ABOUT NAPLES

The city of Naples

Napoli (or Naples) is one of the most charming and dynamic towns in Italy. Lying by the sea, in a gulf that stretches to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast, Naples is one of Italy’s oldest cities and richest in monuments and culture. Founded by the Greeks in 470 B.C., it has always been one of the most important port cities in the Mediterranean. As early as the 6th century B.C. some Greek colonists had founded on the small island of Megaride, where Castel dell’Ovo stands today, the city of Parthenope, recalling the name of a mermaid who, according to legend, had committed suicide not being able to bear Ulysses to escape her song. Over the centuries Naples experienced domination by the Byzantine Empire, the Normans, the Angevins, the Spanish, and the Hapsburgs. Finally, Naples became the capital of an independent kingdom under the Bourbon dynasty and was one of Europe’s most important cities for art, culture, scientific and technological innovation. The historic center of Naples, which is the largest in Italy and one of the largest in Europe, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has a thousand faces: every alley, every square show signs of its more than 27 centuries of history in a fascinating mix of centuries-old traditions and modern innovations, of sounds, cuisines and cultures that create a unique atmosphere.