Other sights in Naples
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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Parco Vergiliano
Wedged between a railway bridge and the cliffs of Posillipo hill, this off-the radar park sits high above the shimmering sea on the westernmost tip of posh Posillipo hill. Kick back on a terrace and soak up the views; from Capri to the south, Nisida, Procida and Ischia to the southwest, to the Bay of Pozzuoli and Bagnoli to the west. (History buffs may know that the tiny island of Nisida is where Brutus reputedly conspired against his over-achieving nemesis Julius Caesar.) The trendy Posillipo market takes place outside the main gates on Thursday.
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Studio Dalisi
A visit to the Riccardo Dalisi’s studio is a wonderful experience, its collection of rooms packed to the rafters with charismatic prototypes, works-in-progress and roll upon roll of Dalisi’s own paintings and illustrations (Dalisi uses only recycled paper). The gentle maestro also offers free three-, four- or five-day workshops (book a week ahead), though it’s worth considering that Dalisi does not speak English. And while all visitors are welcome at the studio, don’t forget to call ahead and book a time with Dalisi’s assistant, Carla Rabuffetti, first.
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Acropoli di Cuma
The centre of the ancient settlement of Cuma was this acropolis. Situated at its base, the Tempio di Apollo (Temple of Apollo) was built on the site where Daedalus is said to have flown into Italy. According to Greek mythology, Daedalus and his son Icarus took to the skies to escape King Minos in Crete. En route Icarus flew too close to the sun and plunged to his death as his wax-and-feather wings melted from the heat. Last entry is one hour before close.
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Borgo Marinaro
An evocative combo of bobbing boats, seaside dining and cocktail-sipping night owls, the small, rocky Borgo Marinaro is where – according to legend – the heartbroken siren Partenope washed ashore after failing to seduce Ulysses with her song. It's also where the Greeks first settled the city in the 7th century BC, calling the island Megaris.
Its most famous resident today is the hulking Castel dell'Ovo. According to legend, it owes its improbable name to the Roman poet Virgil, who supposedly buried an egg on the site, ominously warning that when the egg breaks the castle (and Naples) will fall.
Built in the 12th century by the Normans, the castle is the city's oldest.…
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Archaeological Zone
Beyond the 17th-century Basilica di Santa Restituta is the fascinating archaeological zone. Tunnels burrow into the remains of the site’s original Greek and Roman buildings. The baptistry here is the oldest in western Europe, with its remarkably fresh 4th-century mosaics.
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Museo Nazionale di San Martino
The Certosa di San Martino and its Museo Nazionale di San Martino are absolutely superb and must sees. What was once a Carthusian monastery is now home to one of the most extensive collections of Neapolitan art and history, all of it wisely collected by its resident monks.
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Nuns’ Cloisters
Within the nuns’ cloisters is a long parapet entirely covered in decorative ceramic tiles depicting scenes of rural life, from hunting to posing peasants. The four internal walls are covered with softly coloured 17th-century frescoes of Franciscan tales.
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Villa Floridiana
In a city decidedly short of green space, this public park is a tonic, spreading down the slopes towards Mergellina. Sitting snugly at the bottom, Villa Floridiana was built in 1817 by Ferdinand I for his wife, the Duchess of Floridia. Nowadays it contains the Museo Nazionale della Ceramica Duca di Martina and its 6000-piece collection of European, Chinese and Japanese china, ivory and enamels; and Italian majolica.
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Studio d’Arte Ulderico e Ognissanti
Hailing from Naples’ underground art movement of the 1980s, this eclectic duo paint, sculpt and film their way through Neapolitan stereotypes, creating anything from tongue-in-cheek ‘Pulcinella is dead’ sculptures to playful portraits of local saints.
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Mostra Terrea Motus
Within Palazzo Reale, the Mostra Terrea Motus documents the 1980 earthquake that devastated the region.
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Spaccanapoli
Following the path of the ancient Roman decumanus inferior (minor road), Via San Biagio dei Librai (becoming Via Benedetto Croce to the west and Via Vicaria Vecchia to the east) is affectionately known as Spaccanapoli (Break Naples). Seen from above, it cuts right through the heart of the old city.
At its eastern end, the Ospedale delle Bambole is a local institution, a quirky shop full of dusty dolls’ heads and assorted mannequins. Further down, the Chiesa di Sant’Angelo a Nilo is benignly presided over by a quartet of tubby gilt cherubs. A modest 14th-century church, it’s of note for the monumental Renaissance tomb of Cardinal Brancaccio, created by Donatello and…
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Palazzo Reale Di Capodimonte
On the northern edge of the city, this colossal palace took more than a century to build. It was originally intended as a hunting lodge for Charles VII of Bourbon, but as construction got under way in 1738, the plans kept on getting grander and grander. The result was the monumental palazzo that since 1759 has housed the art collection that Charles inherited from his mother Elisabetta Farnese.
e Museo di Capodimonte is spread over three floors and 160 rooms. You’ll never see the whole place in one day, but a morning should be enough for an abridged best-of tour.
On the 1st floor you’ll find works by Bellini, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Masaccio and Titian. Highlights are…
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