Everything about Naples totally explained
» For other uses, see Naples and Napoli.
Naples (
Neapolitan:
Nàpule) is a historic
city in
southern Italy, the
capital of the
Campania region and the
province of Naples. The city is noted for its rich history,
art,
culture and
gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it's over 2,500 years old. Naples is located halfway between two volcanic areas, the volcano
Mount Vesuvius and the
Phlegraean Fields, sitting on the coast by the
Gulf of Naples.
Founded by the
Ancient Greeks as
Neapolis, meaning
New City, it held an important role in
Magna Graecia and then as part of the
Roman Republic in the central province of the
Empire. Naples was the capital city of a kingdom which bore its name from 1282 until 1816 in the form of the
Kingdom of Naples, then in union with
Sicily it was the capital of the
Two Sicilies until the
Italian unification.
In the modern day, the historic centre of the city is listed by
UNESCO as a
World Heritage Site. The
metropolitan area of Naples is the second most populated in
Italy and one of the largest in all of
Europe with around 3.8 million people. In the central area, the city itself has a population of around 1 million people, the inhabitants are known as
Neapolitans or poetically
partenopei. The language spoken by its inhabitants, the
Neapolitan language is spoken with similar variations throughout most of
Southern Italy.
The city is synonymous with
pizza, due to the food originating in it. A strong part of Neapolitan culture which has had wide reaching effects is
music, including the invention of the
romantic guitar and the
mandolin as well as strong contributions to
opera and
folk standards. There are popular characters and figures who have come to symbolise Naples, this includes
patron saint of the city
Januarius,
Pulcinella and the
Sirens from epic Greek poem the
Odyssey.
History
Greek birth, Roman acquisition
The history of the city can be traced back to the
7th century BC when inhabitants of nearby Greek colony
Cumae founded a city called
Parthenope, Cumae itself had been founded by people from
Euboea,
Greece. The exact reasons for doing so are not known for certain, but the Cumaeans built
Neapolis (meaning New City) next to the old Parthenope, around this time they'd held off invasion attempts from the
Etruscans. The new city grew thanks to the influence of powerful Greek
city-state Siracusa and at some point the new and old cities on the
Gulf of Naples merged together to become one.
The city became an ally of the
Roman Republic against
Carthage; the strong walls surrounding Neapolis stopped invader
Hannibal from entering. During the
Samnite Wars, the city, now a bustling centre of trade, was
captured by the
Samnites; however, the Romans soon took it off them and made Neapolis a
Roman colony. The city was greatly respected by the Romans as a place of
Hellenistic culture: the people maintained their
Greek language and customs; elegant
villas,
aqueducts,
public baths, an
odeon, a
theatre and the
Temple of Dioscures were built, and many powerful emperors chose to holiday in the city including
Claudius and
Tiberius. It was during this period that
Christianity came to Naples;
apostles St. Peter and
St. Paul are said to have preached in the city, also
St. Januarius who would become Naples'
patron saint was martyred there.
Duchy of Naples
Following the decline of the
Western Roman Empire, Naples was captured by the
Ostrogoths, a
Germanic people, and incorporated into the
Ostrogothic Kingdom. However
Belisarius of the
Byzantine Empire (also known as the Eastern Roman Empire) took the city back in 536, after famously entering the city via the
aqueduct, the
Gothic Wars waged on and
Totila briefly took the city for the Ostrogoths in 543, before finally the
Battle of Mons Lactarius on the slopes of
Vesuvius decided Byzantine rule. Naples was expected to keep in contact with the
Exarchate of Ravenna, which was the centre of Byzantine power on the
Italian peninsula. After the
exarchate fell a
Duchy of Naples was created; though Naples continued with its
Greco-Roman culture, it eventually switched allegiance under Duke
Stephen II to
Rome rather than
Constantinople, putting it under
papal suzerainty by 763.
The years between 818 and 832 were a particularly confusing period in regard to Naples' relation with the
Byzantine Emperor, with feuding between local pretenders to the ducal throne.
Theoctistus was appointed without imperial approval; this was later revoked and
Theodore II took his place. However, the general populance chased him from the city and instead elected
Stephen III, a man who minted coins with his own initials not that of the Byzantine Emperor. Naples gained complete independence by 840.
The duchy was under direct control of
Lombards for a brief period, after the capture by
Pandulf IV of the
Principality of Capua, long term rival of Naples; however this only lasted three years before the culturally Greco-Roman influenced dukes were reinstated. By the
11th century, like many territories in the area, Naples hired
Norman merecenaries, the Christian
descendants of the
Vikings, to battle their rivals; Duke
Sergius IV hired
Rainulf Drengot to battle Capua for him. By 1137, the Normans had grown hugely in influence, controlling previous independent principalities and duchies such as
Capua,
Benevento,
Salerno,
Amalfi,
Sorrento and
Gaeta; it was in this year that Naples, the last independent duchy in the southern part of the peninsula, came under Norman control. The last ruling duke of the duchy
Sergius VII was forced to surrender to
Roger II, who had proclaimed himself
King of Sicily seven years earlier; this saw Naples joining the
Kingdom of Sicily, where
Palermo was the capital.
The Kingdom
Norman to Angevin
After a period as a Norman kingdom, the
Kingdom of Sicily was passed on to the
Hohenstaufens who were a highly powerful Germanic
royal house of
Swabian origins. The
University of Naples Federico II was founded by
Frederick II in the city, the oldest state university in the world, making Naples the intellectual centre of the kingdom. Conflict between the Hohenstaufen house and the
Papacy, led in 1266 to
Pope Innocent IV crowning
Angevin Dynasty duke
Charles I as the king of the kingdom: Charles officially moved the capital from Palermo to Naples where he resided at the
Castel Nuovo. During this period much
Gothic architecture sprang up around Naples, including the
Naples Cathedral, which is the main church of the city.
In 1281, with the advent of the
Sicilian Vespers, the kingdom split in half. The Angevin
Kingdom of Naples included the southern part of the Italian peninsula, while the island of
Sicily became the
Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily. The wars continued until the
peace of Caltabellotta in 1302, which saw
Frederick III recognised as king of the Isle of Sicily, while
Charles II was recognised as the king of Naples by
Pope Boniface VIII. Despite the split, Naples grew in importance, attracting
Pisan and
Genoese merchants,
Tuscan bankers, and with them some of the most championed
Renaissance artists of the time, such as
Boccaccio,
Petrarch and
Giotto.
Alfonso I conquered Naples after his victory against the last
Angevin king,
René, Naples was unified for a brief period with Sicily again.
Aragonese to Bourbon
Sicily and Naples were separated in 1458 but remained as dependencies of
Aragon under
Ferrante. The new dynasty enhanced Naples' commerce by establishing relations with the
Iberian peninsula. Naples also became a centre of the Renaissance, with artists such as
Laurana,
da Messina,
Sannazzaro and
Poliziano arriving in the city. During 1501 Naples became under direct rule from
France at the time of
Louis XII, as Neapolitan king
Frederick was taken as a prisoner to France; this lasted only four years.
Spain won Naples at the
Battle of Garigliano and, as a result, Naples became under direct rule as part of the
Spanish Empire throughout the entire
Habsburg Spain period. The Spanish sent
viceroys
to Naples to directly deal with local issues: the most important of which was
Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, who was responsible for considerable social, economic and urban progress in the city; he also supported the
Inquisition.
During this period Naples became Europe's second largest city after only
Paris. It was a cultural powerhouse during the
Baroque era as home to artists including
Caravaggio,
Rosa and
Bernini, philosophers such as
Telesio,
Bruno,
Campanella and
Vico, and writers such as
Battista Marino. A revolution led by local
fisherman Masaniello saw the creation of a brief independent
Neapolitan Republic, though this last only a few months before Spanish rule was regained. Finally, by 1714, the Spanish ceased to rule Naples as a result of the
War of the Spanish Succession; it was the
Austrian
Charles VI who ruled from
Vienna, similarly with viceroys. However, the
War of the Polish Succession saw the Spanish regain Sicily and Naples as part of a
personal union, which in the
Treaty of Vienna were recognised as independent under a cadet branch of the Spanish
Bourbons in 1738 under
Charles VII.
During the time of
Ferdinand IV, the
French Revolution made its way to Naples:
Horatio Nelson, an ally of the Bourbons, even arrived in the city in 1798 to warn against it. However, Ferdinand was forced to retreat and fled to
Palermo, where he was protected by a
British fleet. Naples' lower classes the
lazzaroni were strongly
pious and
Royalist, favouring the Bourbons; in the mêlée that followed, they fought the Neapolitan pro-
Republican aristocracy, causing a
civil war. The Republicans conquered
Castel Sant'Elmo and proclaimed a
Parthenopaean Republic, secured by the
French Army. A
counter-revolutionary religious army of
lazzaroni under
Fabrizio Ruffo was raised; they'd great success and the French surrendered the Neapolitan castles and were allowed to sail back to
Toulon.
Ferdinand IV was restored as king; however, after only seven years
Napoleon conquered the kingdom and instated
Bonapartist kings including his brother
Joseph Bonaparte. With the help of the
Austrian Empire and allies, the Bonapartists were defeated in the
Neapolitan War and Bourbon Ferdinand IV once again regained the throne and the kingdom. The
Congress of Vienna in 1815 saw the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily combined to form the
Two Sicilies, with Naples as the capital city. Naples became the first city on the Italian peninsula to have a
railway in 1839, there were many factories throughout the kingdom making it a highly important trade centre.
Italian unification
After the
Expedition of the Thousand led by
Giuseppe Garibaldi, culminating in the controversial
Siege of Gaeta, Naples became part of the
Kingdom of Italy in 1861 as part of the
Italian unification, ending Bourbon rule. The kingdom of the
Two Sicilies had been wealthy and 80 million
ducats were taken from the banks as a contribution to the new Italian
treasury, while other former states in the Italian unification were forced to pay far less. The ecomony of the area formerly known as Two Sicilies collapsed, leading to an unprecedented
wave of emigration, with estimates claiming at least 4 million of those who left from 1876–1913 were from Naples or near Naples.
Naples was the
most bombed Italian city of
World War II. Though Neapolitans didn't rebel under
Italian fascism, Naples was the first Italian city to rise up against
German military occupation; the people rose up and freed their own city completely by
October 1,
1943. The symbol of the rebirth of Naples was the rebuilding of
Santa Chiara which had been destroyed in a
United States Air Force raid. Special funding from the Italian government's
Fund for the South from 1950 to 1984 helped the economy to improve somewhat, including the rejuvenation of the
Piazza del Plebiscito and other city landmarks. Naples still has some issues, however: high
unemployment and
landfill management problems, the latter of which has been attributed to the
Camorra by the media, a loose confederation of
organised crime networks. Currently, the
Italian Government under
Silvio Berlusconi has moved from Rome to Naples in an effort to solve these problems once and for all.
Architecture, features and city layouts
» See also,
The most prominent forms of architecture in Naples are from the
Medieval,
Renaissance and
Baroque periods. The historic centre of Naples is typically the most fruitful for architecture and is in fact listed by
UNESCO as a
World Heritage Site. A striking feature of Naples is the fact that it has 448 historical churches, making it one of the most
Catholic cities in the world.
Main piazza, palaces and castles
» See also,
The central and main open
city square or
piazza of the city is the
Piazza del Plebiscito. It was started by Bonapartist king
Joachim Murat and finished by Bourbon king
Ferdinand IV. It is bounded on the east by the
Royal Palace and on the west by the church of
San Francesco di Paola with the colonnades extending to both sides. Nearby is the
Teatro di San Carlo, which is the oldest and largest
opera house on the Italian peninsula. Directly across from San Carlo is
Galleria Umberto, a
shopping centre and active centre of Neapolitan social life in general.
Naples is famous for its historic castles: the ancient
Castel Nuovo is one of the most notable architectural representatives on the city, also known as
Maschio Angioino; it was built during the time of
Charles I, the first ever
king of Naples. Castel Nuovo has hosted some historical religious events: for example, in 1294,
Pope Celestine V resigned as pope in a hall of the castle, and following this
Pope Boniface VIII was elected pope here by the cardinal
collegium, and immediately moved to Rome.
The castle which Nuovo replaced in importance was the Norman founded
Castel dell'Ovo. Its name means
Egg Castle and it's built on the tiny
islet Megarides, where the
Cumaean colonists founded the city. The third most noted castle is
Sant'Elmo which was completed in 1329 and is built in the shape of a
star. During the uprising of
Masaniello, the Spanish took refuge in Sant'Elmo to escape revolutionaries.
Museums
Naples hosts a wealth of historical museums and some of the most important in the country. The
Naples National Archaeological Museum is one of the main museums, considered one of the most important for
artifacts of the
Roman Empire in the world. It also hosts many of the ruins unearthed at
Pompeii and
Herculaneum, as well as some artifacts from the
Greek and
Renaissance periods.
Previously a Bourbon palace, now a museum and
art gallery, the
Museo di Capodimonte is probably the most important in Naples. The art
gallery features paintings from the
13th to the
18th century including major works by
Simone Martini,
Raphael,
Titian,
Caravaggio,
El Greco and many others, including Neapolitan School painters
Jusepe de Ribera and
Luca Giordano. The royal apartments are furnished with antique
18th century furniture and a collection of
porcelain and
majolica from the various royal residences: the famous
Capodimonte Porcelain Factory was just adjacent to the palace.
The
Certosa di San Martino was formerly a
monastery complex but is now a museum and remains one of the most visible landmarks of Naples. Displayed within the museum are Spanish and Bourbon-era artifacts, as well as displays of the
nativity scene, considered to be among the finest in the world.
Pietrarsa railway museum is located in the city: Naples has a proud railway history and the museum features, amongst many other things, the Bayard, the first
locomotive in the Italian peninsula. Other museums include the
Villa Pignatelli and
Palazzo Como.
Churches, religious buildings and structures
» See also, and Archdiocese of Naples
Hosting the
Archdiocese of Naples, the
Catholic faith is highly important to the people of Naples and there are hundreds of churches in the city. The
Cathedral of Naples is the most important place of worship in the city, each year on
September 19 it hosts the
Miracle of Saint Januarius, the city's
patron saint. In the miracle which thousands of Neapolitans flock to witness, the dried blood of Januarius is said to turn to liquid when brought close to
relics said to be of his body: this is one of the most important traditions for Neapolitans. Below is a selective list of some of the most noted churches, chapels, monastary complexes and religious structures in Naples;
Others
There are various other interesting features of note around Naples.
Underneath Naples there's a series of caves and structures created by centuries of mining, which is in part of an underground
geothermal zone. The general public are able to go on tours of the underground and there's even a museum. Aside from the main
piazza there are two more in the form of
Piazza Dante and
Piazza dei Martiri. The latter is somewhat controversial: it originally just had a memorial to
martyrs but in 1866, after the
Italian unification, four lions were added, representing the four rebellions against the Bourbons.
Founded in 1667 by the Spanish, the
San Gennaro dei Poveri is a
hospital for the poor which is still in existence today. It was a forerunner of a much more ambitious project, the gigantic
Bourbon Hospice for the Poor started by
Charles III. This was for the destitute and ill of the city; it also provided a self-sufficient community where the poor would live and work. Today it's no longer a hospital.
Of the
public parks in Naples, the most prominent is the
Villa Comunale, previously known as the Royal Garden as its building was ordered by Bourbon king
Ferdinand IV in the 1780s. The second most important park is
Parco Virgiliano which is very green and has views towards the tiny volcanic islet of
Nisida; beyond that in the distance are
Procida and
Ischia. It was named after
Virgil the classical Roman
poet who is thought to be
entombed nearby.
Geography
In the area surrounding Naples are the islands of
Procida,
Capri and
Ischia, which are reached by hydrofoils and ferries.
Sorrento and the
Amalfi Coast are situated south of Naples. The Roman ruins of
Pompeii,
Herculaneum and
Stabiae, which were destroyed in the eruption of
Vesuvius in 79 AD, are also nearby. Naples is also near the volcanic area known as the
Campi Flegrei and the port towns of
Pozzuoli and
Baia, which were part of the vast Roman naval facility,
Portus Julius.
Quarters
Shown above are the thirty quarters of Naples: these thirty neighbourhoods or "
quartiere" as they're known, are further divided into ten governmental community boards.
Climate
Naples enjoys a typical
Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers. The mild climate and the geographical richness of the
bay of Naples made it famous during Roman times, when emperors chose the city as a favourite holiday location.
Society
Demographics
The population of Naples itself is around one million people. Its greater
metropolitan area, sometimes known as
Greater Naples has an additional population of 2.5 million; the towns which are usually included within this area are
Arzano,
Casandrino,
Casavatore,
Casoria,
Cercola,
Marano di Napoli,
Melito di Napoli,
Mugnano di Napoli,
Portici,
Pozzuoli,
Quarto,
San Giorgio a Cremano,
San Sebastiano al Vesuvio and
Volla. The demographic profile for the Neapolitan province in general is quite young: 19% are under age 14, while 13% are over 65, compared to the national average of 14% and 19%, respectively.
Unlike many northern Italian cities there are far fewer immigrants in Naples, 98.5% of the people are
Italians. In 2006, there were a total of 19,188 foreigners in the actual city of Naples; the majority of foreigners are
Eastern European, coming particularly from the
Ukraine and
Poland. Non-Europeans in general are very low in number, however there are some small
Sri Lankan and
East Asian immigrant communities. Statistics show that the vast majority of immigrants are female; this is because male workers tend to head North.
Economy
The ecomony is measured on a provincial level; the
province of Naples is placed 94th out of the total of 103 provinces in Italy in terms of
gross value added. Statistics don't include wealth generated by the
black market or untaxed
wages. It isn't uncommon for Neapolitan workers to move North because
unemployment is at around 28%. The business centre of Naples is the
Centro Direzionale. This was built only in recent times and features
skyscraper technology designed by
Kenzo Tange; it's an attempt to centralise and improve the business and economy of Naples, also providing jobs with its
hotels and
shops.
In recent times, there has been a move away from traditional
agriculture-based economy in the province to one based on
service industries. In early
2002 there were over 249,590 enterprises operating in the province of Naples registered in the
Chamber of Commerce Public Register. This sector employs the majority of the people, though more than half of these are small enterprises with fewer than 20 workers; 70 companies are medium-sized with more than 200 workers; and 15 have more than 500 workers. Employment in the province of Naples in different sectors breaks down as follows:
Education
There are many public and private institutions of
higher education in Naples, as well as numerous institutes and research centres. Naples hosts what is thought to be the oldest state university in the world in the form of the
University of Naples Federico II, which was founded by
Frederick II during 1224. It is by far the most important
university in southern Italy, with around 100,000 students and over 3000 professors. Part of the university is the important
Botanical Garden of Naples which was opened in 1807 by
Giuseppe Bonaparte (using Bourbon king Ferdinand IV's plans). Its 15
hectares feature around 25,000 samples of vegetation, covering about 10,000 plant species.
People from the city are also served by the
Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, the second most important university of the city, opened far more recently in 1989, which, despite its name, has strong links to the nearby
province of Caserta. A unique centre of education in the city is the
Istituto Universitario Orientale which specialises in
Eastern culture, founded by
Jesuit missionary Matteo Ripa in 1732 after he returned from work in the court of
Kangxi Emperor of the
Manchu Qing Dynasty in
China.
There are other prominent universities in Naples too, such as the
Parthenope University of Naples, the private
Istituto Universitario Suor Orsola Benincasa and the Jesuit-run
Theological Seminary of Southern Italy. In keeping with its strong musical legacy, Naples has a place to study music in the form of the
San Pietro a Maiella music conservatory. The earliest music conservatories of Naples go back to the 1500s under the
Spanish rule.
Culture
Cuisine
The city has a long history of producing a variety of noted
cuisines and
wines; it draws influence from different civilisations who have ruled the city at various times such as the
Greeks,
Spanish and
French.
Neapolitan cuisine emerged completely as its own distinct form in the
18th century. The ingredients are typically rich in taste while remaining affordable to the general populace.
Perhaps the most well known aspect of Neapolitan cuisine is its rich savoury dishes. Naples is traditionally held as the home of
pizza. The food began as
peasant cuisine but under
Ferdinand IV it became more well known: famously, the
Margherita was named after
Queen Margherita after a visit to the city. Cooked traditionally in a wood-burning
oven, ingredients include
tomato,
garlic,
oregano,
olive oil,
basil and
mozzarella.
Spaghetti is associated with the city and is commonly eaten with the sauce
ragù: a Neapolitan symbol is
folklore figure
Pulcinella eating a plate of spaghetti. Others include
parmigiana di melanzane,
spaghetti alle vongole and
casatiello.
Naples also has some noted
sweet cuisines, including colourful
gelato, similar though more
fruit-based than
ice cream. Some of the
pastry dishes include:
zeppole,
babà,
sfogliatelle and
pastiera, the latter of which is prepared especially for
Easter. Another seasonal sweet is
struffoli, a sweet tasting
honey dough decorated and eaten around
Christmas. There are some beverages from Naples also: it produces
wines from the Vesuvius area such as
Lacryma Christi ("tear of Christ") and
Terzigno. Also from Naples is
limoncello the highly popular
lemon liqueur.
Music
Naples has played an important and vibrant role over the centuries in the general history of western
European musical traditions. The history of Naples as a strong musical power can be traced back to the time of Spanish rule where organised
music conservatories of Naples were first introduced. It was during the late
Baroque period that
Alessandro Scarlatti established the Neapolitan school of
opera; this was in the form of
opera seria which was a new development for its time. Another form of opera originating in Naples is
opera buffa, a comic opera strongly linked to
Battista Pergolesi and
Piccinni; later
Rossini and
Mozart would use the genre. The grandiose
Teatro di San Carlo built in 1737, the oldest working theatre in Europe, was the operatic centre of the city and remains so to this day.
The earliest six-string
guitar was created by a Neapolitan named Gaetano Vinaccia in 1779 (known as the
romantic guitar); the Vinaccia family had also developed the
mandolin. Along with the Spanish, Neapolitans became pioneers of
classical guitar music with
Ferdinando Carulli and
Mauro Giuliani being prominent exponents. Giuliani was actually from further south in the
Kingdom of Naples –
Apulia - but had moved to Naples; Giuliani is considered to be one of the greatest
guitar players and composers of the
19th century, along with his great
Catalan contemporary
Fernando Sor. Another Neapolitan musical artist who had an impact on the world stage is
opera singer
Enrico Caruso, one of the most famous and respected
tenors of all time: he was considered a man of the people in Naples and came from a
working class background.
Perhaps the most well known part of Neapolitan music is the
Canzone Napoletana style, essentially the
traditional music of the city with a repertoire of hundreds of
folk songs, some of which can be traced back to the 1200s. The songs
O sole mio and
Funiculì Funiculà are part of this style and are known far and wide outside of Naples. The genre became a formal insitution in
1835 thanks to the introduction of the annual
Festival of Piedigrotta songwriting competition. Some of the most noted recording artists in this field includes Roberto Murolo, Sergio Bruni and
Renato Carosone. There are other forms of music played in Naples which are not well known outside the area but hugely popular within it, such as
cantautore (singer-songwriter) and
sceneggiata, which has been described as a
musical soap opera; the most well known artist of this style is
Mario Merola.
Sports
Football is by far the most popular sport in Naples, brought to the city by the
English during the early 1900s, it's deeply embedded in local culture: it's played by everyone from the
scugnizzi (
street children of Naples) to professional level. The most noted club from the city is
SSC Napoli who play at the
Stadio San Paolo in
Fuorigrotta. They play in the highly prestigious
Serie A league and won it twice during the time of
Diego Maradona, they also won the
UEFA Cup.
The city has produced numerous professional players, the most noted of which are
Ciro Ferrara and
Fabio Cannavaro, the latter led
Italy to the
2006 World Cup as captain and was
World Player of the Year. Some of the smaller clubs from the city include
Sporting Neapolis and
Internapoli who play at the
Stadio Arturo Collana. The city also has participants in other sports though less popular:
Eldo Napoli represent the city in
basketball's variation of
Serie A playing at
Bagnoli. Partenope Rugby are the most noted
rugby union side, winning the rugby version of
Serie A twice. Other sports played to some extent include
water polo,
horse racing and
sailing.
Transport
Naples is well connected in regards to major
motorways, known in Italy as
autostrada. From Naples all the way north to
Milan is the
A1 known as
autostrada del Sole (motorway of the sun), the longest transalpine
motorway on the peninsula. There are other
autostrada from Naples too, such as the
A3 which goes southwards right down to
Reggio Calabria, as well as the A16 which goes across east to
Canosa. The latter is called the
autostrada dei Due Mari (motorway of the Two Seas) because it connects the
Tyrrhenian Sea to the
Adriatic Sea.
Within the actual city itself there are many
public transport services, including
trams,
buses,
funiculars and
trolleybuses. Naples also has its own
Naples Metro, the underground
rapid transit railway system of the city which has several
metro stations. Suburban rail services are provided by
Trenitalia,
Circumvesuviana,
Ferrovia Cumana and
Metronapoli. The main general
train station of the city is
Napoli Centrale, which is located in
Piazza Garibaldi. Naples has lots of narrow streets, so the general public commonly use compact
hatchback cars and
scooters are especially common.
The port of Naples has several
ferry services open to the general public, most of which are to places within the
Neapolitan province such as
Capri,
Ischia and
Sorrento, or the
Salernitan province, such as
Salerno,
Positano and
Amalfi. There are however some which go to destinations further afield, such as
Sicily,
Sardinia,
Ponza and the
Aeolian Islands. There are many
enterprises at the port, which is important for transferring
cargo and is a growing centre of
commerce in general. Within the scope of suburb
San Pietro a Patierno is the
Naples International Airport, the most important airport in southern Italy, which serves millions of people each year with around 140 flights arriving or departing daily.
International relations
Naples is involved in
town twinning (known as
gemellaggio in Italian), a mutual partnership with several cities. Below are partner cities listed on the official website of the city of Naples;
Partner cities:
Athens
Budapest
Călăraşi
Gafsa
Izmir
Kragujevac
Nablus
Nosy Be
Palma de Mallorca
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba Province
Sighetu Marmaţiei
Since 1995, the historic centre of Naples has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, a programme which aims to catalogue, name, and conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity. The deciding committee who evaluate potential candidates described Naples' centre as being "of exceptional value", and went on to say that Naples' "setting on
the Bay of Naples gives it an outstanding universal value which has had a profound influence".
Noted Neapolitans
» For more information, see
Statius (45 – 96), poet
Pope Boniface V (died 625), pope
Pope Urban VI (1318 – 1389), pope
Joan I of Naples (1328 – 1382), queen
Pope Boniface IX (1356 – 1404), pope
Alfonso II of Naples (1448 – 1495), king
Jacopo Sannazaro (1458 – 1530), poet
Pirro Ligorio (1510 – 1583), architect
Giambattista Marino (1569 – 1625), poet
Salvator Rosa (1615 – 1673), poet, satirist, painter
Francesco Antonio Picchiati (1619 – 1694), architect
Masaniello (1622 – 1647), revolutionary
Luca Giordano (1634 – 1705), painter
Ludovico Sabbatini (1650 – 1724), religious teacher, priest
Giambattista Vico (1668 – 1744), philosopher
Ferdinando Sanfelice (1675 – 1748), painter
Domenico Antonio Vaccaro (1678 – 1745) architect, painter
Domenico Scarlatti (1685 – 1757), composer
Nicola Porpora (1686 – 1768), composer
Alphonsus Liguori (1696 – 1787), saint, writer
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (1751 – 1825), king
Gaetano Filangieri (1752 – 1788), jurist
Raffaele Sacco (1787 – 1872), poet, inventor, lyricist
Domenico Morelli (1823 – 1901), painter
Lord Acton (1834 – 1902), historian
Peppino Turco (1846 – 1907), songwriter, journalist
Lamont Young (1851 – 1929), architect
Vincenzo Gemito (1852 – 1929), sculptor
Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857 – 1919), composer
Salvatore Di Giacomo (1860 – 1934), poet
Ferdinando Russo (1866 – 1927), poet, journalist, writer
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy (1869 – 1947), king
Enrico Caruso (1873 – 1921), opera singer
Enrico De Nicola (1877 – 1959), president, jurist, journalist
Totò (1898 – 1967), actor
Eduardo De Filippo (1900 – 1984), actor, playwright, screenwriter, author, poet
Renato Caccioppoli (1904 – 1959), mathematician
Giorgio Napolitano (1925 – ), politician, president
Mario Merola (1934 – 2005), singer
Massimo Troisi (1953 – 1994), actor
Fabio Cannavaro (1973 – ), footballer
Massimiliano Rosolino (1978 – ), swimmer, olympian
Roberto Saviano (1979 – ), journalist, writer
Further Information
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