Naples (Italy)

Neapolis: the new city. The origins of the city are very ancient. It is an extraordinary historical and cultural centre, with
cuisine and musical traditions successfully exported all over the world. The legend tells that the mermaid Parthenope
was lying on the shores of Naples, giving her beauty and fortune to the land. Actually, historical evidence shows that the
city was founded in approximately 600 BC by Greek colonisers.
Naples preserved Greek habits until the Romans came, three hundred years later, enriching it with a series of villas
and settlements still witnessed by many remains and evidence. The Romans were but the first to conquer Naples. In fact
it was dominated in succession by the Barbarians, Byzantinians, Normans, Angevins, Aragons, Austrians, Spanish and
Bourbons. Naples obtained its freedom when it was annexed to Italy, immediately after Garibaldi passage in 1860.
Dominated by Mount Vesuvius, whose plume of smoke can be seen from any corner in the city, Naples is undoubtedly
charming both for its geographical position and for its historical and architectural masterpieces. The Angevin Stronghold,
with the Triumph Arc and the Palatine Chapel and the Royal Palace, the San Carlo Theatre and Piazza Plebiscito, recently
restored by the municipality, are the most famous tourist attractions.
Naturally, Pompeii is worth mentioning. Its museum is the most visited in Italy. A sudden eruption of Mount Vesuvius in
79 AD destroyed the town, which was covered by a thick layer of ash. The excavations, opened in 1754, revealed
thousands objects presently preserved in Naples Archaeological Museum and in Pompeii Museum. Capri, Ischia and
Procida, the islands in the Gulf of Naples are similarly very attractive and popular thanks to the cinema, literature and
international music successes, besides the famous Posillipo promenade. In particular, Capri is undoubtedly the most
visited not just by Italian tourists but by foreign tourists as well for whom a picture with the Faraglioni as a background is
an absolute must.
If you stop in Naples you simply have to taste the local cuisine. Pizza of course served according to the tradition on
marble tables and pasta of any size and quality and cakes, such as the pastiera, the babà, struffoli (just for Christmas)
and the typical Naples torrone