the sacristy is an Immac-ulate Conception by GaspareLandi and a Circumcision of Jesus by Antonio Campi.

At the center of the square thetwo great statues of Charles of Bourbon (work of AntonioCanova) and Ferdinand I onhorseback face the Royal Palace.

Located in Piazza del Plebisc-ito (which was once known asLargo di Palazzo) and built in theyear 1600, thePalazzo Reale(#31), or Royal Palace, waspassed to the Bourbons and to

the Savoys, and nally to theState of Italy in 1946.Spanish Viceroy Fernando

Ruiz de Castro hired the archi-tect Domenico Fontana (1543-1607) to build the palace in lateRenaissance style. The originalstructure was expanded a cen-tury later when the "New Wing"was ordered by Carlos of Bour-bon. The newer part of thepalazzo is an L-shaped structurelooking towards the CastelNuovo. After a re in 1837, Fer-dinand Bourbon II arranged fora large renovation project leadby architect Gaetano Genovesewhich enlarged the older build-ing and unied the space stylis-tically. Standing at the fountain,you can admire the long Man-nerist façade and the archwayswhich were partially closed in

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The interior, in Latin cross,displays Baroque-style pictorialcycles: Glory of Santa Brigida, StNicola, The Last Judgment andThe Passion, by Luca Giordano.The painter himself is buried inthe church. Some of the Gior-dano paintings were completedby his pupil, Giuseppe Simonelli.Other painters active in thechurch include MassimoStanzione and Paolo De Matteis.

The dome has an articialvanishing point painted by Gior-dano, which makes it look moreslender.

The Teatro San Carlo(#27),inaugurated on November 4,1737, and named after its patronCharles of Bourbon, is the oldestopera house in the world.

It was commissioned by theBourbon King Charles VII of Naples, who wanted to endowNaples with a new and largertheater that would replace thesmaller Teatro San Bartolomeo,which had served the city well,becoming an important operacenter.

Designed by Giovanni Anto-nio Medrano, a military archi-tect, and Angelo Carasale, theformer director of the San Bar-tolomeo, the San Carlo was in-augurated on 4 November 1737.

Much admired for its architec-ture, its gold decorations, andthe sumptuous blue upholstery

(blue and gold being the officialcolors of the Bourbons), the SanCarlo was then the biggest operahouse in the world.

The building, partially de-stroyed by re in 1816, was re-stored by Antonio Niccolini, thedesigner of its façade. In theearly 1800's the theater livedthrough one of its most gloriousseasons ever thanks to the im-presario Domenico Barbaja whocommissioned works by musi-cians such as Gioachino Rossiniand Gaetano Donizetti.

Coming out of the theater you

are on piazza Trieste e Trento(once piazza San Ferdinanda)where the historical cafe Gam-brinus still stands, once the pre-ferred meeting place for poetsand intellectuals.

The baroqueChiesa di SanFerdinando (#28), which givesonto the same square, was orig-inally dedicated by the Jesuits toSt Francis Xavier and built in1636. In 1767, with the expulsionof the Jesuits from the Kingdomof Naples, the church wasgranted to the Padri Costantini-ani who dedicated the church toSt Ferdinand in honor of theNeapolitan King.

The counterfacade has afresco with the story of St Fran-cis Xavier and other Jesuits byPaolo De Matteis. The churchcontains statues by Domenico


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Palazzo degli Studi (which nowhouses the Museo Archeo-logico).

In 1910 the Officina dei papiriercolanensi, the workshopfounded by Charles of Bourbonto conserve the papyri found inexcavations at Herculaneum –was added to the library. Afterlong debate and on the sugges-tion and efforts of philosopherBenedetto Croce, in 1922 the li-brary was moved to its presentlocation at Palazzo Reale,granted to the library by King Victor Emmanuel III (whose

name it still bears).From piazza del Plebiscito thevital via Toledo begins, the mainaxis of the urban expansion thattook place in 1536 by order of the Viceroy Pedro de Toledo. ManyNeapolitans simply call itToledo, for others it is via Roma(because it was so called from1870 to the 1980's). Via Toledo isone of the main streets of thecity, characterized by ancientchurches and palaces such as theCarafa di Maddaloni (1582) andthe Doria D'Angri (1755), by Luigi Vanvitelli. Here Garibaldi pro-claimed the annexation of King-dom of the Two Sicilies to theKingdom of Italy. Off to one sideof via Toledo, at the foot of theSan Martino Hill, the spider webof alleys and tight streets of theQuartieri Spagnoli, orSpanish

Quarters, unfolds (#33).Once in piazza Carità, a little

detour must be made to visittwo jewels of Renaissance art:the Church of Monteoliveto andthe Church of Santa Maria LaNova. Built in the 1400's, theChiesa di Sant'Anna dei Lom-bardi (#34), also known as theChurch of Monteoliveto, pre-serves its simple interior and therigorous formality of the originalstructure.

The original church was builtin 1411. Further work was donerst in 1581 by Domenico

Fontana and then in the 17thcentury,when the church andthe convent were reconstructedin a Baroque style by GaetanoSacco.

At one time it was one of thelargest monasteries in Italy, oc-cupying what today can bemeasured only in "city blocks".

The Del Pezza and Ligorio al-tars are masterpieces of Renais-sance sculpture. Themagnicent life-size terracottasculptures of the Lament of theDead Christ (said to representthe members of the Aragonroyal family) are hosted in thecapital area.

The RenaissanceChiesa diSanta Maria la Nova(#35) isknown for its imposing cloisters.

In the early 13th century aFranciscan monastery, named

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1888 by King Umberto the First.King Ferdinand arranged foreight statues of prominentrulers to be displayed in theseniches. The statues were of pre-vious Kings of Naples: Roger IIof Sicily (or Roger the Norman);Frederick II of Swabia; Charles Iof Anjou; Alfonso V of Aragon;Charles V; Charles III of Spain;Gioacchino Murat and VittorioEmanuele III of Savoy.

The gardens have been main-tained by the rulers of Naplesever since the construction of the New Castle (Castelnuovo) at

the end of the 13th century.They were later restored withthe addition of small lanes, stat-ues and an iron gate with gildedspears. Since 1926, this gate hasopened directly in front of Cas-tel Nuovo, whose entrance onthis side is marked by the ironstatue of Palafrenieri (commonlycalled “bronze horses”). Thestatue is by Baron Clodt von Ju-rgenburg and was donated by

Czar Nicolas I to Ferdinand II inhonor of his visit in 1845. In theback of the gardens there is aramp that leads to the 19th cen-tury stables, which are currentlybeing used as an expositionspace.

To visit the interior cross overthe honor courtyard and enterthe Historical Living QuartersMuseum (30 rooms on oneoor) which has preserved theoriginal furniture and decor.The monumental staircase of colored marble inlay and theSmall Court Theater, a ballroom

transformed in 1768 by Fer-nando Fuga into a gracious Ro-coco ambience, are beautiful.

In another part of the Palace isthe National Library, theBib-lioteca Nazionale VittorioEmanuele III (#32), with itsmore than million and a hall vol-umes and several priceless me-dieval codices.

The library was founded at theend of the 18th century in the

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from the villas buried under theashes of Vesuvius in 79 B.C., wasbrought here.

The most important collec-tion of the museum is that of the mosaics, paintings, jewelryand objects recovered from theburied Vesuvian homes. Anotherhighlight is the classical sculp-ture collection, with Romancopies of Greek originals and thecelebrated Farnese sculptures(the Bull, the Hercules anddozens of others). The cameoand cut gem collection, whichincludes the extraordinary Far-

nese Cup, is also very rich. Thevast epigraph collection includesover 2,000 pieces representingall of the languages once spokenin Campania (from Greek toOscan, Etruscan to Latin). TheEgyptian collection is only sec-ond in importance in Italy tothat of Turin. There is a sectiondedicated to the Papyrus Villa,the famous roman house inHerculaneum that brought tolight so many relics, amongstwhich the celebrated statues inbronze and marble. The SecretCabinet is the part of the mu-seum that houses a 19th cen-tury collection of Greek andRoman objects considered "ob-scene" at the times, reservedonly for authorized visitors. Itincludes now sculptures, fres-coes, mosaics, amulets, oil-

lamps and graffiti with eroticthemes from the digs at Pom-peii.

From the museum you getonto piazza Cavour, where viaFaria begins, a road that crossesthe popular Sanità, Vergini andSant'Antonio districts.

The lovely 16th centuryChiesa di Santa Maria dellaSanità (#38) was originally at-tached to a Dominicanmonastery founded in 1577.

It was built from 1602 to 1613in a centralized Greek-cross planusing the architectural designs

of Giuseppe Nuvolo.The main altar is elevated andaccessed via anking Baroque-style spiraling staircases, allsheathed polychrome marble.

Luca Giordano painted a “SanNicola with Saints Ambrogioand Ludovico Beltrando” in theright rst chapel, a “San Vi-cenzo” in the third chapel on theright, and “Virgin with St Rose”in second chapel on the left.

Museo Archeologico Nazionale

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Santa Maria ad Palatium, hadexisted nearby, but it was de-molished in order for Charles of Anjou to build the CastelNuovo, or Maschio Angioino. By1279, the Friars were grantedthis site to build a new church,hence la Nova (the New One).

Initially constructed in Gothicstyle, the building was batteredby Naple's frequent earthquakesand suffered gravely from an ex-plosion originating from CastelSant'Elmo on December 13, 1587.

This last episode prompted re-construction in 1596-1599, as an-

nounced in a corniceinscription, leading to the facadewe see today, designed by Ag-nolo Franco.

The church nave ceiling isdecorated with 46 gilt-framedcassetone, or rectangular frescopanels, painted by the majorNeapolitan artists of the day.

The third chapel on the left,the largest in the church, iscalled the Cappellone di San Gi-acomo della Marca. Its ceilingsare frescoed by MassimoStanzione, and depict the Mira-cles of the Saint, including theprocession by Neapolitans withhis body to compel the volcano Vesuvius to stop its 1631 erup-tion.

The seventh chapel on theleft, partially obstructed by theorgan, has paintings attributed

to an 8 year old Luca Giordano.The last part of via Toledo

gives ontopiazza Dante(#36),with its statue of Dante by Tito Angelini (1872).

The square assumed its pres-ent structure in the second half of the 18th century, with the in-tervention of the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, who added the ForoCarolino, a commemorativemonument to King Charles III of Bourbon.

The work lasted from 1757 to1765, and the result was a bigsemicircle, along the Aragonese

walls, which embraced Port'Albaand the church of San Michele.On top of the building, with

its two wings curved features,are twenty-six statues represent-ing the virtues of Charles. In thecenter a niche was supposed toaccommodate an equestrianstatue the sovereign, but wasnever built.

Port'Alba stands out to the leftof the hemicycle. From thereyou reach the street by the samename, site of some of the oldestbookstores of Naples.

The nearbyMuseo Archeo-logico Nazionale(#37), openedby Charles of Bourbon, is themost important museum of classical archaeology in theworld. Over the years the largestarchaeological collection of alltime, relics from the city and


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tween the 13th and 18th century,they were subjected to severelooting.

Going further up the hill youarrive at thePalazzo Reale eMuseo di Capodimonte(#41,see below).

THE WATERFRONT: FROMCHIAIA TO POSILLIPO

The waterfront between Cas-tel dell'Ovo and Posillipo, withits view of the Gulf, Mt. Vesuviusand the islands, is arguably themost panoramic spot in Naples.

The prole of the coast isdominated by the massive wallof theCastel dell'Ovo(#42), theoldest of the city, that sits on thelittle islet of Megaris, orMegaride, facing the famousSanta Lucia neighborhood.

The castle's name comes froma legend about the Roman poet Virgil, who had a reputation in

medieval times as a predictor of the future. In the legend, Virgilput a magical egg into the foun-dations to support the fortica-tions. Had this egg been broken,the castle would have been de-stroyed and a series of disastrousevents would have involved thecity of Naples.

The Castel dell'Ovo is the old-est standing fortication inNaples. The island of Megaridewas where Greek colonists fromCumae founded the original nu-cleus of the city in the 6th cen-tury BC. Its location affords it an

excellent view of the Naples wa-terfront and the surroundingarea. In the 1st century BC theRoman patrician Lucius LiciniusLucullus built the villa Castel-lum Lucullanum on the site.

It was transformed into a con-vent in 492 AD. Under the Nor-mans, in the 12th century, itbecame a fortress.

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From the church you gain ac-cess to the Catacombs of SanGaudioso. The entrance to thecatacombs is beneath the altar,which was elevated above thesite of the original chapel at thesite.

In this neighborhood you cannd the 17th centuryPalazzodello Spagnolo(#39).

Through an indistinct façade,you enter to an interior octago-nal courtyard that leads to aunique double ramp stairwell.The top oor was added at theend of the 18th century. In the

following century, the familysold apartments in the loweroors to Tommaso Atienza,nicknamed lo Spagnolo (theSpaniard), from whence thename of the palace.

The staircases with arches inshifting planes still grants anaura of complex scenography,despite its present cramped anddilapidated state.The nearby Palazzo San Feliceis attributed to the same archi-tect and has similar staircases.

Further along, via Fariareaches the Botanical Gardens.Created in 1807 by GiuseppeBonaparte, they were originallyconceived to study plants usefulto agriculture, commerce andfor medicinal purposes. Today,the area of circa 25 acres con-tains about 10,000 species for a

total of 25,000 plants, one of Italy's most important collec-tions for content and area.

Back at the ArchaeologicalMuseum, going towardsCapodimonte on via SantaTeresa degli Scalzi, next to thebig Church of Incoronata delBuon Consiglio are the under-ground paleo-Christian burialsites calledCatacombe di SanGennaro(#40), among the old-est and most amazing of the re-gion.

They originally were threeseparate cemeteries, dedicated,

respectively, to Saint Gaudiosus,Saint Severus and St. Januarius,or San Gennaro, the patron saintof the city.

There are different from theirRoman counterparts in that theyhave more spacious passagewaysalong two levels. The lower levelis the oldest, going back to the3rd-4th century and may actu-ally be the site of an earlier pre-Christian cemetery. The secondlevel was the one expanded so asto encompass the other two adjacent cemeteries.

The site was consecrated toSan Gennaro in the 5th centuryon the occasion of the entomb-ment of his remains, which werelater moved to the Cathedral of Naples. Until the 11th centurythe catacombs were the burialsite of Neapolitan bishops. Be-

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Near piazza Sannazaro is via diPiedigrotta, so called because itwas at the foot of the grotto,today a tunnel, dug in the 1stcentury BC by the Romans inorder to make transit from Poz-zuoli to Naples easier (the otherside of the tunnel is called Fuori-grotta, or out of the grotto).

The Chiesa di Santa Maria diPiedigrotta (#47) was built onthe site of an earlier 14th centurychurch established where aneven older chapel sheltering awooden Byzantine icon of the Virgin was erected. Legend

holds the Virgin appeared tothree individuals requesting thechurch to be built.

It has undergone a number of restorations including in 1520,1820, and 1853. The present fa-cade dates from 1853, and wasdesigned by Errico Alvino, withsculptures by Bernardo Manco.The adjacent cloister was de-signed by Tommaso Malvito.In the chapel of theMadonna di Pompei are a Cru-cixion and a Pietà with An-thony of Padua by WenzelCobergher.

Between the Chiesa di SantaMaria di Piedigrotta and theMergellina Station is the en-trance to thePark of the Tombof Virgil, one of the most vis-ited sites of the Grand Tour.

The park hosts the so-called

tomb of Virgil, a 15th century ADsepulcher identied with theburial of the poet. In 1939 thetomb of another great poet, Gi-acomo Leopardi, who died inNaples in 1837, was also trans-ferred here.

Leaving the waterfront be-hind, going on to the Westerndistrict, in piazzale Tecchio youwill nd the Mostrad'Oltremare; a large exhibitioncenter built in the 1930's. Thearea of about 700.000 squaremeters houses buildings, gar-dens, fountains and a large

open-air arena the serves as atheater.From Mergellina the beautiful

scenic via Posillipo goes up thehill along the old Pausilypon(Greek for "pain reliever").

The largePalazzo Donn'Anna(#48) sits prominently at water'sedge at the beginning of thePosillipo coast, just west of theMergellina boat harbor.

Villa Pignatelli

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Roger the Norman, conquer-ing Naples in 1140, made of Cas-tel dell 'Ovo its seat. Theimportance of the Castel del-l'Ovo began to decline whenking Charles I of Anjou built anew castle, Castel Nuovo, andmoved his court there. Casteldell'Ovo became the seat of theRoyal Chamber and of the StateTreasury. It also served as aprison.

A visit to the Hall of theColumns, so called because it re-used the large columns of theoriginal villa, is a must. From the

cannon terrace, on the high partof the castle, you can enjoy amarvelous view of the gulf.

Under the walls of the castle isBorgo Marinari(#43), built inthe 1800's, it was originallymeant to house shermen, theirboats and their families. It nowhouses nautical clubs, restau-rants, bars and trendy nightspots. Walking along the very fa-mous via Caracciolo(#44) youcan enjoy some of the mostbeautiful scenery of Naples,from Mt. Vesuvius all the way tothe hills of Posillipo.

Via Caracciolo runs parallel to Villa Comunale(#45), the CityPark, the former “Royal Gar-dens” designed by Luigi Van-vitelli at the end of the 1700's,and to the old waterfront called

the Riviera di Chiaia. You canvisit the Zoological Station,(opened in 1872 by German zo-ologist Anton Dohrn) and theoldest Aquarium in Europe.

On the Riviera di Chiaia is theneoclassical Villa Pignatelli(#46).

It is the most striking buildingalong the Riviera di Chiaia, theroad bounding the north side of the Villa Comunale on the seafront between Mergellina andPiazza Vittoria.

It was built at the behest of Ferdinand Acton in 1826 as a

neo-classical residence thatwould be the centerpiece of apark.

The central atrium was movedto the front of the building andDoric columns still catch the eyeof the viewer from the street 50yards (away.

The villa maintains intact thegardens in front of the buildingand houses the Museo delPrincipe Diego Aragona Pig-natelli Cortes, where the Bank of Naples keeps its rich collectionof paintings.

Via Caracciolo ends in Mergel-lina, where according to legendthe current dragged the lifelessbody of the siren Partenope.Here too the view is breathtak-ing, with the hills of Posillipoand Vomero with Mt. Vesuviusin the distance.


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terrace, today houses the Ducadi Martina Ceramics Museum.The nucleus of the collection arethe pieces donated by the heirsof Placido De Sangro, Duke of Martina, an avid collector of coral, ivory, snuff-boxes andmost of all porcelain and ma- jolica. The collection of porce-lain from Capodimonte and theFar East are especially interest-ing.

From Piazza Vanvitelli you canget to the top of the hill (with anescalator, if you wish), to themedieval fortress of Castel San-

t'Elmo and the Certosa (or Char-terhouse) of San Martino.Castel Sant'Elmo(#50) domi-

nates the city with its imposingprole. With the nearby charter-house, it is visible from manyparts of Naples.

This massive fortress was builtin the 1300's by Robert of Anjouand completely restored under

the Pedro de Toledo govern-ment (1537-1546). The groundplan forms a six-pointed star;part of it carved into the tufarock, and is surrounded by bas-tions and moats. From there youcan enjoy a 360° panorama of Naples.

In 1587 the munitions depot of the castle was struck by light-ning and exploded, destroyingthe church, the chaplain's houseand the officers' quarters. Re-construction was carried out be-tween 1599 and 1601.

For centuries it has been a

symbol and bastion of govern-ment oppression. In 1604 it wasused to imprison TommasoCampanella, branded as aheretic, and in 1799 the patriotsof the Neapolitan Revolution.

Next to the Castle is the mon-umental complex of theCertosadi San Martino(#51), also projected by Robert of Anjou. It was

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The building is on the site of the so-called "Rocks of the Siren"and, indeed, was originallycalled La Villa Sirena.

The original building on thesite was probably built in theearly 15th century. It changedhands a number of times and -nally was inherited in 1630 bythe woman whose name it nowbears, Anna Stigilano, who hadit redone by architect CosimoFanzago in the 1640s.

At the extreme end of thepromontory of Coroglio is the Villa del Pausilypon, the remains

of the luxurious home of Pub-lius Vedius Pollio, one of Augus-tus' supporters. Upon his death,the property went to the em-peror. The grandiose villa wascomposed of several buildingserected between the 1st centuryBC and the 4th A.D., to cover anarea of about 9 hectares, or 17acres. At the center was the huge

residential structure, aroundwhich were built a grandiosetheater, an odeion and thermalbaths. Apart from its privatedock on the Gala dei Lampi, thecomplex included its own roadsand the tunnel known as the'Grotta di Seiano', that crossesthe rocky coastline to Coroglio,which today is the point of ac-cess to the complex.

The most spectacularpanorama of Posillipo is enjoyed

from the Parco Virgiliano, a parklocated on the top of the hill. Among the trees, gardens andsporting facilities, one's eyesroam over the entire Gulf of Naples, the Phlegrean Fields,and over to the sea, from whichthe island of Nisida emerges. Inthe 1800's this magical sceneryinspired a generation of painters, known as the School of Posillipo. Their rendering of thisenchanted panorama did muchto contribute to the fame of thebeauty of Naples.

THE HILLS:FROM VOMEROTO CAPODIMONTE

The Vomero district was builtin the 1800's, in a green zone fa-mous for its views of the Gulf.Today the small Liberty Style vil-las exist side by side to modernbuildings, in one of the most

lively neighborhoods of Naples,with a wealth of shopping at-tractions.

Right off piazza Vanvitelli, theheart of the Vomero, is VillaFloridiana(#49), a gift of Ferdi-nand of Bourbon to his morga-natic wife Lucia Migliaccio, theDuchess of Floridia. The elegantbuilding, built by Antonio Nic-colini and surrounded by a largepark with fake ruins, sumptuouspaths, elds and a panoramic

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a splendid view over the Gulf,the islands and the PhlegreanFields.

At the edge of the urbanweave of the hill, the nearbyCamaldoli Park also merits avisit. From Camaldoli, goingdown along viale Colli Aminei,you arrive to Capodimonte. Thename derives from the late Latin"Caput Monte" (top of themount) and clearly indicates itsposition: a hill on the highestpart of the City. Here rises thePalazzo Reale di Capodimonte(#41), surrounded by a vast park.

Charles of Bourbon, a dedicatedhunter, built a hunting lodgehere that was later enlarged tohouse the precious Farnese col-lections. The building, designedby Antonio Medrano, was n-ished in 1839. Located in the im-mense park are the huntinglodge of Vittorio Emanuele II,the small “lodge of the Queen”,

the Chapel of San Gennaro, thebuilding of the 18th centuryporcelain factory of Charles of Bourbon, the hermitage of theCappuccini monks and the Fa-gianeria (pheasant breeding fa-cility).

Today, the Royal Palace ishome to theMuseo Nazionaledi Capodimonte(#41), one of the most important in the worldfor painting and the decorativearts. The main nucleus of the

Museum is the Farnese Collec-tion, started by Pope Paul Ill andinherited by Charles' mother,Elisabeth Farnese. The picturegallery has more than 200 mas-terpieces by Masaccio, Botticelli,Raphael, Ribera, Titian, Man-tegna, Correggio, El Greco,Lorenzo Lotto, Parmigianino,Carracci, and Bruegel. There arealso two drawings done byRaphael for the 'SegnaturaRoom', and by Michelangelo forthe Pauline Chapel in the Vati-can. The gallery of 13th-19thcentury Neapolitan painting has

the painting of Saint Ludovicoof Tolosa, by Simone Martini,the evocative Flagellation byCaravaggio, and again the worksof Ribera, Luca Giordano, andFrancesco Solimena. The sec-tion dedicated to the 1800's isrich with the School of Posillipopainters, from Anton Smick Pit-loo to Giacinto Gigante, and the

masters of Naturalism, like thePalizzis. The many artists of thelate 1800's and early 1900's-from Domenico Morelli to Vin-cenzo Migliaro - complete theartistic panorama. The contem-porary section is renewed by thepresence of artists such as Al-berto Burri, Andy Warhol, Carlo Alfano and Mimmo Paladino.The Museum holds other sur-prises such as the Historic Apartment, with the porcelain

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begun in 1325, and later trans-formed in the 1500's and themiddle 1600's by the most notedarchitects of the day, Dosio, Fan-zago, thus becoming the mostcomplete example of NeapolitanBaroque and one of the city'smost grandiose monuments.

The inside of the church is atriumph of frescoes, sculptures,polychromatic marble andpaintings. The frescoes weredone by, among others, Gio-vanni Lanfranco and BattistelloCaracciolo.

The presbytery and the sac-

risty are also richly decorated,with oils by Ribera, MassimoStanzione and Guido Reni,wardrobes and choir-stalls of in-laid wood.

The vault of the Cappella delTesoro is decorated with the lu-minous fresco by Luca Gior-dano, The Triumph of Judith.

The halls around the cloister

house the National Museum of

San Martino. The museum hassections dedicated to sculptureand painting, minor arts andtheater. The section dedicatedto the scenes of the city is veryimportant, starting with worksfrom the 1400's and includingthe famous Tavola Strozzi. Par-ticularly interesting is the cribs'section made up of works byartists from the 1700's and bytwo exceptional groups of works: the wooden gurines of San Giovanni a Carbonara fromthe 1400's and the CucinielloCrib from the 1800's, named

after its donor.Finally, do not miss the Prior's Apartment (the restored livingquarters of the Prior), set in avery panoramic position, andthe beautiful gardens of the con-vent.

The highest point of the city isthe Eremo dei Camaldoli, anhermitage at 457 mt above sea

level.It was built in 1585 and has

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Of medium difficulty, the trailleaves from Herculaneum, takesthree hours and is four km long.It takes you to 1170 mt, wherethe view extends over the entiregulf on one side and into theabyss of the crater on the other.

The trail has been travelled bymany writers: from Chekov(''What torture it is to climb Vesuvius! Walk, walk, walk, andthe summit is still so distant!") toChateaubriand ("Here I am onthe top of Vesuvius. I am writingsitting on the mouth of thecrater and am ready to descendinto the depths of its crater!").

Today it is also possible to goup by car or bus. The best roadsleave from Herculaneum, Otta-

viano and Somma Vesuviana.The road that goes upfrom Herculaneum is the mostinteresting for its beautiful viewsof the gulf and for the evocativenatural environment. After arst part that takes you through

vineyards, one must proceed onfoot over a path made of lavacinder that takes you to the edgeof the crater.

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sitting room of Queen Maria Amalia. The collection of deco-rative arts is one of the richest inall of Italy with unique workslike the precious Farnese Boxand the wall tapestries of d'Ava-los, and the exceptional porce-lain works like the Aurora Cartby Filippo Tagliolini.

Mt. Vesuvius

Neapolitans call it ‘AMuntagna and it is the symbol

of the city and, with its perfectform, closes the Gulf. The ma- jestic cone of Mt Vesuvius dom-inates a disquieting andevocative environment. Thepanorama from the top of themountain extends from the Sor-rentine Peninsula to Capo Posil-lipo and is especiallybreathtaking in the tenuous

light of sunrise or with the in-tense one of sunset.Mt Vesuvius is the only active

volcano in continental Europe,and is also one of its most dan-gerous, as the land at its feet isdensely populated. The summitto the left is that of MountSomma (1133 mt), and to theright the cone of Vesuvius (1281mt).

They are separated by a valleycalled Valle del Gigante (Valley

of the Giant), in turn subdividedinto Atria del Cavallo (Hall of the Horse, West) and Valle delInferno (Valley of Hell, East).

Originally it was known for itsexcellent wines and for the thickvegetation that covered its sum-mit. But it acquired a differentfame, in 79 BC, when the vol-cano suddenly erupted. Entirecities, among which Pompeiiand Herculaneum, were de-stroyed. The last eruption,lmed by Allied troops, was in1944. Since then the volcano hasbeen dormant.

The Vesuvius National Parkwas established in 1991 and soonafter UNESCO gave Mt Vesu-vius the "World Biosphere Re-serve" status. The Reserveincludes all of the area aroundthe volcano, the archaeologicalsystem of Pompeii, Hercula-neum, Oplontis and the so-called Miglio d'Oro (Golden

Mile) with its splendid examplesof 1700's and 1800's villas. Theora of the Vesuvius varies fromthat of the Somma. The formeris more arid and sunny, withtypical Mediterranean vegeta-tion and pine forests. The latteris moister, with chestnut, oak,maple and holm-oak trees.There are also many orchids, 23species in all. The Park has 9 dif-ferent trails. The most popularclimb takes people to the crater.

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glorious acropolis of Puteoli, im-permeable defense against theenemy.

The most signicant monu-ment of the area is the so-calledTemple of Augustus, which wasdiscovered after a re in 1964 in-side the baroque Cathedral of San Procolo, tha patron saint of Pozzuoli .

It is now theDuomo di Poz-zuoli, but in Ancient Romeantimes it was the Capitolium, orthe temple of the Capitolinetrinity cult.

The Amphitheater dates toFlavian times, and is the thirdlargest in the world. Its func-tional architecture is an excel-lent example of thetechnological levels reached inthat era: it has undergroundspaces, wide stairwells, corri-dors, a contraption to lift the

wild beasts' cages and even a de-vice to reenact naval battles.

Pozzuoli does not just offer ar-chaeological remains. This livelytown has a strong sense of iden-tity: ingrained ties to an age-oldmaritime tradition (proven bythe excellent cuisine) and ameeting place for young and oldalike.

Pozzuoli does not just offer ar-chaeological remains. This livelytown has a strong sense of iden-tity: ingrained ties to an age-oldmaritime tradition (proven bythe excellent cuisine) and ameeting place for young and oldalike. With its port (departurepoint of the ferryboats to the is-lands), its streets, small squares,lovely seafront and many bars,make this a lovely place to spendpleasant hours.

Pozzuoli, Macellum

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PozzuoliPozzuoli is one of the worlds'

mast fascinating archaeologicalareas. An important port for theregion in Roman times, the cityrevealed a surprising and unex-pected "underground Pompeii"with the excavations in theRione Terra.

Founded in 520 BC by Greekcolonists with the nameDicearchia, or "Just Govern-ment", it was renamed Puteoliby the Romans (for the malodor-ous sulphur vapors that its wellsemitted, since puteo means tostink), and became one of themain ports of the TyrrhenianSea.

The Temple of Serapis(1st or2nd century B.C.) is proof of theactive commerce conducted inPuteoli. The name is due to thediscovery of a statue of an

Egyptian divinity, but in reality,the so-called temple was a foodmarket, or macellum. The shopswere lined up under the archeson the sides of the courtyard,and the apse was dedicated tothe imperial cult and to the godsthat protect the market (Serapisamong them). The columns of this hall are good measures of the force of the volcanic phe-nomenon of the Phlegrean area:you can see the small holes dugby marine shellsh when theywere underwater.

The oldest part of town isRione Terra, on the high part of the tufa rock that dominates theport. Archaeological excavationsrevealed the fascinating textureof this Roman city, preserved in-tact underground, with its storelined streets. Houses and foun-tains alternate with shops andrestaurants. This was once the

Duomo of Pozzuoli, columns of the ancient Temple of Augustus

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