Another day, another day trip, this time it is off to Naples... it is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of the Campania region and the Province of Naples. The city has a population of about 1 million. By one count the metropolitan area of Naples is the second largest in Italy after that of Milan, with more than 4,200,000 inhabitants. The inhabitants are known as Neapolitans, napulitane in Neapolitan, napoletani or poetically partenopei in Italian. It is located halfway between the volcano, Vesuvius and a separate volcanic area, the Campi Flegrei, all part of the Campanian volcanic arc. It is rich in historical, artistic and cultural traditions and gastronomy. Neapolitan ('o napulitano) is the colourful, rich Romance language that has been a trademark of southern Italy ever since the period of the Kingdom of Naples and the Two Sicilies. This history, coupled with its size, has given Naples the unofficial status of being the Capital of the South.
 

Korina and Cailan on the train from Sorrento to Naples the Circumvesuviana

The good the bad and the ugly of Naples...

City of Naples

The poets described Naples as being as beautiful and attractive as a virgin, but mysterious and sensual as an odalisque. And there must have been a reason why famous artists from all over the world visited Naples as part of their training and fell in love with it. The Greeks believed that they city dissolved all worries. Travellers of the past saw it as a multifaceted land, sunny and dark, calm and volcanic, which brought together a range of western and oriental cultures. Since 1995, Naples' old town - the largest in the world - has been on the UNESCO list of world heritage. When visiting it, one goes on an incredible journey back through 27 centuries. Castles, palazzos, villas, churches, walls, gates, palaces, excavations, parks, fountains and museums are a constant temptation for lovers of beauty. Or one can follow the advice of the travellers of the past who often forgot to visit the cultural sites, seduced by the city's everyday charm, its viewpoints and hidden gardens, monumental squares and characteristic glimpses, unknown cloisters and tangle of narrow alleyways like a pulsating heart. Time and fashions pass, tastes and habits change, but Naples' charm remains: a surprising mixture of nature, monuments, art, culture and folklore

All the conquerors of the Kingdom of Naples left their mark on its language, spirit, customs and building to a greater or lesser extent. The Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Bourbons, Bonapartists and Savoys all ruled over Naples at one time. In order to learn more about them, there is nothing better than visiting the monumental Piazza del Plebiscite, dominated by the facade of the Royal Palace that features eight stone sovereigns representing their various dynasties. The Palace, with its magnificent, richly decorated interiors, is well worth a visit, with a very varied itinerary that includes the Court Theatre, the Throne Room, the Ambassadors' Room, the Hanging Garden, the King's Study and the Palatine Chapel amongst other- things. Those who prefer the reassuring and rather gloomy mass of a fortress to royal palaces (from the en¬chanting Capodimonte to Portia and Caserta), only have to choose between the city's four castles: the prestigious Castel Nuovo (or Maschio Angioino), the enchanted Castel dell'Ovo, the austere Castelcapuano or the star-shaped Castel Sant'Elmo

Korina and Cailan

Korina at Castel Nuovo "New Castle" often called Maschio Angioino, is the main symbol of the architecture of the city. Before the accession of Charles I of Anjou to the throne in 1266, the capital of the Kingdom of Naples was Palermo. There was a royal residence in Naples, at the Castel Capuano. However, when the capital was moved to Naples, Charles ordered a new castle, not far from the sea, built to house the court.

Works, directed by French architects, began in 1279 and were completed three years later. Due to the events of the Sicilian Vespers, the new fortress remained uninhabited until 1285, when Charles died and was succeeded by his son, Charles II. Castel Nuovo became soon the nucleus of the historical center of the city, and was often the site of famous events. For example, on December 13, 1294, Pope Celestine V resigned as pope in a hall of the castle. Eleven days later, Boniface VIII was elected pope here by the cardinal collegium and immediately moved to Rome to avoid the Angevine authority.

Under king Robert (reigned from 1309), the castle was enlarged and embellished, becoming a centre of patronage of art. In 1347 Castel Nuovo was sacked by the army of Louis I of Hungary, and had to be heavily restored after the return of queen Joanna I. The new works permitted the queen to resist the Hungarian siege during Louis' second expedition. The castle was besieged numerous times in the following years, and was the official residence of King Ladislas from 1399. It decayed under his sister Joanna II

Under the Aragonese dynasty, begun by Alfonso V in 1442, the fortress was updated to resist the new artillery. A famous triumphal arch, designed by Francesco Laurana, was added to the main gate to celebrate Alfonso's entrance in Naples

In a hall of the castle the famous Barons conspiracy against King Ferrante, Alfonso's son, occurred. The King had invited the barons for a feast; but, a certain point, he had the garrison close all the hall's doors and all the barons were arrested and later executed. The Barons' Hall was the seat of the Council of the commune of Naples until 2006

After the fierce sack of Naples by Charles VIII of France's soldiers in 1494, the Kingdom was annexed by Spain, and the castle was reduced from residence to an important military fortress. It was the temporary residence of the Spanish kings during their visits in the city, such as that of Charles V in 1535. The castle was again used as a residence by Charles III, who became King of Naples in 1734. The last restoration was in 1823

Naples' old town is stratified, with later styles existing alongside earlier ones in complete harmony, in perfect, incredible symbiosis. Significant traces of the Greco-Roman city (7th century B.C. to 4th centu¬ry A.D.) survive around Piazza S. Gaetano. This was the ancient city's forum, with its shops, temples and roads still visible today The three parallel east-west roads (Roman decumani) radiate out from here: the decumano maggiore (now Via Tribunal!), the decumano superiors (from Via Sapienza to Piazzetta SS. Apostoli) and the decumano inferiore (from Piazza S.Domenico Maggiore towards Via Forcella), main roads connected by a series of alleys. This is the area where Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Naples developed. Every new foundation surpassed the last, filling roads and bringing gardens to overflowing, in a fascinatingly chaotic form of urban development. But every new stratification respected earlier customs and, in a certain way, people's habits. So, where the Greek shops once stood, the Medieval markets arose; Christian churches were built over pagan temples. And it is all still there for us to see today, as if time had never really passed

Galleria Umberto is a public gallery in Naples, southern Italy. It is located directly across from the San Carlo opera house. It was built between 1887-1891, and was the cornerstone in the decades-long rebuilding of Naples called the risanamento "making healthy again" that lasted until World War One. It was designed by Emanuele Rocco, who employed modern architectural elements reminiscent of an earlier galleria in Milan. The Galleria was named for Umberto I, king of Italy at the time of its construction. It was meant to combine businesses, shops, cafes and social life, public space, with private space in the apartments on the third floor

The Galleria is a high and spacious cross-shaped affair surmounted by a glass dome braced by 16 metal ribs. Of the four glass-vaulted wings, one fronts on via Toledo (via Roma), still the main downtown thoroughfare, and another opens onto the San Carlo Theatre. It has returned to being an active center of Neapolitan civic life after some years of decay
 

Lucky Horoscopes on the floor of the Galleria Umberto

Robert, Korina and Cailan inside the Galleria

The Historical Centre of Naples, the largest in the world, comprises almost the entire urban area. It reaches from the Capodinwnte hill to the Vomero hill, stretches out below from east to west, incorporating the buildings of the Centra Antico as well as Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque constructions. Because of the wealth of its history, architecture, monuments and art, in 1995 UNESCO listed the Historical Centre of Naples as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
To give some idea of what Naples includes, suffice it to mention that it incorporates the Graeco-Roman city, medieval city walls, gates, castles, historic palaces, two royal palaces, four vast parKs (Villa Comunale, Parco Virgiliano, Parco di Capodimonte and Parco della Floridiana), religious buil¬dings of great historic and monumental interest, a hermitage, a chartreuse, over 20 museums and galleries, monumental fountains, the famous Lungomare (sea front), beautiful squares, four tourist ports, two islets, and, below ground, a network of tunnels from the classical period

Piazza Plebiscito is the largest square in Naples. It is named for the plebiscite taken in 1860 that brought Naples into the unified Kingdom of Italy under the House of Savoy. It is bounded on the east by the Royal Palace and on the west by the church of San Francesco di Paola with the colonnades extending to both sides

In the first years of the 19th century, the King of Naples was Murat (Napoleon's brother-in-law). He planned the square and building as a tribute to the emperor. When Napoleon was finally dispatched, the Bourbons were restored to the throne of Naples

Ferdinand I continued the construction but converted the finished product into the church one sees today. He dedicated it to Saint Francis of Paola, who had stayed in a monastery on this site in the 16th century. The church is reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome. The façade is fronted by a portico resting on six columns and two Ionic pillars. Inside, the church is circular with two side chapels. The dome is 53 metres high

The Royal Palace

Bourbon Kings of Naples used the Palace during their rule of the Kingdom of Naples (1730-1860). The 17th century palace visible today is, however, the result of numerous additions and changes, including some by Luigi Vanvitelli in the mid-18th century and then by Gaetano Genovese in 1838 after a fire had damaged much of the palace. Additionally, restoration was done after World War II to repair bomb damage. The western façade side of the building (fronting on Piazza del Plebiscito) displays a series of statues of the rulers of dynasties to rule Naples since the foundation of the Kingdom of Naples in the twelfth century. They are: Roger II, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Charles of Anjou, Alfonse of Aragon, Emperor Charles V, Charles III of Bourbon, Joachim Murat, and Victor Emanuel II of Savoy, the first king of united Italy. Today the palace and adjacent grounds house the San Carlo Theatre, a museum, the National Library of Naples and a number of city offices, including those of the regional tourist board

There are at least 11 themed Itineraries that visitors can follow in the Historical Centre: Graeco' Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Religious, Museums, Castles, Caravaggio, Fountains, and Borghi Marinari (seaside villages). Besides this uniquely complex urban wealth, the city also offers many opportunities for trips to the surrounding areas, accompanied by unique oenological and gastronomical delights. Of particular interest are the craft shops at the Borgo degli Orefici (gold and jewellery), in Via San Sebastiano (lute makers), and in via San Gregorio Armeno, one of the ancient streets called 'Cardini', famous throughout the world for the production of the artistic Neapolitan nativity sets and characters

Robert and Korina at the famous Immacolatella fountain associated with the Immacolatella, which is a small, old red building at water's edge in the main port of Naples. It is the only such remnant of old Naples still standing at the port. The fountain has now been relocated and now stands on the seaside road, via Nazario Sauro, near the Castel dell'Ovo
 

Pizza's & Piazza's

Castel dell'Ovo "Egg Castle" is located on a small island, the Megarides, where colonists from Cumae founded the originary nucleus of the city in the 6th century BCE. In the 1st century CE the Roman patrician Lucius Licinius Lucullus built a magnificent villa on the site. Fortified by Valentinian III in the early 5th century, it was the place where the last western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus, was exiled in by Odoacer in 476. Eugippius founded a monastery on the site after 492
 

Robert, Korina and Cailan Bayside

Hellloooo

Sant'Elmo is the name of both a hill and a fortress in Naples, located near the Certosa di San Martino. Together, the structures overlook Naples and are the most visible landmarks in the city. The name "Sant'Elmo" is from an old 10th-century church, Sant'Erasmo, that name being shortened to "Ermo" and, finally, "Elmo". The fortress was started in 1329 under Robert of Anjou and completed in 1343, the year of his death. Pedro Alvarez de Toledo, the Spanish viceroy, had the fortress rebuilt between 1537 and 1546. The fortress is a star-shaped castle with six ramparts. During the revolution of 1647, so-called “Masaniello’s Revolt”, the Spanish viceroy took refuge in the fortress to escape the revolutionaries. Sant’Elmo was also the symbol of the short period of the Neapolitan Republic of 1799. The fortress has been restored to public use since 1980 and houses the "Bruno Molajoli" Art History museum
 

San Francesco di Paola is a church in Naples, southern Italy. It is located at the west side of Piazza del Plebiscito, the city's main square. In the early 19th century, King Joachim Murat of Naples (Napoleon's brother-in-law) planned the entire square and the large building with the colonnades as a tribute to the emperor. When Napoleon was finally dispatched, the Bourbons were restored to the throne of Naples. Ferdinand I continued the construction - finished in 1816 - but converted the final product into the church one sees today. He dedicated it to Saint Francis of Paola, who had stayed in a monastery on this site in the 16th century. The church is reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome. The façade is fronted by a portico resting on six columns and two Ionic pillars. Inside, the church is circular with two side chapels. The dome is 53 metres high

Statuesque

Over 27 centuries of man's uninterrupted presence have layered Naples with immense archaeological wealth: on the Posillipo hill (a theatre, noteworthy remains of villas, the Grotta di Seiano), in the area of Piedigrotta (the "Crypta Neapolitana" with Virgil's Tomb), in Materdei (the prehistoric Necropolis), on the Lungomare (the islet of Megaride, with Castel dell'Ovo and Mount Echia, the Greek Acropolis).
The most important remains, however, are to be found in the Centre Antico, between the Decumani and the Cardini of the Graeco-Roman city, which has always been inhabited and is a unique frame of reference. This area contains Greek and Roman Walls, the Excavations of San Lorenzo Maggiore and of the Duomo (cathedral), the Statue of the Nile God, the Church of San Paolo Maggiore, once the Temple of the Dioscuri and part of the perimeter wall of the Theatre, the early Christian church where Saint Peter celebrated Mass, the Cappella di Sant'Aspreno (an ancient thermal bath building), the Catacombs.
The Decumani and the Cardini, the roads of Graeco-Roman Naples, are still practically intact and are dotted with building works in bricks of the period, but the most fascinating remains are found in the excavations of the Duomo and of San Lorenw Maggiore. Three different layers lie below the Duomo: the lowest is Greek, the one above it is Roman and the early Christian layer lies on the top. Below San Lorenzo there is a stretch of road, I'Erarium, with a decorated entrance and some shops, which are believed to have been close to the "Macellum", the market of the time. Archaeological remains are to be found everywhere in the Historical Centre: the columns of the Temple of the Dioscuri in the Church of San Paolo Maggiore in the area of the Forum, the pagan Altar of the Temple of Ceres in what is now the Chapel of Santa Patriya in San Gregorio Armeno, Greek walls in Piazza Bellini, Piazza Calenda and Largo Sant'Aniello, and Roman walls in Vico Santa Maria Vertecceli. What makes archaeology in Naples unique is tJie fact that it is a "living city", which for 27 centuries has never been out of touch with man, and where man has never for a moment stopped working

Heading for Garibaldi

Sunset in Naples

Naples is by tradition the home of pizza. It is the birthplace of the Pizza Margherita, which traditionally is made with mozzarella cheese, pomodoro (tomato) and basil, representing respectively, the red, white, and green of the Italian flag. The pizza was named when it was served to Queen Margherita during a visit to the city. La vera pizza "true pizza" is made in a wood-burning oven similar to a Tandoori oven. There is a certification body that issues recognition to pizza places around the world that have been deemed to make true Neapolitan pizza

Garibaldi

P.S. A big thanks to Wikipedia for all the historic facts...
 

All photographs were taken in Naples - Italy on the 29th September 2006.