Sights in Naples
-
A
Palazzo Donn’Anna
Few buildings fire up the local gossipmongers like Posillipo’s seaside Palazzo Donn’Anna. Incomplete, semiderelict yet strangely beautiful, it takes its name from Anna Carafa, for whom it was built as a wedding present from her husband, Ramiro Guzman, the Spanish viceroy of Naples. When Guzman hotfooted it back to Spain in 1644 he left his wife heartbroken in Naples. She died shortly afterwards and architectural whiz-kid Cosimo Fanzago gave up the project. The grand yet forlorn heap sits on the site of an older villa, La Sirena (The Mermaid), reputed setting for Queen Joan’s scandalous sex orgies and crimes of passion (rumour has it that fickle Joan dumped her lovers …
reviewed
-
B
Certosa di San Martino
The high point (quite literally) of Neapolitan baroque, this stunning charterhouse, Certosa Di San Martino, is home to the Museo Nazionale di San Martino. Founded as a Carthusian monastery in the 14th century, the Certosa owes most of its present look to facelifts in the 16th and 17th centuries, the latter by baroque maestro Cosimo Fanzago. The church and the rooms that flank it contain a feast of frescoes and paintings by Naples’ greatest 17th-century artists – Francesco Solimena, Massimo Stanzione, Giuseppe de Ribera and Battista Caracciolo.
Adjacent to the church, the elegant Chiostro dei Procuratori is the smaller of the monastery’s two cloisters. A grand corridor…
reviewed
-
C
Galleria di Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano
Banking group Intesa Sanpaolo has put its profits to good use, restoring the exquisite 17th-century Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano it occupies and opening a small art gallery on its piano nobile (main floor). While the 19th-century stucco detailing and frescoes are delightful, the gallery’s pièce de résistance is Caravaggio’s final masterpiece, The Martyrdom of St Ursula (1610). Completed a few weeks before the artist’s lonely death, it depicts the brutal scene of a vengeful king of the Huns piercing the heart of his unwilling virgin bride-to-be, Ursula. Positioned behind the dying martyr is a haunted Caravaggio, an eerie premonition of his own impending death. The tumu…
reviewed
-
D
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine
Doting mothers, political drama and the odd miracle: it’s little wonder that this veteran church plays a starring role in Neapolitan folklore. According to legend, when Conrad (Corradino) of Swabia was charged for attempting to depose Charles I of Anjou in 1268, his mother, Elisabetta di Baviera, desperately tried to collect the money required to free her son. Alas, the money arrived too late, Conrad lost his head and his grief-stricken mamma handed the cash to the church (on the condition that the Carmelite brothers prayed for him every day). They agreed, the church went up and a monument to Conrad still remains in the transept. Yet Christ’s own mother is the real prot…
reviewed
-
E
Monte Nuovo
It’s not every week that a mountain just appears on the scene. But this is exactly what happened just west of Pozzuoli in 1538. It all began in the early 1530s, when the area began experiencing an unusual level of seismic activity. Meanwhile, locals began noticing a dramatic uplift of the land between Lago d’Averno, Monte Barbaro and the sea, which displaced the coast by several hundred metres. Little did they know that under them a Monte Nuovo was getting set for its grand debut. At 8pm on 29 September 1538, a crack appeared in the earth near the ancient Roman settlement of Tripergole, spewing out a violent concoction of pumice, fire and smoke over six days. By the e…
reviewed
-
F
Piazza del Gesù Nuovo
Flanked by the spiky Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo and the Basilica di Santa Chiara, this lively square is one of Naples' most beautiful. For hundreds of years it was the principal western entrance to the city. But it wasn't until two major modifications in the 16th century that the piazza took on its current proportions.
Firstly, Ferrante Sanseverino knocked down the houses that were blocking his beautiful 15th-century palazzo (later to become the Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo) and in one fell swoop cleared the square's northern flank. Some years later, Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo demolished the Angevin city gate and once again moved the city walls westwards.
At its centre soar…
reviewed
-
G
Albergo dei Poveri
Not impartial to a spot of PR, Bourbon king Charles VII built this giant poorhouse at a main city entrance to promote himself as enlightened and compassionate. In the process of a slow restoration, it currently houses 85 families, by now the descendants of needy families housed there after WWII. According to locals, they share the place with a number of luminous ghosts.
Charles's gesture was grand indeed - the Albergo dei Poveri (Hostel of the Poor) is Europe's largest public building. If all had gone according to architect Ferdinando Fuga's plans, though, it would have been bigger. His original designs called for a facade 600m long, with five internal courtyards. When co…
reviewed
-
Via Chiaia
Join the perma-tanned locals for a fix of people watching, window shopping and palazzo gazing on this pedestrianised street. Linking Piazza Trieste e Trento with Piazza dei Martiri (and Santa Lucia with Chiaia), it’s a particular hit with evening flâneurs, not to mention home to the 16th-century Palazzo Cellamare at No 149. Built as a summer residence for Giovan Francesco Carafa, the palazzo later hosted Bourbon monarchy guests, including Goethe and Casanova. Towards the western end of the street you pass under what looks like a triumphal arch but is, in fact, a bridge built in 1636 to connect the hills of Pizzofalcone and Mortella. Past the arch, turn right into blue-…
reviewed
-
H
Villa Floridiana
While the lush, manicured gardens are worth the trip for the lofty views alone (think city, sea and Capri), the cultural highlight here is the National Museum of Ceramics. Housed in the stately Villa Floridiana – a gift from King Ferdinand I to his second wife, the Duchess of Floridia – its 6000-piece collection features priceless Chinese Ming (1368–1644) ceramics and Japanese Edo (1615–1867) vases on the lower floor. The top floor is dedicated to European ceramics, including some sumptuous Meissen pieces, as well as a smattering of paintings from greats such as Francesco Solimena, Francesco De Mura and Vincenzo Camuccini. At the time of research, the middle floor and its…
reviewed
-
I
Piazza del Plebiscito
For old-fashioned Continental grandeur, it’s hard to beat Piazza del Plebiscito. Whichever way you look, the view is impressive. To the northwest, vine-covered slopes lead up to Castel Sant’Elmo and the Certosa di San Martino; to the east, the pink-hued Palazzo Reale shows off its oldest facade. And to the west stands Pietro Banchini’s neoclassical facsimile of Rome’s Pantheon, the colossal Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola. A later addition to the columned colonnade of Joachim Murat’s original 1809 piazza design, the church was commissioned by Ferdinand I in 1817 to celebrate the restoration of his kingdom after the Napoleonic interlude. Standing guard outside are…
reviewed
Advertisement
-
J
Villa Comunale
Another Luigi Vanvitelli production, this long, leafy seaside strip was originally built for Bourbon royalty. Called the Passeggio Reale (Royal Walkway), it was off-limits to the plebs except on 8 September, the day of the Festa di Piedigrotta. Rumour has it that taking one's wife to the park on that day was a clause in many a marital contract. Husbands across the city must have heaved a sigh of relief when the park finally went public in 1869.
Dividing the Riviera di Chiaia from Via Francesco Caracciolo and the sea, this urban oasis boasts a vintage aquarium, bandstand, tennis club and at least eight fountains. Named after the ducks that used to swim in it, the Fontana d…
reviewed
-
K
Chiesa Santa Maria di Piedigrotta
The fishing families of Mergellina had already built a church on this site when, in 1353, the Virgin Mary appeared to a Benedictine monk, a nun and Pietro the Hermit (later to become Pope Celestine V; telling them to build her a church. She was taken at her word and the church was consecrated within the year. Since then, the church has remained the central focus of the Festa di Piedigrotta, celebrated on 8 September.
Originally, the facade faced the rock, or grotta, to which the church owes its name (piedigrotta means 'foot of the cave'), but in 1553, it was reversed to face the city. In 1853, Enrico Alvino added the current neoclassical facade.
Inside, it's the 13th-centu…
reviewed
-
Anfiteatro Flavio
In its heyday, Italy’s third-largest amphitheatre could hold over 20,000 bloodthirsty spectators, who would pour in to cheer on mock naval battles (yes, the stadium was occasionally flooded for fun), and indulge in a little schadenfreude as lions chased those captive Christians. Planned by Nero and completed by Vespasian (AD 69–79), the ancient stadium’s best-preserved remains lie under the main arena. Wander among the fallen columns and get your head around the complex mechanics involved in hoisting the caged wild beasts up to their waiting victims through the overhead ‘skylights’. In AD 305 seven Christian martyrs were thrown to the animals by the emperor Diocletian. …
reviewed
-
L
Piscina Mirabilis
An archaeological pièce de résistance, the Piscina Mirabilis lies tucked away in a Bacoli backstreet. To access it, contact custodian Signora Filomena at No 9, who has the key to what is the world’s largest Roman cistern. Bathed in an eerie light and featuring 48 soaring pillars and a barrel-vaulted ceiling, it’s more ‘subterranean cathedral’ than ‘giant water tank’. The cistern was an Augustan-era creation, its 12,600 cu metre water supply serving the military fleet at nearby Miseno. Fresh water flowed into the cistern from the Serino river aqueduct, which was then raised up to the terrace with hydraulic engines, exiting through doors in the central nave. Engineers sti…
reviewed
-
M
Chiesa Santa Maria Maggiore
The full title of this church, Santa Maria Maggiore alla Pietrasanta, is a reference to a 17th-century practice of kissing the church's pietrasanta (holy stone) to gain indulgences. Dating to the 6th century, the church was originally built by San Pomponio, the Bishop of Naples. According to legend, he did so to appease worried locals, who reported sightings of the devil in the form of a pig on the site.
The church was modified in the 17th century by Cosimo Fanzago, whose dome is visible from miles around. The Romanesque campanile (bell tower) is one of Naples' oldest, built sometime between the 10th and 11th centuries. Adjacent to the church, the 15th-century Cappella Po…
reviewed
-
N
Castel Capuano
This Norman castle has been the seat of the city's civil courts since 1540, and the crowd of noisy families, slick lawyers and menacing police around the main entrance is a permanent feature. Built in 1165 by William I to guard the nearby city gate Porta Capuana, it was later enlarged by the King Frederick II and fortified by Charles I of Anjou. The castle is not open to the public.
Across the square, the imposing Porta Capuana was one of the city's main medieval gates. Built on the orders of Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1484, the two cylindrical towers, named Honour and Virtue, flank a white marble-clad triumphal arch. Giuliano da Maiano oversaw the addition of Emperor Char…
reviewed
-
O
Piazza San Domenico Maggiore
For some unexplained reason, this airy square is a hit with dreadlocked Spaniards. Along with local students and foreign tourists, they flock here for a late-night beer, cigarette and chat.
Headed by the Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore and flanked by imposing palazzi, the piazza was a series of humble kitchen gardens until the 15th century when the Aragonese decided to make San Domenico their royal church. In the 17th century, various aristocrats built their townhouses around the square. At its centre sits the very baroque Guglia di San Domenico. Decorated by Cosimo Fanzago and completed in 1737 by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro, it was a token of gratitude to San Domenico for …
reviewed
-
P
Chiesa Santa Maria del Parto
Founded by poet Jacopo Sannazzaro, this Renaissance favourite was built on land donated to him by King Frederick of Aragon in 1497. The church was completed shortly before the poet died in 1530. Sannazzaro's tomb sits behind the altar.
Created in 1537 by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, Bartolomeo Ammannati and Francesco del Taddain, it features various mythological gods, including Apollo, Minerva, Pan and Mars in a depiction of Arcadia.
Another resident icon is Leonardo da Pistoia's painting of St Michael Vanquishing the Devil, also known as the Devil of Mergellina. Tradition holds that the devil in question was a lusty local lass who'd made a move on the unwavering bishop Dio…
reviewed
-
Q
Accademia di Belle Arti
Buzzing with brush-clutching art students, the Academy of Fine Arts Gallery was once the convent of San Giovanni Battista delle Monache. Built in the 17th century, it was given a thorough makeover in 1864 by architect Enrico Alvino, who gave the building a neoclassical facade, a grand staircase and two noble lions to guard the main entrance. The 1st-floor gallery houses an important collection of mainly 19th-century Neapolitan work, many by former academy alumni, including watercolourist Giacinti Gigante and sculptor Vincenzo Gemito. That so many of Gemito’s busts were created in 1874 is not a coincidence – he frantically chipped away to pay his way out of military servic…
reviewed
-
R
Accademia di Belle Arti
Buzzing with brush-clutching art students, this academy was once the convent of San Giovanni Battista delle Monache. Built in the 17th-century, it was given a thorough makeover in 1864 by architect Enrico Alvino, who gave the building a neoclassical facade, grand staircase, and two noble lions to guard the main entrance. The first-floor gallery houses an important collection of mainly 19th-century Neapolitan work.
Many of the artworks on display are by former academy alumni, including watercolourist Giacinti Gigante and sculptor Vincenzo Gemito. That so many of Gemito's busts were created in 1874 is not a coincidence - he frantically chipped away to pay his way out of mil…
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Mercato del Pesce di Pozzuoli
An easy 300m walk to the northwest, the atmospheric Mercato del Pesce di Pozzuoli is the town’s modern-day equivalent and a fab spot for an appetising morning stroll. Good weather brings in the best catches, with local staples including pesce azzurro, pesce bandiera (sailfish), seppie (squid), polipi (octopus), alici (anchovies) and gamberoni (giant prawns). The second of the two aisles is a fragrant, mouth-watering spectacle of robust salami and salsiccie (sausages), plump cheeses, local fruits and vegetables, and crunchy casareccio bread. Peckish? Stock up for an impromptu picnic on nearby Monte Nuovo.
reviewed
-
S
Piazza del Mercato
Where cars now park, heads once rolled. For centuries, this scruffy square was the site of gruesome public executions, including that of Conrad of Swabia and those of over 200 ill-fated supporters of the 1799 Parthenopean Republic. Equally grim is its honour as the starting spot for the devastating plague of 1656. The square sits at the easternmost point of the city's old medieval wall.
To the north shines the green- and yellow-tiled dome of the boarded-up Chiesa di Santa Croce al Mercato, while in the southwest corner you'll find a bizarre pyramid supported by four curious creatures. Only one remains intact - with the head of puffy-cheeked girl and the body of a lion.
reviewed
-
T
Villa Rosebery
In an area famed for its blue-ribbon real estate, Villa Rosebery is a star resident. Built in the 18th century, its history is both romantic and epic. It was used by Luigi of Bourbon in the early 19th century for his trysts with the dancer Amina Boschetti, and it was from here that King Vittorio Emanuele III left Italy in 1946 after the abolition of the monarchy.
The complex consists of three buildings - the Palazzina Borbonica, the Piccolo Foresteria and the Cabina a Mare - surrounded by lush, extensive waterside gardens.
During the Maggio dei Monumenti, the estate is sometimes open to the public, who flock here in droves to see what their taxes can buy.
reviewed
-
U
Chiesa Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco
Guarded by three bronze skulls, this 17th-century church is macabre. Inside, two winged skulls adorn either side of the main altar. Built by a congregation dedicated to praying for souls in purgatory, the church became a centre for the Neapolitan cult of the dead which, although officially banned, is said to be far from extinct. Cult practices included lavishing care and gifts on a skull as a means of keeping in touch with an absent loved one.
Below the church in the hypogeum (currently closed) you can still see a dusty hoard of skulls and bones.
On a lighter note, the church boasts some fine paintings by Massimo Stanzione and Luca Giordano.
reviewed
-
V
Chiesa Santa Caterina a Formiello
Despite the grime, this richly decorated Renaissance church is one of Naples' most beautiful. Harmoniously proportioned and softly lit, it boasts a series of exceptional frescoes by Luigi Garzi, as well as the relics of the martyrs of Otranto. The martyrs were all killed in 1480 when Turkish invaders swept into the Puglian coastal town after a lengthy siege and vented their bloody fury by killing 800 citizens.
Dedicated to Alexandrian martyr Santa Caterina, the church was completed in 1593. For 300 years it belonged to the Dominicans, but in the 19th century they moved out and the military moved in, transforming it into a wool factory.
reviewed
