“Naples is one of the oldest cities in Europe with a contemporary urban fabric that retains countless elements of its eventful history. The layout of its streets and its priceless historic buildings from different eras endow it with an unparalleled universal value, which has exerted a profound influence on much of Europe and beyond." With this motivation, UNESCO declared the historic centre of Naples a World Heritage Site in 1995, including it in the list of assets to be protected.
Naples underwent many dominations
Down the centuries, the city witnessed many different styles and dominations from its foundation as the Greek colony Parthenope, to Roman domination, from the Swabian-Norman period to the Angevin reign, then under the Aragonese Empire, the Kings of France, Garibaldi and the Kingdom of Italy. Its heritage area consists of the following city districts: Avvocata, Montecalvario, San Giuseppe, Porto, Pendino, Mercato, Chiaia, San Ferdinando, Stella, San Carlo all'Arena, San Lorenzo, Vicarìa and part of the Vomero and Posillipo hills.
Strolling through the centre on Via Toledo you can admire the grandiose Galleria Umberto I, a crossroads for artists, painters and poets. Also not to be missed is the Castel Nuovo, known as the Maschio Angioino, home to kings and barons from the Angevins to the Bourbons; and the San Carlo Theatre is the oldest opera house in Europe. In its historic churches artists such as Caravaggio, Donatello and Jusepe de Ribera all worked and one much-loved site is the Monastery of Santa Chiara with its cloisters which are decorated with beautifully crafted majolica. Not far away we find elegant Filomarino Palace, which was a noble residence before becoming the home of the famous philosopher Benedetto Croce.
Take a mystery night tour
But Naples is also city of mystery. Stories of ghosts, legends and mysterious characters have always played a major role in Neapolitan popular culture, and today there are organized night tours with fascinating itineraries featuring popular legends and esotericism that add a touch of excitement to any visit to this beautiful city.
