Naples

Naples, which is also known as Napoli in Italian, is a colossal city in Italy and is known as among the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities. It is the capital city of the region Campania and of Naples Province. It is situated on the Gulf of Naples, in between the two volcanic areas, named, Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei. With a total population of 959,574 in the city-proper, Naples is considered the third most inhabited municipality of Italy.

The population in the urban area of Naples is approximately between 3 to 3.7 million. This made Naples become European Union’s ninth most populated area. It is also considered the second largest metropolitan area, next to Milan. Naples occupies a total land area of 117.27 square kilometers.

Naples was founded by the populace of the Greek colony of Cumae somewhere between the 6th and 7th centuries BC. It was originally named as Neapolis, an ancient Greek word that means “new city”.

Naples Food Fortes

If you are looking for a place to savor a genuine taste of the Italian cuisines, dining at Naples restaurants could be the best option. Many worldwide known Italian dishes actually originated in Naples. Pizza, for instance, is among Naples food fortes. You can find different varieties of pizza in Naples which are all sumptuous and great tasting. Among the other Italian foods that originated in Naples are the lasagna, spaghetti and eggplant parmesan. Naples also serves delicious and unique tasting seafood dishes.

Picturesque Sightseeing Spots in Naples

Royal Palace of Naples
The Palazzo Reale, or better known as Royal Palace of Naples, was among the four residences used by the Bourbon Kings. It is located in Piazza del Plebiscito in the heart of Naples, southern part of Italy. The construction of the palace commenced between 16th and 17th centuries with Domenico Fontana as the architect.

There are plenty of attractions that make Palazzo Reale worth visiting. Among the things you can see in the palace are the commendable apartments at the first floor of the palace. Nature lovers will also love the Garden with various kinds of exotic plants while art lovers can enjoy the several exhibitions found inside the coach house. You should also not miss visiting the Capella Palatina, a chapel in Palazzo Reale that has depressing altar.

Palazzo Reale is also a perfect place to be for opera devotees. There are many theaters that can be found in Palazzo Reale such as the Theater Teatrino di Corte and the popular San Carlo Theater.

Vesuvius
Vesuvius is once an extinct volcano that was cloaked with eminent woods and vines. It is known for its eruption in 79 AD which destroyed Pompeii City and buried the neighboring Herculaneum. One of the most detrimental eruptions was recorded on December 16, 1631 which had marked 3, 000 fatalities and had wrecked all the communes situated at its foot.

Vesuvius tour will take around an hour. Tourist will not only have the chance to see the beauty of the volcano but they will be able to climb up to the peak of the volcano as well, where they can witness the breathtaking landscape of Naples Bay, Cape Miseno, Sorrento Peninsula and the Gaeta Gulf.

Castelnuovo
Castelnuovo is an immense five-towered castle that was originally founded in 1279-1282 by Charles I of Anjou. In 1443, Alfonso I commissioned the restoration and rebuilding of the castle. The castle was constructed with white marble and gray volcanic stone as the main materials.

Castelnuovo is likewise known as Maschio Angioino. It once served as the ancient Naples kings and viceroys’ residence. It is located on Piazza Municipio.

Maschio Angioino is now known as a Civic Museum that houses frescoes and paintings that are dated back from the 14th and 15th centuries. You can see the Gothic Church of Santa Barbara, also known as Capella Palatina, in the courtyard of the castle. Capella Palatina is frescoed with Giotto. You can find the huge Hall of Baron on the left side of the church.

Pompeii

Pompeii is known for the many disasters that had caused its deterioration. In 62 AD, the city was hit by a detrimental earthquake. Twelve years after this, the city was destroyed by the Vesuvius volcano eruption. During this time the city had a population of around 20, 000.

The ruins of the city were first unearthed in 1594 when Sarno canal was built. However, serious excavations were only done in 1860. The excavation was led by archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli.