The Bay of Naples

11/05/2004

Goethe sympathised with all those who fell in love with Naples and lost their senses. He felt that once one began to write about the city, paint it or come close to it in anyway, one forfeited heart and soul to its beauty.

Naples sits on the northern edge of one of the most beautiful bays in Italy, the Bay of Naples and lies close to the romantic islands of Capri and Ischia. It stretches for 8 kilometres between the lands of Campi Flegrei, the Sant'Elmo hills and Capodimonte on one side and the plains leading to Mount Vesuvius on the other. Naples, founded in the 7th century, was an important location during the Greek-Roman era; becoming a Byzantine Duchy, a Norman-Swabian centre and finally an Angevin and Bourbon capital. This wonderful harbour still has some less-than-picturesque neighbourhoods, but the entire historic centre was extensively restored in the 90’s, and today it is one of the most interesting locations Italy has to offer; the lifestyle, sunny climate, numerous historic and artistic sights and the local colour. What else is it proud of? Well, if you asked a local, they would proudly tell you that this is the birthplace of the Margarita Pizza and Buffalo Mozzarella. From dawn to midnight, the cobblestone streets of Naples are alive with vibrant, larger-than-life characters.

naples (big)

The historic city centre is divided into six zones: Via Toledo with Castel Nuovo, Spaccanapoli, the Decumano Massimo, Capodimonte, I Vergini, Vomero, Castel dell'Ovo and Via Chiaia. Here is a little guide below to direct you to the most interesting places and attractions in this glorious city:

City Centre

Between the harbour and Via Toledo there is the city centre, full of offices, shops, monuments and sites. The Nuovo Castel, also known as Angevin castle, is a trapezoidal building with five round towers that stands in castle square and is both the seat of the City Council and, since 1990, the site of the Civic Museum, which is located in the Palatina Chapel. This is one of the most fascinating places in the city that has to be explored bit by bit in this tight-knit labyrinth of alleyways and streets. When Spanish rule began around 1530, the city underwent a lot of transformations: churches, palaces and roads were built, including the wonderful Via Toledo, which took its name from the viceroy Don Pedro di Toledo. This is the period when the Quartieri Spagnoli sprung up, in an area that is now bordered by Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Toledo.

In the surrounding area is the San Carlo Theatre which is the earliest among the European theatres still active; the Royal Palace that is joined to the theatre so that the royal family were able to enter and leave without leaving the confines of their palace; and the bright gardens of the Royal Palace.

In front of the main facade of the San Carlo Theatre there is one of the entrance arches of Galleria Umberto I, that was inaugurated in 1892 as a symbol of the new urbanistic planning of neo-Renaissance chosen by the new Italian State for celebratory buildings, in order to recall the great heritage of the artistic and cultural Age of Renaissance. The Gallery joins the Theatre to Via Toledo. This lively zone, rich in artistic and historic sights, is the preferred location for those city residents wishing to take a leisurely stroll. Here the buildings of the nobility alternate between churches and shops.

naples_1 (big)SpaccaNapoli

SpaccaNapoli is called by this name (literally meaning Split Naples) as it splits the city into two parts from east to west. It is made up of about several roads 2km long and 6 meters wide and criss-crosses monumental piazzas. On both sides a tightly-packed labyrinth of narrow, charming alleys spreads out. This is the old, working-class, full-blooded Naples. Walking along the SpaccaNapoli, it is possible to follow an itinerary in one of the most characteristic areas of Naples that corresponds to the “Decumano inferiore” of the Greek-Roman city, with churches, historical buildings, squares and old tiny craftsmen’s shops.

Capodimonte

The Park of Capodimonte is the widest open space in Naples, on top of a small incline, north of the city. Inside the park there is the Royal Palace of Capodimonte that houses one of the most important galleries in Italy with the paintings from the Farnese Collection, which counts among its masterpieces several works by first-class artists as Simone Martini, Masolino, Masaccio, Botticelli, Bellini, Raffaello, Tiziano, and many more. Inside the Palace there is also the rich Gallery of Ottocento and the Collection of Ceramics and Porcelain from the Royal Factory of Capodimonte. Capodimonte Palace, ordered by Charles of Bourbon and built in 1738, dominates the whole city and has a wonderful view of the Bay of Naples. The Parks woodland still has about 4000 varieties of centuries-old trees. In its middle there is the beautiful Fountain of Belvedere, with an ancient marble group that was situated before in the fountain of the Royal Orchard inside the Tower Garden.

Using the map tool of our page you will be able to find the Naples accommodation that suits you the best.

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