Superb Naples, A Journey through Twenty-seven Centuries of History And Culture

A popular travel destination since the time of the Grand Tour of Europe, Naples is mainly synonymous with impressive archaeological treasures, superb architecture and mouth-watering food. Anarchic but breathtaking, Italy's third-largest city boasts a historic centre that is studded with Medieval, Baroque and Renaissance buildings and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Furthermore, the capital of Campania is home to one of the oldest universities in the world (University of Naples – Federico II), the artistic tradition of Capodimonte porcelain and numerous theatres where – during the Late Baroque period – opera seria and opera buffa had their origins. Certainly, at first glance, this city can look shabby and neglected; but if you look beyond the veneer, you will discover a place of unexpected charm and beauty.

A (very) brief history of Naples

Prior to becoming a Roman colony (326 BC), Naples had been a Greek settlement. According to legend, Greek sailors from Rhodes first established a small commercial port on the former island of Megaride, where Castel dell'Ovo now stands. In the 6th century BC, the new urban zone of Neápolis (meaning "new city" in Ancient Greek) was founded on the plain, eventually becoming one of the most important cities of Magna Graecia. In Roman times, the city expanded and many emperors such as Claudius and Tiberius holidayed near Naples. Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire (AD 476), the city passed into barbarian hands and later became an independent duchy that lasted more than five centuries. In 1139, Duke Sergius VII was forced to surrender to Roger II of Sicily and Naples came under Norman control. The Kingdom of Sicily went to the Hohenstaufens and later to the Angevins; Charles of Anjou moved the capital from Palermo to Naples and the Kingdom was divided into two: the Kingdom of Naples and the Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily. In 1443, Alfonso of Aragon took control of the city and – except for a brief period of French occupation – Naples continued to be a dependency of Aragon until 1501. Two years later, following the Battle of Garigliano, the city became part of the Spanish Empire and basically remained so until the early 18th century. After the War of the Spanish Succession, Naples passed to the Austrian Habsburgs who ruled over the city until 1734; in the same year, Charles of Bourbon conquered Naples and Sicily and the two kingdoms were finally unified under a single king. Except for two brief periods in 1799 and in 1806-15, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies remained under the Bourbon line until 1861, when both Naples and Sicily became part of the Kingdom of Italy. Naples was Italy's most-bombed city during World War II; the symbol of its rebirth was the reconstruction of the wonderful Church of Santa Chiara in the second half of the 20th century.

Naples' top attractions

As previously said, the historic centre of Naples is dotted with architectural jewels, just consider that the city has more than 400 historical churches! Should you like to visit some of them but you don't know where to start, here is a list of religious structures that are well worth visiting:

- Naples' Cathedral (or Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) built on the foundations of two Early Christian basilicas.
- Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara, commissioned by Robert of Anjou for his wife Sancha of Majorca and originally built in Provençal Gothic style.
- Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore, the royal church of the Angevins.
- Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo, a 15th-century palace converted into a Baroque church.
- Complesso Monumentale di San Lorenzo Maggiore, legend has it that this was the place where Giovanni Boccaccio – born in Certaldo, Tuscany – met his beloved Fiammetta.