Introduction
'Naples is an ill-built, ill-paved, ill-lighted, ill-drained,
ill-watched, ill-governed and ill-ventilated city', whinged Cook's
Tourist's Handbook in 1884. Italy's third-largest city has made
big strides forward since then but Cook's observations retain
more than a grain of truth. Take it from us: Naples is raucous,
polluted, anarchic, deafening, crumbling and grubby. It's also
a lot of fun.
Beautifully positioned on
the bay, Naples has a little - and often a lot - of everything.
The old centre bristles with ancient churches, a medieval university
and countless eateries and cafes. It pulsates with noisy street
markets and swarms of people buzzing around on Vespas with no
regard for traffic regulations. This unruly atmosphere also goes
towards explaining Naples' reputation for organised crime. But
the city forges on, powered by the sheer zest and vitality of
its inhabitants. Even Cook's begrudgingly admitted that, despite
its faults, Naples might be 'the loveliest spot in Europe'.
Naples stretches along the
waterfront and is divided into quartieri (districts). Stazione
Centrale and the bus station are off Piazza Garibaldi, east of
Spaccanapoli, the ancient heart of Naples. Piazza Garibaldi and
its side streets form an enormous, unwelcoming transport terminus
and street market. The area is distinctly seedy. Quite a few of
the cheaper hotels, some of which double as brothels, are here.
A wide shopping street, Corso
Umberto I, skirts the southern edge of Spaccanapoli, aligned south-west
from Piazza Garibaldi to Piazza Bovio. From here Via A Depretis
runs to the huge Piazza Municipio, dominated by the unmistakable
Castel Nuovo. From the waterfront behind the castle, ferries sail
to the bay islands, Palermo and other long-distance destinations.
The Palazzo Reale, next to
the castle, dominates Piazza Trento e Trieste. Naples' main street,
Via Toledo, leads north from the square. To get your head round
the city's geography, head up on foot or by funicular railway
to Largo San Martino and enjoy the panoramic view.
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| Naples
Italy Attraction Guide |
Duomo
This grand cathedral
was built on the site of earlier churches, which were themselves
preceded by a temple to the pre-Christian god Neptune. Construction
of the cathedral kicked off in 1272 under Charles I of Anjou,
but the building was largely destroyed in 1456 by an earthquake
and has undergone numerous alterations. The neogothic facade is
the result of cosmetic surgery in the late 19th century. Inside,
above the wide central nave, is an ornately decorated coffered
ceiling.
Central to Naples' religious
(or superstitious) life is the 17th-century Baroque Cappella
di San Gennaro, to the right and down the south aisle after
you enter the building. Within the chapel, stowed behind the elaborately
carved high altar, are the skull and a couple of phials of the
congealed blood of San Gennaro, the city's patron saint. He was
martyred at Pozzuoli, west of Naples in AD 305 and tradition holds
that these phials of his blood liquefied when his body was transferred
back to Naples. Three times a year, thousands gather here to pray
for a miracle - that the blood will again liquefy and save Naples
from any potential disaster. The saint is said to have saved the
city from calamity on numerous occasions - although the miracle
unspectacularly failed to occur in 1941 when Vesuvius erupted.
Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore
This Gothic church was completed in
1324 by the Dominican order and was much favoured by the Aragónese
nobility. The church's interior, a cross between Baroque and 19th-century
neogothic, features some fine examples of Renaissance sculpture.
In the sacristy are 45 coffins of the princes of Aragón
and other nobles.
The deceptive simplicity of Cappella
di San Severo, on a narrow lane east of the church, is a dazzling
contrast to the treasure chest of sculpture inside. Giussepe Sanmartino's
Cristo Velato (Veiled Christ), for instance, still confounds
experts, who cannot agree on how he created the apparently translucent
veil. Also baffling is Corradini's Pudicizia (Modesty),
which makes no attempt to hide the erotic.
Museo Archeologico Nazionale
The archaeological treasures of Naples' principal museum form
one of the most comprehensive collections of Greco-Roman artefacts
in the world. You could easily lose yourself in here for several
hours. Originally a cavalry barracks and later the seat of the
city's university, the museum was established by Charles of Bourbon
in the late 18th century to house the rich collection of antiquities
he had inherited from his mother, Elizabeth Farnese, as well as
the treasures that had been discovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum.
It also contains the Borgia collection of Etruscan and Egyptian
relics.
On the mezzanine floor are mosaics, mostly from Pompeii, including
the Battle of Alexander, the best-known depiction of the
great Macedonian emperor. It once paved the floor in the Casa
del Fauno at Pompeii and is just one of a series of remarkably
detailed and lifelike pieces depicting animals, scenes from daily
life, musicians and even Plato with his students.
The Gabinetto Segreto (Secret Room) recently opened to
the public after decades of being accessible only to serious boffins.
It displays a variety of erotic statues including an intriguing
one of Pan up to no good with a nanny goat and nine paintings
depicting erotic positions, which served as a catalogue for brothel
clients.
Palazzo Reale
Facing the grand Piazza del Plebiscito, this magnificent palace,
built around 1600, was completely renovated in 1841 and suffered
extensive damage during WWII. The statues of the eight most important
kings of Naples were inserted into niches in the facade in 1888.
From the courtyard, a huge double staircase leads to the royal
apartments, which house the Museo del Palazzo Reale, a
rich collection of furnishings, porcelain, tapestries, statues
and paintings.
The palace has also, since 1925, been home to the Biblioteca
Nazionale, which includes the vast Farnese collection brought
to Naples by Charles of Bourbon, with at least 2000 papyruses
discovered at Herculaneum and fragments of a 5th-century Coptic
Bible.
Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola, at the eastern end of
Piazza del Plebiscito, was begun by Ferdinand I in 1817 to celebrate
the restoration of his kingdom after the Napoleonic interlude.
Flanked by semicircular colonnades, the church is based on the
Pantheon and is a popular wedding spot. |
| Naples
Italy Transportation |
Getting There & Away
Naples is the hub of the southern Italian train network and many
trains originating in the north pass through Rome and terminate
here. The city is well-served by regionale, diretto, Intercity
and the superfast Eurostar trains. They arrive and depart from
Stazione Centrale or Stazione Garibaldi. There are up to 30 trains
daily between Naples and Rome. Most buses for Italian and some
European cities leave from Piazza Garibaldi in front of Stazione
Centrale.
Boats and hydrofoils leave for Capri, Sorrento, Ischia, Procida
and Forio from Molo Beverello in front of the Castel Nuovo. Longer
distance ferries for Palermo, Cagliari, Milazzo, the Aeolian Islands
and Tunisia leave from the Stazione Marittima.
Naples is on the major north-south Autostrada
del Sole, numbered A1 (north to Rome and Milan) and A4 (south
to Salerno and Reggio di Calabria). The A30 rings Naples to the
north-east, while the A16 heads north-east to Bari. The motorways
meet the Tangenziale di Napoli, a major ring road around the city.
Capodichino airport, about 8km (5mi) north-east
of the city centre, is southern Italy's main airport.
Getting Around
Most city ANM buses depart from Piazza Garibaldi, where bus stops
are appallingly signed. The city produces one rather vague bus
map, but there is an ANM information office at the western end
of the square. The Metropolitana (Underground) is, in fact, mostly
above ground. The main line runs from Gianturco, just east of
Stazione Centrale, via Piazza Garibaldi and Bagnoli to Pozzuoli.
Funicular railways connect downtown with Vomero.
Forget driving in town unless you
have a death wish. Mopeds are impossible to hire because of the
high incidence of theft. Taxis generally ignore kerb-side arm
wavers but there are taxi stands at most of the large piazzas.
Be warned that traffic congestion makes taxis expensive, and that's
before you add on the baffling array of extra tariffs. |
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