Destinations · Campania
Naples the city that never ends
From the Greeks’ Parthenope to the capital of the Bourbons: three thousand years of history, alleys, churches and the bay at your feet.
From Parthenope to the capital of a kingdom
Naples began as Parthenope, a landing place of the Greeks from Cumae on the islet of Megaride, where Castel dell’Ovo stands today. Around the fifth century BC, Neapolis, the “new city”, was founded next to the first settlement, with a grid of streets that can still be read in the old town.
Holidaying Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Swabians: then the Angevins made it the capital of the Kingdom and built Castel Nuovo. Under the Aragonese, the Spanish viceroys and, from 1734, the Bourbons, Naples became one of the great capitals of Europe until the Unification of Italy in 1861.
A living museum
The old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. Spaccanapoli, the lower decumanus, cuts the city in a straight line past churches, workshops and noble palaces; beneath the streets lie the tunnels and cisterns of Napoli Sotterranea.
In 1737 Charles of Bourbon opened the Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest opera house in Europe still in use. And in 2017 the art of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo was added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list.
Not to be missed in Naples
Spaccanapoli and the decumani
The Greco-Roman heart of the city, between San Gregorio Armeno and Santa Chiara.
Cappella Sansevero
Giuseppe Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ, carved in 1753.
National Archaeological Museum
The frescoes and mosaics of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Piazza del Plebiscito
With the Royal Palace and, a few steps away, the Teatro di San Carlo.
Seafront and Castel dell’Ovo
The finest walk in town, with Vesuvius ahead.
Vomero and Castel Sant’Elmo
The whole bay at a glance, from above.
Before you go
Capodichino is just a few kilometres from the centre.
One day for the old town, another for museums and the seafront.
Spring and autumn are the most pleasant months for walking.
Both less than an hour’s drive away.
The old town has restricted traffic zones and is best explored on foot: I’ll drop you as close as possible to the spot you choose and pick you up at the agreed time, with no parking to worry about.
Approximate times, without traffic.
Arriving in Naples? I’ll drive you from the airport, the port or the station to your hotel.
Tolls and parking are always included. Carlo checks availability and replies within 24 hours.
