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| Naples
is Perched on the Tyrrhenian Sea. 1 |
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Naples is a fiery native
population, roasting hot summer days and a history of deadly nearby volcanic
explosions. Its innovative chefs used their wood-burning ovens to bake the world's
first pizza to perfection, one of the city's proudest claims to fame. As rich
in its welcoming and vibrant atmosphere as in its architectural and natural
history, Naples is one of the world's most ancient cities, bearing the imprint
of the classical Greek and Roman civilizations. Naples is in some ways typically
Italian, there is an ease with fashion, chaotic traffic – the best description
of which is absolutely 'survival of the fittest' – and strong family values.
Residents of the seaside city are also proudly Neapolitan. They have a language
distinct from Italian; currently undergoing a renaissance thanks to local writers
and musicians popularising its use. Indeed the city itself, a charming ramshackle
of bits and pieces from various dynasties that becomes greater than the sum
of its parts, is more reminiscent of a north African port than a southern Europe
one. The city stands on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea and is the capital
of Campania. One million
people call Naples home with a further 3.2 million living in the surrounding
municipal area. They all run the gauntlet of Vesuvius,
the volcano which towers above the city and has forged a reputation for violent
eruptions, with the best known being the dramatic destruction of the nearby
settlement of Pompeii
in AD 79. A more sinister danger is the notorious Camorristi mafia. Contact
with the Don and his chums can be avoided if seedy areas of town are given a
wide berth.
HISTORY
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The
Castle of the Egg Guards Naples' Port.
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Greek Naples
The impact of
the Greeks can be seen on the streets of the city and heard in the words of
the Neapolitans. The first settlers of the area were Greek seamen who had set
out from the island of Rhodes in search of more fertile pasture. These pioneers
built the Castle
of the Egg (Castel dell'Ovo), which provided protection for the
first incarnation of Naples, known as the mercantile settlement of Parthenope.
Parthenope grew in size following the migration of more Greeks after the fall
of another Campanian settlement named Cuma. It was at this time the city was
dubbed Neapolis, meaning new city. Learning the lesson of Cuma, huge city walls
were built, and it wasn't until the might of the Romans showed up on the doorstep
in the 4th century BC that a new era of Naples began.
Roman Naples
Rome appreciated Naples not only for its strategic Tyrrhenian position but
also for it's natural beauty; somewhere to take a break from the serious business
of running a brutal, worldwide empire. Emporers Caesar and Tiberius were among
the first to build one of Italy's original resorts with much of the construction
taking place during the time of Christ. Many luxurious villas were built on
the coast, and Naples' modern day neighbours of Sorrento
and Amalfi retain
the same spirit of relaxation that the great emperors enjoyed. As a favoured
part of the Roman Empire, Naples benefited greatly from investment, with modern
roads to Rome resulting in
increased trade. An upgrade to the city's sewage and aqueduct system also improved
the quality of life for ordinary Neapolitans. It is said that during the time
of Christ, St. Paul and St. Peter passed through the city with their teachings,
resulting in the construction of Christian basilicas including the ancient San
Gennaro extra Moenia, which dates to the 5th century.
Medieval Naples
Following the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 there was a series of barbarian
raids on Naples, which remained mostly independent until 1137 when it became
part of Roger II's kingdom of Sicily.
Progressive leader Frederick II, a Sicilian king who ruled from Naples, made
the city an intellectual capital, founding a university in 1224, but his stay
was short-lived. Pope Clement IV sponsored an invasion in 1266, installing the
Anjou family as rulers of the Kingdom of Sicily and Naples. A rebellion in Sicily
in 1284 ripped the Kingdom in two, with Spanish nobleman King Peter III of Aragon
moving in to quell the Sicilian rebellion and claim the island for his own.
An uneasy quiet existed for awhile, but the two rival families soon came to
blows again in 1442 and the Anjou lost Naples when they were defeated by the
invading Aragonese. Fortunately, the rule of Aragon was long and fruitful and
Naples blossomed again as an important trading port. At the time of the Renaissance,
arts in the area flourished.
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| The
Population of Naples Exploded Under Spanish Rule.
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Spanish and Bourbon Naples
When the Aragonese
were absorbed into the Kingdom of Spain, so was Naples. The first of the Spanish
viceroys, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, arrived in 1502. Further stability caused
the population to triple to 300,000 from 100,000, making Naples the second largest
city in Europe, behind Paris.
Despite this boom, trouble was brewing amongst the populace who thought the
Spanish rule too heavy handed. The increasingly cramped city exploded when the
native Neapolitans, upset at yet another tax hike, rebelled under the leadership
of Amalfi fisherman Tommaso Aniello in 1647. For a time, the Spanish were sent
packing and the Neapolitan Republic was declared, with Naples appealing to France
for protection. Less then a year later the Spanish returned and crushed the
popular rebellion. With the Bourbon family now in control of the Spanish crown,
a more even rule of Naples took place. Charles III undertook a programme of
regeneration in the city.
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O Sole Mio
An incredibly popular Neapolitan song penned by Giovanni Capurro and Eduardo
di Capua in 1898, O Sole Mio holds the title of most recorded Italian
song of all time. Performed by opera greats such as Caruso, Pavarotti
and Bocelli, it has also been covered by punk and rock acts and the melody
was set to English lyrics by both Dean Martin and Elvis Presley as "There's
No Tomorrow" and "It's Now Or Never" respectively. Elvis
went to #1 in the Billboard charts with his version on August 15, 1960.
In the UK, a long-running
TV commercial for a popular ice cream featured the song and at the 1920
Olympic games in Antwerp, O Sole Mio was used when the music for the Italian
national anthem could not be found.
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Italian Independence
Regal power in Naples ended in 1861, when Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi
conquered the Kingdom of Sicily and the peninsula began to unite under the Italian
name as the modern nation known today. Garibaldi was a key member of the Resurgence
(Risorgimento) movement that fought for a united Italian state for most
of the 1800s. In the years prior to 1815, the Italian Republic existed on much
of the Italian peninsula under the banner of the Napoleonic Empire. Following
the Empire's collapse in 1815, European nobility re-imposed the system of independent
governments under the ultimate rule of the Austrian Habsburgs. A series of insurrections
led to the revolutions against the Habsburgs and their supporters between 1848
and 1849. The Habsburgs moved quickly to quell these nationalist feelings and
kept their subjects in order.
But a desire for a united
Italy was still deep-rooted in the people of the peninsula and when the Piedmont
Prime Minister Camillo di Cavour met with Napoleon III in the summer of 1858,
the states of Italy, supported by the French, declared war on the Austrian overlords.
During the campaigns of this war, Garibaldi conducted a siege of Naples and
the Spanish rulers fled with loyalist troops on Sept. 6, 1861.
Modern Naples
Naples enjoyed
a period of quiet until the outbreak of the Second World War. Again made a victim
by its strategic importance, the city endured heavy aerial bombing until its
liberation from Axis control. The 20th century saw four eruptions by Mount Vesuvius,
with an incident in 1906 the most violent, spewing forth more lava than any
other recorded eruption and killing over 100 people. These days, Naples is an
important transportation hub and the surrounding area is also a major tourist
destination. Perhaps the most famous recent exports have been the song 'O Sole
Mio', the original lyrics to which are in Neapolitan, and the Margherita
pizza.
ATTRACTIONS
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| A
View from Pompeii with Vesuvius in the Background.4
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Greco-Roman Treasures
On August 27, 79 AD, a cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius hurled forth
lashings of magma and ash on the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Such was the violence of the incident the towns were completely covered by molten
rock and lost for centuries. A construction survey in 1599 discovered some remnants
of the abandoned settlements, but it was not until 1738 that significant archaelogical
digs were started. The two towns are extremely well preserved, right down to
ancient graffiti etched on to the stone buildings. A trip to either place is
akin to literally stepping back in time. The visitor here will find decadent
villas decorated with frescoes and even plaster mouldings of their unfortunate
owners. These castings were created from the voids left in the solidified magma
by buried Pompeiians, their bodies decaying over the centuries while their rocky
graves remained.
A collection of individual
discoveries and finds of artistic importance can be found at the Naples
National Archaeological Museum. There are several classical sculptures
here including the Farnese Hercules, Atlas and Bull. Pompeii in particular was
noted for its erotic art, and the museum has a secret chamber with all the juiciest
examples.
Taking a short boat trip
out of the port will take visitors to the island of Capri
where there are ruins from Emporer Tiberius' holiday home, Villa
Jovis. The Salto di Tiberio, at the rear of the villa, is said to be
where malcontents and enemies were tossed over the cliffs and into the sea.
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The
New Castle is one of Naples Most Imposing Structures.
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Castles
There are several
historic castles in Naples. The Castle
of the Egg stands on a rocky island overlooking the city and was built
in the 12th century by the Normans. The current incarnation stands on the site
of a former Greek fortress and Roman villa. Once on the island visitors can
get lost in the labyrinth of streets, most of which are lined with restaurants
and cafes. In the centre of Naples, the New
Castle is the best example of dynastic fortifications from the 13th
century, when Charles I of Anjou set about protecting the capital of his new
kingdom.
Churches
Perhaps the Neapolitans have a particularly large amount of repenting to
do, but there are over 100 churches in the historic centre of Naples. The Cathedral
(or Duomo) is the most prominent place of worship and is dedicated to
St.
Januarius (San Gennaro). Inside is St. Januarius' chapel, where
his skull is kept along with two vials of congealed blood from when he was martyred.
Neapolitans pray in the presence of the vials on the first Sunday of May. During
the ceremony,
the vials are placed near the Saint's remains and the blood changes from its
dried state into liquid. Neapolitans believe that this apparent miracle ensures
St. Januarius will answer their prayers and keep them safe from disasters. The
building was commissioned by the Anjou family in 1272, but suffered badly during
an earthquake in 1456. Various alterations have been implemented over the years
to keep the cathedral standing, with an 18th century Neo-Gothic facade constituting
the last makeover.
Despite being one of the
most altered churches in Naples, the church of Santa
Chiara remains a symbol of local pride. Dating back to the 14th century,
the church has been a victim of several earthquakes, overbearing architectural
meddling and a disasterous incendiary bombing during the Second World War. After
the conclusion of the hostilities, the building was rebuilt as close as possible
to the original design and the works of art that survived the bombing remain
inside.
The Church of San
Lorenzo Maggiore was built in 1265, adding on to a 6th century basilica,
and entombed within are some of the past nobility of Naples. Catherine of Austria
rests within a particularly eye-catching mosaicked shrine. Discoveries from
the Greco-Roman era have also been found beneath the church and important finds
are displayed in the cloisters.
The Bourbon Legacy
Of all of the ruling classes, the Bourbon Spaniards left behind two of the
most remarkable assets of pre-Italian Naples. Originally designed as a meeting
place for the nobility and upper classes, Villa
Comunale is now open for all to enjoy and retains its late 18th century
grandeur. The gardens are well-landscaped and located within is Europe's oldest
aquarium.
The Bourbons were enthusiastic
patrons of the arts, and the San
Carlo Theatre is the oldest working theatre in Europe. Opened in 1737,
the theatre was lauded for its decadent interior and bold architecture. It now
hosts operas, ballets and plays year-round.
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| The
Original Pizza was Created in Naples.6 |
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The Margherita
Foods similar
to the modern day pizza have existed in this part of the world since Greek times,
but the variation everyone knows and practically everyone loves was created
in Naples by baker Raffaele Esposito on the occasion of a royal visit. Of the
three pizzas presented to her, Queen Margherita of Savoy most preferred the
simple but delicious version that has a doughy base smeared with tomato sauce,
topped with buffalo mozzarella and garnished with basil. The red of the tomatoes,
white of the mozzarella and green of the basil rather patriotically referred
to the Italian flag. Esposito named this pizza after the Queen and it became
the original from which all contemporary pizza springs. Worldwide popularisation
of the dish occured thanks to the large number of Neapolitan immigrants to the
United States of America and
especially Little
Italy in the lower Manhattan area of New
York.
Naples' Artistic Culture
Several influential artists have called Naples home or been inspired by
the vibrancy and location of the city. Many are showcased at the National
Museum & Gallery of the Capodimonte. Of all the artists connected to
Naples, it is perhaps Caravaggio who has the greatest reputation. Exceptionally
gifted, to describe the native Milanese
as a loose cannon is the understatement of the century. After arriving in Rome
without a penny to his name, Caravaggio began painting hack-work for Giuseppe
Cesari, one of Pope Clement VIII's favourite artists. Even in these early works
Caravaggio displayed a fantastic sense of detail and also a fascinating ability
to convey emotion and feeling. Caravaggio's stature grew and he left the tutelage
of Cesari to learn from others. He began to pick up a great number of religious
themed commissions and, due to the psychological nature of his work, produced
some moving scenes depicting violent struggles, grotesque decapitations, torture
and death.
Caravaggio had a reputation
for brawling that more than matched his artistic clout. In 1606 he was responsible
for the death of a young man named Ranuccio Tomassoni in Rome. Caravaggio fled
to Naples and continued to paint, safely away from the jurisdiction of Roman
authorities. During his time in Naples he was the target of an assassination
attempt by persons unknown. Left horribly disfigured from fisticuffs with the
local authorities who bashed and cut his face, Caravaggio was still moved to
paint and even included his own altered features in a work called Salome with
the Head of John the Baptist. Caravaggio died in 1610 under suspicious circumstances
on a journey to receive a pardon for his misdeeds in Rome. His body was never
found and conflicting reports as to his cause of death were circulated. Despite
his intense life, or maybe because of it, Caravaggio kick-started the Baroque
movement and had a major impact on the history of art.
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Locals
Maintain a Streetside Shrine to Maradona.
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Another of Naples' flawed
geniuses is its favourite adopted son, Diego Armando Maradona – known as
El Diego. Born in an Argentine shanty town in 1960, Maradona was identified
as being a footballer of some promise at the age of 10. He was just 15 when
he played his first professional game for Argentinos Juniors. An incredible
116 goals in 166 games was all the motivation Argentina's most famous team,
Boca Juniors, needed to purchase him. He won the league with Boca and soon the
big bucks were beckoning and he headed to Europe to join Catalan giants Barcelona.
His stay in Spain was not easy, he contracted hepatitis and almost had his career
ended by a dangerous tackle by an opponent. Despite a healthy goalscoring record,
Barcelona were happy to let him go to ambitious Italian team Napoli.
Napoli were not well-known
in Italy for their football and the signing of Maradona was a major coup. The
diminutive Argentine was instrumental in Napoli's capture of its first ever
Italian league title in 1987, a feat repeated in 1990. Maradona also led his
native country to World Cup glory in 1986. These accomplishments were enough
to ensure the adoration of the Neapolitans, even when he left the club after
serving a 15-month ban for taking cocaine. Despite the scandal surrounding him,
Maradona is regarded as one of the finest footballers in the history of the
game, thanks to his success at home, in Italy and at the World Cup. The Neapolitans
maintain a shrine
to El Diego, which includes a lock of his hair, on the streets of the city.
TRANSPORTATION
Naples
International Airport is a major hub and operates domestic, European
and international flights. The airport is just 6 km (3.8 mi) north of the city
with regular buses linking it to the city centre. Taxis are also readily available
from the terminals. The central
train station (Stazione Centrale) is a major base for TrenItalia,
the Italian national rail carrier, and has regular service to Rome and most
other parts of Italy. Italy's trains are modern, fast and efficient, and Naples
has a fully integrated public
transport system with buses, trams and an underground system, covered
by single tickets that are transferable between modes for 90 minutes. Daily
travelcards are also available.
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| Capri
is Accessible by Boat.8 |
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Official taxis
in Naples are white in colour, have a metering system and bear the city's coat
of arms on their doors. They are always a better option than unlicensed taxis.
Thanks to downtown traffic congestion it is often quicker to walk or take the
metro. Driving in Naples should only be undertaken by those with nerves of steel.
No quarter on the streets is given, rules are regularly ignored and the streets
are rammed with people going nowhere. Add into this lethal mix non-existent
parking and the ubiquitous scooter darting in and out of the traffic and it's
easy to see why public transport is a better option for most.
Boats
to Capri and along the coast are plentiful with both public transit options
and private firms vying for the business of visitors.
CLIMATE
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Month |
Avg.
Daily Temperature |
Average
Rainfall |
|
Min |
Max |
| Jan
|
4°C
(39°F) |
12°C (54°F) |
116
mm |
| Feb |
5°C
(41°F) |
13°C
(55°F) |
85
mm |
| Mar
|
6°C
(43°F) |
15°C (59°F) |
73
mm |
| Apr |
9°C (48°F) |
18°C (64°F) |
62
mm |
| May
|
12°C (54°F) |
22°C (72°F) |
44
mm |
| Jun
|
16°C
(60°F) |
26°C
(79°F) |
31
mm |
| Jul |
18°C
(64°F) |
29°C
(84°F) |
19
mm |
|
Aug |
18°C
(64°F) |
29°C
(84°F) |
32
mm |
|
Sep |
16°C
(60°F) |
26°C
(79°F) |
64
mm |
|
Oct |
12°C
(54°F) |
22°C (72°F) |
107
mm |
|
Nov |
9°C
(48°F) |
17°C
(54°F) |
147
mm |
|
Dec |
6°C (43°F) |
14°C
(57°F) |
135
mm |
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Climate
data from BBC Weather |
Summer in Naples is hot,
but made more bearable by the cooling breeze that comes from being a coastal
city. September is cooler than July and August, and is an excellent time to
visit thanks to the modest heat and off-peak prices. The rainiest of days are
from October to January, but there are seldom excessive downpours, usually just
showers blowing off the Tyrrhenian Sea.
January and February are
the coldest months with the temperature dropping close to freezing but with
the moist sea air hovering around it can feel much colder. March sees the emergence
of springtime and a jump in temperatures to a level that cafes will start to
put tables and chairs outdoors.
April to June is balmy without
being excessively hot and good deals can usually be had on flights and accomodation
as Naples begins to gear up for its busy summer period.
PHOTO COURTESY
- Naples is Perched on the
Tyrrhenian Sea.
- The Castle of the Egg Guards
Naples' Port.
- The Population of Naples
Exploded Under Spanish Rule.
- A View from Pompeii with
Vesuvius in the Background.
- The New Castle is one of
Naples Most Imposing Structures.
- The Original Pizza was Created
in Naples.
- Locals Maintain a Streetside
Shrine to Maradona.
- Capri is Accessible by Boat.
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