NAPLES
Naples is the largest city of Italy's Campania region, It is the capital of the province and the third most populated city in Italy after Rome and Milan. It is situated between Vesuvius and the Phlegrean Fields and is stretched around the Bay of Naples, beyond a series of islands, like Capri, and peninsulas is the Tyrrhenean Sea.. It has a mild and constant climate. It is one of the most important industrial centers and trading ports of Italy and has a large international airport. HISTORY Founded in the 5th century B.C. by the Greeks of Cumae following the naval battle,Although conquered by the Romans in 327 B.C., the city maintained good relations with Athens. In 1140 Naples was integrated into the Kingdom of Sicily under the Normans. In 1189 it became part of the Hohenstaufen Kingdom. Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, founded a university there in 1224. At the Pope's incentive, Charles I of Anjou, who was the King of Sicily from 1265 until 1285, put an end to the Hohenstaufen domination of Naples and relocated the capital from Palermo to Naples. Under the authority of Anjou, Naples enjoyed two centuries of prosperity. The Castel Nuovo was constructed in 1279 and several Gothic churches were erected. The succession of the Aragon Dynasty in 1442 and especially that of King Ferdinand I were followed by a period of architectural and urban achievements. After being ruled by the French, then becoming a province of the Spanish Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, Naples became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. |
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TOP ATTRACTIONS
Lungomare and Castel Ovo
Along the waterfront, at the historic gateway to the Mediterranean and the world, you can get a feel for this vibrant city. Naples harbor is divided into separate docks and basins by a series of piers and breakwaters, and is always bustling with activity. The Lungomare is a beach promenade that follows the shore for about 2.4 kilometers along Via Partenope and Via Francesco Caracciolo in the Chiaia neighborhood, with beautiful views across the bay to Vesuvius and plenty of cafés and ice-cream shops. Cappella Sansevero
The Cappella Sansevero was built in 1590 as the private chapel of the Sansevero family and later became its burial chapel. In the 18th century, it was elaborately embellished in Baroque style by the eccentric mystic Raimondo di Sangro, Prince of Sansevero. Of the sculptures that he commissioned, the most outstanding artistic features are in the ethereal Veiled Christ by Sammartino (1753) and two others that show the figures draped in what appears to be a translucent tissue of marble. |
Catacombs of San Gennaro
The second-century Catacombs of San Gennaro, like the Roman catacombs, are a maze of passages and tomb chambers but are more ambitious architecturally and have finer paintings than their Roman counterparts. There are two levels of these, and in the upper catacomb's vaulting are frescoes from late in the second century. Here, too, is the small Crypt of the Bishops and the large underground basilica, with three naves cut into the stone and decorated with frescoes from the fourth through sixth centuries. National Archeological Museum
The Museo Archeologico Nazionale holds one of the world's finest collections of antiquities, many of which were brought here from early excavations of Pompeii. In fact, more of the city's artistic highlights are here than at the site itself. In addition, it has the art treasures of the kings of Naples, the Farnese collections from Rome and Parma, the collections from the palaces of Portici and Capodimonte, and material from Herculaneum and Cumae. Teatro di San Carlo
One of the largest theaters in Europe and one of Italy's premier opera houses, the Real Teatro di San Carlo was built by King Charles of Bourbon, adjoining his Royal Palace. It was completed in 1737, and along with being the oldest continuously active opera house in Europe, it was the model for opera houses everywhere. Six levels of ornately decorated boxes surround the interior, highlighted by the even more lavishly ornate royal box. Royal Palace
Along the east side of Piazza del Plebiscito is the former Royal Palace, begun in 1600 by Domenico Fontana and restored from 1837-41. It is one of four palaces in the area that were used as residences by the Bourbon kings. On the long facade are eight marble statues of the various kings who ruled Naples. |