City of pizza and basilicas: Top 20 places to visit in Naples

Vesuvius Volcano

When the word "volcano" is uttered, the first thing that comes to mind is almost always "Vesuvius".

Vesuvius gained its grim popularity in 79 AD, when its eruption swept several ancient cities to the ground. Vesuvius destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Stabia and Herculaneum, as well as several surrounding settlements and villas. About 12,000 people lived in Pompeii at that time.

Currently, the Vesuvius volcano is one of the most attractive tourist sites. The entire territory of the volcano was declared a national park-reserve in 1995. Its area is about 8500 square meters. The soil around the volcano is fertile, so it is surrounded by gardens and vineyards. Higher up the slope there are coniferous and mixed forests. Some of them are planted specifically to combat possible mudflows. Starting from a height of 900 meters, the stony soil is practically deserted.

Naples Harbor

Undoubtedly, one of the first places to visit in Naples is the harbor, with its beautiful views, numerous cafes and restaurants.

The entire population of the city seems to have found themselves on the streets scattered in the harbor, and everyone is talking at the same time. Colors look brighter here, and the aromas of pizza float in the air and beckon you to stop by one of the pizzerias.

National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum of Naples, located in Museum Square, is known primarily for the unique archaeological finds found in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae - these are the famous frescoes and Pompeian mosaics. It also houses collections of ancient Egyptian and ancient Greek treasures. The building of the Museum was built in 1586.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace of Naples, located in Piazza Plebiscita, is one of the four Bourbon royal residences of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

The palace was built in the early 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana by order of Viceroy Ferdinand. This palace was to receive the Spanish King Philip III and his wife, who was going to Naples on an official visit. However, this visit never took place. The palace was the residence of Spanish viceroys, then Austrians, and then passed to the Bourbons. After the unification of Italy in the second half of the XIX century, the palace became the residence of the monarchs of the Savoy dynasty.

Pompeii

In the vicinity of Naples is a popular archaeological complex of Pompeii - an ancient city, which in a matter of minutes was under an eight-meter layer of ash and other emissions of the volcano Vesuvius during the eruption in 79 A.D. How many prose and poetic lines are devoted to this catastrophe, which destroyed all life around, how many artists reflected the cataclysm in their paintings!

A century later, in place of the dead cities arose new ones, the inhabitants of which had no idea about Pompeii, until they got to the ruins during excavations. So the world learned about the unprecedented manifestations of Vesuvius, and the cities buried alive began to be actively excavated (1748-1960). The first expedition led by Alcubierre believed that the found objects - Stabia, but in the process of further excavations established their belonging to Pompeii.

Now it is worth coming here for lovers of antiquity to get into the spirit of history.

Monastery Museum of San Martino

This is a vast monastery complex that began its history of existence in 1368. It is located on top of a hill near the castle of Sant'Elmo. If you get to the area between the castle and the museum, you can enjoy a fantastic view of the bay and Naples.

The museum exhibits are located in the former living quarters of the monks, and you can see the ornate cells of the monastery. Be sure to visit the monastery garden. There you will be welcomed by fruit trees, flowers and fountains, many magnificent views.

Temple of the Assumption of St. Mary

In the historical center of Naples, on the Via Duomo, is the main shrine of the city - the Church of St. Januarius, or, as it is called today, the Church of the Assumption of St. Mary. On the site of the temple at the beginning of our era, there were ancient churches, of which the remains of the walls are now reminders. The facade of the Catholic temple was renewed several times, some parts were reconstructed, but the main ancient structures of chapels and basilicas were carefully preserved.

The splendor of the temple's decoration is made up by the works of talented Renaissance masters Vasari and Perugino. The mosaic panel "Madonna and Child on the Throne", created in 1322, is impressive. The main chapel of the cathedral contains precious ecclesiastical rarities.

Umberto I Gallery

Galleria Umberto is a huge shopping complex in Naples. Luxurious passage is a masterpiece of modern architecture, so all tourists who managed to spend a few days in Naples, be sure to visit it. Refinement and luxury of the magnificent structure will not leave anyone indifferent.

The building is made in the form of an octagonal cross and decorated with wings of great length.

Catacombs of San Gennaro

The second-century catacombs of San Gennaro are, like the Roman catacombs, a maze of pastures and tomb chambers, but they are more ambitious, architectural and finer-painted than their Roman counterparts.

They are unique in that you can see the burials of ancient times firsthand here.

Castel del Ovo Castle

The ancient castle stands proudly on a separate island just off the sea shore. The castle attracts tourists as a beautiful and majestic architectural landmark endowed with a rich history.

The medieval fortress castle, whose name means "castle of eggs", is located on the islet of Santa Lucia, made famous in a popular Neapolitan song. The Tyrrhenian Sea island is connected to Naples by an earthen embankment that can be used to reach the castle. Castel del Ovo resembles from afar a man-made rock overhanging the blue sea. Historians believe that it was on this island that Greek colonists began building a town in the 6th century BC.

Castel Sant'Elmo Castle

Another medieval fortress castle, built for protection from the sea, is located on the hill of the same name. It got its name from the ruined church of St. Erasmus of Antioch. Subsequently, Erasmus was pronounced in Italian transcription as "Elmo" - this is how the modern name of the castle, which has been repeatedly destroyed, was formed.

The majestic building in the form of a 6-pointed star looks very spectacular from below. A tour of the castle is the most interesting journey into the distant and recent past, recorded in the architecture of the castle.

San Domenico Maggiore

The Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore was built in the 13th century in the Gothic style and has been rebuilt several times throughout its history. Large-scale reconstructions were carried out in the building in the XVIII century, during the works the church acquired the Baroque style. In the XIX century a number of reconstruction works were carried out again, during which the building returned to its original style.

Inside the church are interesting amazing frescoes and the remains of the Romanesque basilica, sacristy and the Chapel of the Crucifixion. There are also 45 sculptures honoring members of the royal Aragonese family.

Napoli Sotteranea

Napoli Sotteranea or "Underground Naples" is an entire underground city made up of catacombs. This is where the people of Naples buried their co-religionists, conducted ordinances and built temples.

Nowadays it is an incredibly interesting attraction, which is visited not only by ordinary tourists, but also by mystics. You bet, because the real underground city of such scales meet not so often. And underground Naples is considered not studied to the end, many passages and caves are still a mystery to historians.

Santa Lucia

To the west of Piazza Piasquito, stretching as far as the sea, lies the district of Santa Lucia. It is a square of modern streets, uniqueestablishments and noisy hangouts. It is the main artery of the city's nightlife.

Capodimonte Museum

Capodimonte is the most picturesque and fascinating museum in Naples!

Housed in a marvelous 18th century palace, the museum is sumptuously decorated and houses a rich collection of art from Gothic paintings to contemporary works. Especially notable are masterpieces from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. This museum offers the most comprehensive collection of the Neapolitan school of painting from the 15th to the 19th centuries.

Here you will see a rich collection of tapestries, jewelry and exhibits of incredible beauty and finesse. The total exposition route occupies more than a hundred halls. In addition, the museum building is surrounded by a magnificent historical park, simply breathtaking, with a total area of 120 hectares.

Piazza del Plebiscita

This is the largest square in Naples, impressing everyone with its scale and majestic architectural frame. It is here that the famous Royal Palace with statues of Neapolitan rulers is located. Opposite the palace stands the Church of St. Francis of Paola, a magnificent neoclassical building. Its appearance with a semicircular colonnade on both sides of the church resembles St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, and the large round dome and triangular tympanum - the Roman Pantheon.

San Carlo Theater

The oldest opera house in Europe was opened in 1737 in Naples, where everything is imbued with the sounds of Neapolitan folk songs. The opening of the new luxurious theater took place on the King's birthday and was marked by the staging of Sarro's opera "Achilles on Skyros". Over the years, all the famous operas of the world were performed on the stage of the theater, many skillful performers sang, virtuosos of the world ballet shone. The beautiful interiors of the theater halls attract the same attention as the outstanding opera productions.

Herculaneum

Herculaneum was an ancient Roman city destroyed in 79 AD by the eruption of Vesuvius. Unlike Pompeii, it died not because of ash, but was flooded by a pyroclastic flow. It happened almost instantly: the flow from the volcano literally clogged all the buildings, so the city has been preserved even better than its more famous counterpart in misfortune. This means that those who like to explore antiquity can take their breath away and see the excavated city in almost pristine condition.

San Severo Chapel

Formerly a private chapel and the burial vault of the San Severo family. Nowadays it is a museum with works of the greatest sculptors and artists of Italy. There are many legends and mystical stories surrounding the chapel. The temple was laid in honor of the appearance of the image of the Virgin Mary on the site of a collapsed wall. Subsequently, it was rebuilt many times, until Count Raimondo de Sangro finished the work on it in the XVIII century.

For tourists, the chapel is interesting with a large number of sculptures, frescoes. Strikes the painted ceiling, which during its existence has not lost the brightness of colors.

Santa Chiara

Museum of archaeology, monastery and ancient tombs - this is all a religious complex of magnificent beauty called Santa Chiara in the city of Naples. The cathedral has been rebuilt several times, built in the fourteenth century in the Provençal Gothic style, it was later redesigned in the Baroque style. And during the Second World War it was destroyed by bombing. In the middle of the last century masters reproduced this architectural monument from scratch. Here visitors will certainly like the majolica columns, benches decorated with mosaics, paintings depicting the life of Neapolitans in bright colors in the shade of citrus trees.