All about Naples

Naples in ancient Greek Νεα Πόλις - “new city”, in Latin Neapolis, in Italian Napoli, in Neapolitan Napule. It is the center of the administrative district of Campania, the third largest city in Italy after Rome and Milan and the largest city in southern Italy. Near Naples is the famous Vesuvius, the only active volcano in continental Europe. This beautiful city is located in the northern part of the Bay of Naples. From here you have a wonderful view of the island of Capri and the island of Ischia. East of Naples are Pompeii and Herculaneum, ancient cities on the Gulf of Naples destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. The ashes buried them and preserved them unchanged to this day. I offer the most comprehensive free online travel guide to Naples. It contains everything you need to know about this city: attractions, architectural monuments, prices, food. If you decide to travel to Naples, there are plenty of things to do - Naples is an outstanding city in Italy. I will provide you with specific information that will undoubtedly be useful to you.

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1. Briefly about Naples

2. Table of contents

1. Briefly about Naples

According to legend, when Odysseus was returning home from Troy, the Sirens (according to ancient mythology, the Sirens were demonic creatures with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a bird) tried to deceive him with their songs. But this did not pay off and one of the desperate sirens named Partenope - the child of the river god Achelous and the dance muse Terpsichore - threw herself into the sea and drowned. Her body washed ashore near what is now Naples, on the island of Megarid, where the Castel dell'Ovo castle is now located. When people from the city of Cuma (the first colony of the ancient Greeks in Italy, namely in Campania, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea) came to this place in the 8th century BC, they founded a new city and they named him Parthenope in honor of that Sirina. That is why Neapolitans are also called Parthenopeans.

Roman mythology offers another version: the centaur Vesuvius fell in love with Parthenope. Angry Jupiter turned the centaur into a volcano, and Parthenope into the city of Naples. Legend has it that when a centaur, turned into a volcano, can no longer control his feelings, he will throw them out in anger.

In the IV century BC the city was sacked by the Italics, most of the population left it and it became known as Palepolis, which means old city. Soon a new city arose next to it, which received the name Naples (“new city”) in Greek. It later became part of the Roman Republic and then the Roman Empire. It was during this period that the economic and cultural rise of Naples took place. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city became part of Byzantium (in theVI century AD). In the years 638-1137, Naples was, in fact, the capital of the independent Duchy of Naples. In 1139, the Byzantines were expelled by the Normans, and Naples became part of the Kingdom of Sicily. In 1224, during the reign of Emperor Frederick II, the University of Naples was founded. This is one of the oldest universities in the world.

In 1226, the Anjou dynasty came to power in Naples and the entire Kingdom of Sicily. From 1503 until the beginning of the 18th century, the city was under Spanish rule. During the reign of the Aragonese, a lot of good things were done: churches and architectural structures were built, culture and art were developed. In the XVII century, almost 300 thousand people lived in Naples and it was the second largest city in Europe after Paris.

From 1707 to 1734, Naples was ruled by the Austrians and then by Napoleon, who in 1806 transferred the Neapolitan crown to his brother Giuseppe Bonaparte. The latter retained power until 1815. For the next two years, the crown of Naples belonged to the Bourbons. Garibaldi took it from them. In October 1860, the Italian state was created, which included Naples and the entire province of Campania.

In 1995, the historical center of Naples was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The patron saint of the city is the holy martyr Januarius. In honor of his memory, a big holiday is held every year on September 19.

This is what the flag of Naples looks like:

This is what the coat of arms of Naples looks like against the background of the flag:

The coat of arms of Naples is a heraldic shield divided in half. The upper part is gold, which symbolizes solar energy, life and prosperity, and the lower part is red, which indicates courage, strength and unity. At the top there is a crown in the form of a five-tower wall, at the bottom there are laurel and oak branches tied with a ribbon made from the colors of the flag of the Italian state.

Naples is characterized by warm and mild weather. The best period for tourists is May and June, as well as from late August to early October. The average daytime temperature, even in winter, is +13°C, at night +4°C.

Currently, the population of Naples is about 911 thousand people, and the Naples agglomeration is about 4 million 400 thousand people. The city is divided into 30 districts (quartieri - quartieri), which form ten independent self-governing municipalities.

Both Italian and Neapolitan are spoken in the city. Both languages are derived from the local dialect of Latin.

Today Naples is a major seaport with shipyards, as well as steel, oil and porcelain industries. Throughout the history of Naples, wealth and poverty, intensive economic growth and respect for the historical traditions of Italy coexist side by side.

The beauty of Naples gave rise to the famous phrase: “See Naples and then die.” According to one version, it belongs to Goethe.

In a few words we will mention the “Camorra”, which means “struggle” in Italian. "Camorra" is the Neapolitan mafia with its own hierarchy, laws and jargon. Today, the main source of income for this influential mafia syndicate is smuggling and drug trafficking.

Football is very popular in Naples. The city has its own football team - Napoli, in which the legendary Argentinean Diego Maradona once played, and since the summer of 2022 the Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has played. More information can be found in the article Naples and football.

In Naples, as throughout the country, the currency is the euro.

2. Table of contents

1. Visit to Naples.

1.1. Naples in 1 day.

1.2. Naples in 2 days.

1.3. Excursion transport around Naples.

2. Getting around Naples.

2.1. Naples public transport.

2.2. Naples Airport.

2.2. Naples Metro.

3. Food, drinks and prices in Naples.

3.1. Dishes of Italian and Neapolitan cuisine.