Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
Naples Attractions
Large as Naples is, it’s easy to get to the sights you want to see on foot, allowing you to experience one of the city’s greatest allures—its street life. From Piazza Trento e Trieste, with the magnificent Teatro San Carlo and Galleria Umberto I, Via Toledo/Via Roma, leads north. To the left is the Quartieri Spagnoli, a neighborhood of tightly packed narrow lanes, while to the right, just beyond Piazza Dante, is the atmospheric historical center of the city, where many of the churches you want to see face airy piazzas. At the northern end of Via Toledo, about a 10-minute walk beyond Piazza Dante, is the celebrated Archaeological Museum.
31 Results
- Religious Site
Cappella del Monte di Pietà
The sober 16th-century palace of the Monte di Pietà hides one of Naples's art treasures: a perfectly preserved and richly decorated 16th-century chapel. Opening onto the palazzo's courtyard, the chapel is decorated by important artists of the 16th and 17th centuries. On either side… - Museum
Cappella di Sansevero
Only in Naples would a room as colorful, fanciful, mysterious, beautiful, and macabre as this exist. Prince Raimondo di Sangro of Sansevero remodeled his family’s funerary chapel in the 18th century, combining the baroque style then in fashion with his own love of complex symbolism… - Historic Site
Castel Capuano
A fortress built by Guglielmo I d'Altavilla in the 12th century and restored in the 13th century by Carlo d'Angió, this castle was transformed into a royal residence by the Aragona dynasty in 1484. In 1540, Don Pedro di Toledo, the viceroy of Naples, decided to change the residence… - Castle
Castel Nuovo
Now that the Giotto frescoes that once decorated the palace chapel have faded away, you can settle with admiring this medieval sea-girt beauty from the outside. As you do so, consider the plight of prisoners who once shared their dungeons with crocodiles imported from Egypt for the… - Castle
Castel Sant’Elmo
The Spanish gave this star-shaped fortress atop Vomero Hill its present appearance in the 16th century, taking advantage of a strategic position high above the city that today offers the best 360-degree views in town. - Castle
Castel dell’Ovo
As every Neapolitan knows, the poet Virgil placed an egg under the foundations of the city’s outrageously picturesque seafront fortress (Castle of the Egg) and when it breaks, a great disaster will befall the city. Considering earthquakes, eruptions of nearby Mt. Vesuvius, plague… - Religious Site
Catacombs of San Gennaro (St. Januarius)
San Gennaro’s head is in the duomo, but the rest of him is in his namesake two-story underground cemetery, used from the 2nd through 11th centuries. Some of the city’s earliest frescoes (those from Pompeii aside) are here, including one depicting a haloed San Gennaro with Mt.… - Religious Site
Certosa e Museo Nazionale di San Martino
Originally built in 1325 and rebuilt in the 17th century, this great monastery complex has been restored to its original beauty. Entering from the courtyard, you first come to the church, a masterpiece of baroque decoration, from the marble floor to the various works of art by… - Religious Site
Chiesa dei Girolamini
Rarely visited, this church and its attached convent hide a fine collection of artwork by some prominent Italian Renaissance artists. The church was built between the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th. Among the masterpieces you'll find inside are in the… - Religious Site
Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo
This unusual church was transformed by the Jesuits from 15th century Palazzo San Severino, the one-time residence of the Prince of Salerno, in the late 1700s. Its striking facade, a rare example of bugnato a punta di diamante (ashlar work), was preserved from the palazzo's original… - Religious Site
Chiesa di Santa Chiara
Despite its vast, light-filled interior and unabashedly cheerful cloisters, the church of Naples’ 13th- to 15th–century French rulers, the House of Anjou, is steeped in a stormy past. It’s not a sign of a good marriage when a wife’s only desire is to be a nun, but that’s what Queen… - Religious Site
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Monteoliveto
The Chiesa di Monteoliveto is not large but, having been one of the favorite churches of the Aragonese royal family, is chock-full of fabulous sculpture. It stands on a pretty square graced by the Fontana di Monteoliveto, the most beautiful baroque fountain in Naples that was built… - Religious Site
Complesso Museale di Santa Chiara
The most famous basilica in Naples, this church was built in 1310 by King Roberto I d'Angió as the burial church for the Angevin dynasty. In the 18th century, it was lavishly decorated by the best artists of the time, but bombings in 1943 destroyed much of the art. A subsequent… - Landmark
Fontana del Nettuno
Naples's most beautiful fountain has a unique history of mobility. Originally built for Viceroy Enrico Guzman, count of Olivares, it stood in front of the Arsenal for 30 years. In 1622, the Duca d'Alba had it moved to the Piazza del Palazzo Reale. In 1637, it was moved again to in… - Landmark
Galleria Umberto I
This gallery is an elegant glass-and-iron covered passage following a Greek cross shape, with each of its four arms opening onto a street on one end and meeting at a rotunda, covered with a cupola, on the other. Built at the end of the 19th century -- 20 years after its larger… - Cathedral
Il Duomo Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Three times a year—the first Saturday in May, September 19, and December 16—all of Naples squeezes into the great cathedral that King Carlo I d’Angio dedicated to San Gennaro in the 13th century. On these dates the dried blood of the city’s patron saint liquefies, or sometimes… - Museum
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donna Regina (MADRE)
It’s not New York’s Guggenheim or London’s Tate Modern, but the sprawling Palazzo Regina in the middle of medieval and baroque Naples provides a dramatic counterpoint for works by such contemporary artists as Anish Kapoor, Richard Serra, and Jeff Koons. Painter Francesco Clemente,… - Historic Site
Napoli Sotterranea
With so much happening above ground, it’s hard to see the appeal of “Naples Underground,” but guided tours of the city’s ancient water works are wildly popular and a surefire hit with kids. Some 2,000 years ago, Romans dug huge cisterns beneath the city and connected them with a… - Museum
National Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale)
The echoey, dusty, gloomy galleries of the rundown Palazzo degli Studi provide one of the world’s great time-travel experiences, from grimy modern Naples back to the ancient world. Two treasure troves in particular are what bring you here. The superb Farnese Collection of Roman… - Museum
National Museum & Gallery of the Capodimonte (Museo e Gallerie Nazionale di Capodimonte)
Italy has many better art collections, and the trip here inevitably involves a change of buses or a taxi ride. That said, there’s plenty to lure you out to the former hunting preserve of the Bourbon kings. For one, the bosco reale (royal woods) are one of the few parks in Naples, and… - Neighborhood
Piazza del Plebiscito
This graceful, wide-open piazza is arguably the most beautiful in Naples. It is defined by the majestic, curving colonnade of San Francesco di Paola -- an 1817 church built in full neoclassical style and inspired by the Roman Pantheon -- and the elegant neoclassical facade of the… Pio Monte della Misericordia
One of Naples's most important paintings is housed in this modest, octagonal chapel: Caravaggio's seminal 1607 Seven Acts of Mercy. It was commissioned in 1601 by a charitable institution of seven noblemen whose aim was to alleviate the suffering of the poor and needy in the city…- Religious Site
Quadreria dei Girolamini
Rarely visited, this church and its attached convent hide a fine collection of artwork by some prominent Italian Renaissance artists. The church was built between the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th. Among the masterpieces you'll find inside are in the… - Museum
Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale)
If your decorating tastes lean toward royal pomp, you’ll love following a designated route (accompanied by a really dry audio commentary) through some 30 grandiose yet strangely vacuous rooms where Neapolitan royalty ruled and entertained in the 18th and 19th centuries. You won’t… - Religious Site
San Domenico Maggiore
Standing over one of Naples's most beautiful squares -- graced by the Guglia San Domenico, an intricately carved marble spire erected between 1658 and 1737 in gratitude for the end of that century's plague -- this church actually offers its back to the public: Its facade, following… - Religious Site
San Giovanni a Carbonara
Built in 1343 with the annex convent, this church was used by the Angevin dynasty to bury their last family members. It is one of Naples's hidden gems and is likely to stay that way considering that it's rather hard to find. The church stands at the top of a sweeping double stone… - Religious Site
San Gregorio Armeno
Lending its name to the street famous for its manger artists and vendors, this little visited church has a lavishly decorated baroque interior, a beautiful bell tower, and a peaceful adjoining cloister. Dating from the 8th century, the church's interior was reworked in 1580, with… - Religious Site
San Lorenzo Maggiore
The most beautiful of Naples’s medieval churches seems to inspire great literature. Petrarch, the medieval master of Italian verse, lived in the adjoining convent in 1345, and it was here on Holy Saturday 1338 that Boccaccio (author of the “Decameron”) supposedly first laid eyes on… - Religious Site
San Paolo Maggiore
Founded between the 8th and 9th centuries A.D. over a pre-existing Roman Temple of the Dioscuri -- two of its columns remain on the facade -- San Paolo Maggiore was completely redone in the 16th century. The interior was decorated by many important artists of the 17th and 18th… - Religious Site
Sant'Angelo a Nilo
With its striking red and gray façade, this church was built in 1385 for the Brancaccio family and reworked in the 18th century. It merits a visit for its Funerary Monument of Cardinal Rinaldo Brancaccio, created in Pisa between 1426 and 1427, and shipped by sea to Naples. It is… - Park/Garden
Villa Comunale
Created in 1780 according to a design by Luigi Vanvitelli, as the private Royal Promenade for King Ferdinando IV Bourbon, this park was later transformed by the king into a public garden. It is graced by statues, fountains -- including the beloved Fontana delle Paperelle ("fountain…
More About Naples Attractions
Naples Shopping
Naples is a great source for Italian designer clothes and accessories, as well as for antiques and crafts. You have to know your stuff, though, because it was here that counterfeit goods were invented back in the 17th or 18th century. We advise you to stay away from fakes altogether, even if the price seems right; you risk heavy fines at Customs on your way home, as most countries are cracking down on such purchases as a way to protect brand identity. You also run the risk of being fined on the spot by the police.
Opening hours for stores are generally Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to 1pm and from 4 to 7:30pm.
Riviera di Chiaia, Via Calabritto, Via dei Mille, Via Filangeri, Via Poerio, and Piazza dei Martiri in Chiaia are where to go for the big-name Italian fashion labels, such as Valentino, Versace, Prada, and, of course, Salvatore Ferragamo -- a Naples native (the latter four are on and around Piazza dei Martiri). The area is also great for exploring the many smaller boutiques and stores that mostly sell accessories and clothing.
In the vicinity are old-time local favorites, such as Marinella, Via Riviera di Chiaia 287 (tel. 081-7644214), famous for handmade classic and colorful ties; Aldo Tramontano, Via Chiaia 149 (tel. 081-414837), for his handbags; and Mario Talarico, Vico Due Porte a Toledo 4/b (tel. 081-401979), for his handcrafted umbrellas. You'll also find some of the most reputable antiques dealers, such as Bowinkle, Piazza dei Martiri 24 (tel. 081-7644344), and Navarra, Piazza dei Martiri (tel. 081-7643595), but also Maurizio Brandi, Via Domenico Morelli 9 (tel. 081-7643882).
Every third Saturday and Sunday of each month from 8am to 2pm (except in Aug), a fiera antiquaria (antiques fair) is held in the Villa Comunale di Napoli on Viale Dohrn.
In the Vomero, the best shopping is centered on Via Scarlatti.
For more casual shopping and some specialty stores, try strolling the popular Via Toledo/Via Roma in the Quartieri Spagnoli/historical center. Here you will find the historical chocolate factory Gay-Odin, Via Toledo 214 and Via Toledo 427 (tel. 081/417-843; www.gay-odin.it). The area is also home to the elegant shops of the Galleria Umberto I, such as Ascione 1855 (tel. 081-421111) and its cameo workshop, where you can observe the delicate process of carving agate and coral, and also purchase unique jewelry.
Among the many delights of Naples are the presepi, nativity scenes that pop up everywhere, any time of the year and, not surprisingly, come out in force at Christmas time. Figures are carved in wood or fired in ceramic. Mainstays are Mary, Joseph, the infant Jesus, the donkey, the Wise Men, and angels, though the Neapolitan repertoire often expands to soccer stars and other celebrities. The settings are often a lot more elaborate than a humble manger: medieval town squares, rusticated villages with thatched cottages and spinning water-wheels, elaborate caves that look like some troglodyte fantasy. The Museo di San Martino (Largo San Martino 8; (tel) 081-5781769; admission 6€; open Thurs–Tues 8:30am–7:30pm) shows off the world’s largest presepe, an 18th-century concoction with hundreds of figures and objects; it’s the museum’s most popular display, and it’s thronged at Christmastime. You can piece together your own scene with a walk down Via San Gregorio Armeno, where year round, dozens of shops sell figures beginning at about 15€. You can also buy a complete scene for anywhere from 100€ well into five digits, or have one specially made with figures of your family and favorite celebrities (as many Neapolitans so). As you peruse these holy scenes, be aware that pickpockets flock to the street like sheep to a Bethlehem hillside with the unholy intent of preying on distracted gawkers glued to shop windows. Among the most reputable shops are Gambardella Pastori, Via San Gregorio Armeno 40 ((tel) 081-5517107); Giuseppe Ferrigno, Via San Gregorio Armeno 10 ((tel) 081-5523148); and Amendola, Via San Gregorio Armeno 51 ((tel) 081-5514899).
looking for a presepio. The most reputable workshops are Gambardella Pastori, Via San Gregorio Armeno 40 (tel. 081-5517107); Giuseppe Ferrigno, Via San Gregorio Armeno 10 (tel. 081-5523148); and Amendola, Via San Gregorio Armeno 51 (tel. 081-5514899). Via San Biagio dei Librai is lined with interesting shops selling paper goods and jewelry. Good addresses for antique prints and books are Libreria Colonnese, Via San Pietro a Majella 32 (tel. 081-459858); Dante e Descartes, Via Mezzocannone 75 (tel. 081-5515368); and Colonnese, Via Carlo Poerio 92 (tel. 081-7642627).
Naples Nightlife
Neapolitans make the best of balmy evenings by passing the time on cafe terraces. Top choice is the oldest cafe in Naples, with a Liberty-style interior from the 1860s, the elegant Gran Caffè Gambrinus, Via Chiaia 1, in Piazza Trento e Trieste ((tel) 081-417582). Another very popular spot is La Caffetteria, Piazza dei Martiri 25 ((tel) 081-7644243), top choice for evening aperitivi.
Opera & Classical Music -- The venerable Teatro San Carlo, Via San Carlo 98 (www.teatrosancarlo.it; (tel) 081-7972412 or 081-7972331), stages world-class opera, along with dance and orchestral works, Tuesday through Sunday, December through June. Tickets cost between 30€ and 100€.
Associazione Alessandro Scarlatti, Piazza dei Martiri 58 (www.associazionescarlatti.it; (tel) 081-406011), organizes a concert series at Castel Sant’Elmo; ticket prices range from 15€ to 25€.
Bars & Clubs -- This is a port, a cosmopolitan city, and a university town all rolled into one, so the Neapolitan nighttime scene is eclectic and lively. Piazza Bellini, near the university at the edge of the historical center, is an especially lively venue. Enoteche, or wine bars, provide a good choice of wines by the glass and by the bottle, a bit of food, and usually a relaxed atmosphere. Some top choices are quiet Berevino, Via Sebastiano 62 ((tel) 081-0605688; closed Mon); Enoteca Belledonne, Vico Belledonne a Chiaia 18 (www.enotecabelledonne.com; (tel) 081-403162; closed Sun), with a local Chiaia vibe; chic, stark Barril (Via Giuseppe Fiorelli 11); and Trip (Via Giuseppe Martucci 64; www.tripnapoli.com; (tel) 081-19568994), with welcoming overstuffed couches.
