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 EYEWITNESS TRAVEL

TOP 10
NAPLES
& AMALFI COAST

Pull-out
map and
guide

10
2
 $1 6$ /
7

7(6
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Spectacular scenic drives




10
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Local delicacies & where to find them

,

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2 / 2&
97

9 ,&3  6
$9

& 9& 75
$&
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6  0$ 5 , $ 
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6 0$ 5 7, 1 2 $1
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10


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10 Great beaches & spas
3
2 & (
5,2
,$ $
/ 8& $
9,
72

6OMERO /*2
021 7(
10 Houses in Pompeii & Herculaneum
9,7
2& ,6

& $/9$ 5 ,2

10 Best hotels for every budget

10 Masterpieces from antiquity
10 Best shops & markets
10 Gorgeous villas & gardens
10 Insider tips for every visitor

YOUR GUIDE TO THE 10 BEST OF EVERYTHING

 TOP 10
NAPLES
& THE AMALFI COAST

JEFFREY KENNEDY

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
Contents

Left Capodimonte Right Pompeii

Contents
Naples & The Amalfi
Produced by Sargasso Media Ltd, London
Coast’s Top 10
Reproduced by Colourscan, Singapore Printed
and bound in China by Leo Paper Group Highlights 6
First American Edition, 2004
10 11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Palazzo Reale, Naples 8
Published in the United States by
DK Publishing
375 Hudson Street, New York, Castel Nuovo, Naples 10
New York 10014
A Penguin Company
Duomo, Naples 12
Copyright 2004, 2010 ©
Dorling Kindersley Limited, London
Reprinted with revisions 2006, 2008, 2010
Museo Archeologico
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under
copyright reserved above, no part of this publication Nazionale, Naples 14
may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by
any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Capodimonte 18
recording, or otherwise), without the prior written
permission of both the copyright owner and the
above publisher of this book. Certosa di San Martino 20
ISSN 1479-344X
ISBN 978-0-7566-6139-7 Pompeii 24
Within each Top 10 list in this book, no
hierarchy of quality or popularity is implied. All
10 are, in the editor’s opinion, of Capri 28
roughly equal merit.
Floors are referred to throughout in
accordance with Italian usage; ie the “first
Ravello 30
floor” is the floor above ground level.
Paestum 32
Moments in History 34
Epochs and Eras 36
Museums and Galleries 38

The information in this DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide is checked regularly.

Every effort has been made to ensure that this book is as up-to-date as possible at the time of
going to press. Some details, however, such as telephone numbers, opening hours, prices,
gallery hanging arrangements and travel information are liable to change. The publishers
cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this book, nor for
any material on third party websites, and cannot guarantee that any website address in this
book will be a suitable source of travel information. We value the views and suggestions of
our readers very highly. Please write to: Publisher, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides,
Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand, London, Great Britain WC2R 0RL.

Cover: Front: Alamy Images Rolf Richardson main; Dorling Kindersley Demetrio Carrasco clb. Back: Dorling
Kindersley Demetrio Carrasco ca, cla, cra. Spine: Dorling Kindersley John Heseltine b. Front Flaps: Corbis
Roger Wood cra; Il Dagherrotipo Giovanni Rinaldi tr.

2
 Contents
Left Capri Centre Limoncello liqueur Right Paestum

Churches in Naples 40 Around Naples

Piazzas and Fountains 42 & The Amalfi Coast
Artists and their Naples: Spaccanapoli
Masterpieces 44 to Capodimonte 68

Icons of Popular Culture 46 Naples: Toledo to Chiaia 80

Walks 48 Vesuvius & Around 88

Beaches 50 The Islands, Sorrento

Romantic Spots 52 & the South 94

Hidden Attractions 54 Posillipo, Pozzuoli

& the North 108
Children’s Attractions 56

Sporting Activities 58 Streetsmart

Neapolitan Dishes 60 Practical Information 116

Neapolitan Souvenirs 62 Places to Stay 125

Religious Celebrations 64 General Index 134

Left Sorrento Right Naples market

Key to abbreviations 3
Adm admission charge Free no admission charge Dis. access disabled access
 NAPLES &
THE AMALFI
COAST’S
TOP 10

NAPLES & THE AMALFI COAST’S TOP 10

Naples & the Amalfi
Coast’s Highlights
6–7
Palazzo Reale
8–9
Castel Nuovo
10–11
Duomo
12–13
Museo Archeologico
Nazionale
14–17
Capodimonte
18–19
Certosa di San Martino
20–23
Pompeii
24–27
Capri
28–29
Ravello
30–31
Paestum
32–33
Top Ten of Everything
34–65
 Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Highlights
From one perspective, this area is an anomaly, at once one of the
earth’s most beautiful and yet most accursed places. It has been 721'2
&$32',0217(

the choice of the great and wealthy as their playground, while

$  ' 8 & $  ' $ 2 6 7$ 

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

also being the scene of some of the greatest natural disasters

and the grittiest human misery. Perhaps these irreconcilable

& 2 5 6 2  $   ' , 6$ 92 ,
twists of fate are at the root of the Neapolitans’ famously
optimistic cynicism. The city of Naples itself is a vibrant urban
setting, almost non-European in its intensity, while the beauty of
the surrounding coast has been known to make grown men weep.

! Palazzo Reale

'(*/,6 & $/
9 , $  6   7 ( 5 ( , 
With its commanding
position near the bay, the

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2
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entrances of the period,

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$1
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purest white marble
(see pp10–11). 

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Gennaro, is so large and

resplendent that it is
really a church in its own
right (see pp12–13).

Museo
Archeologico $
Nazionale
This is the repository of
ancient art that has been
unearthed from Pompeii % Capodimonte
What started out as
and other archaeological an unassuming hunting
digs around Vesuvius. lodge soon grew to
These amazing finds become a vast royal
evoke a Classical palace. It is now a
civilization of great museum housing one of
refinement and grandeur Italy’s finest collections
(see pp14–17). of art (see pp18–19).

6 Many of the museums also have contemporary art exhibits as

well as changing exhibitions
 Certosa di San Martino
If there is one museum that ^
manages to capture the true Naples,
&DSRGLPRQWH
this is it. Come for the unparalleled
views from the gardens, for the
     6 $ / ,7 $ 0
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1 7 (

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

$


$
/,7 2 Baroque and the world’s finest
5,
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collection of nativity figures



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,1

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9

28
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9,$


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4
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 ZBSET  NFUSFT  (see pp30–31).

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7
 Palazzo Reale, Naples
One glance at this imposing Royal Palace and it becomes clear that, in its
heyday, Naples was one of Europe’s most important cities and home to one
of the Mediterranean’s most glittering royal courts. Begun in 1600, by order
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

of the Spanish viceroy, it was designed by Domenico Fontana and completed

in just two years. However, additions, including the grand staircase, were
made over the years, and it was enlarged and redesigned in the 18th and
19th centuries. The edifice was a royal residence until 1946, when the mon-
archy was exiled for their ill-considered support of Mussolini’s Fascist regime.
Top 10 Features
1 Façade
2 Teatrino di Corte
3 Staircase
Palace façade
4 Decor of the Apartments
Caffè Gambrinus (see 5 Furnishings
p87), located in the 6 Paintings
stylish piazza next to 7 Sala di Ercole
the palace, is an
8 Cappella Palatina
excellent and historic
choice for a drink,
9 Biblioteca Nazionale
snack or a full meal. 0 Gardens & Stables

The ticket office is

notoriously hard to ! Façade
Dominating the vast
find, often confused Piazza del Plebiscito, the
with the gift shop. palace’s late Renaissance
It’s located on the façade of brickwork and
side of the building, grey piperno stone is
where the palace adorned with giant statues
meets the San Carlo of Naples’ foremost kings.
Opera House. It’s
best to buy an Arte-
card (see p122)
$ Decor of the
Apartments
depending on how The theme of the frescoes
(above) that adorn the 30
long your stay is – it
royal apartments was
reduces entrance
chosen to flatter various
fees to the major
royals. Closed until 2010/11.
sights and you will
also often get priori-
tized entry, saving a @ Teatrino di Corte
Dating from 1768, this
great deal of time. private theatre (above)
attests to the royal family’s
• Piazza del Plebiscito passion for comic opera. In
• Map N5 the side niches are figures
• 081 40 05 47 of Apollo and his Muses.
• Open 9am–7pm
Staircase
Mon–Tue, Thu–Sun
• Adm €6 The monumental stair- £
• Dis. access case (right) leads from the
central courtyard up to the
royal apartments. The origi-
nal masterpiece dates from
1651; in 1837 it was
embellished with marble.

8
 Entrance
Furnishings
Stunning examples % 3
of Empire furniture 2 0
(right) predominate in 9
the palace’s apartments, 8
much of it of French 1

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

manufacture. Tapestries
adorn many of the 7
rooms, as do exceptional 46
examples of 18th-century 5
marble tables elaborately
inlaid with semi-
precious stones. Plan of Palazzo Reale

( Biblioteca
Nazionale
The massive National
Library has at its core the
Farnese collection, with
books dating from the
5th century. Also here
are 1st-century-BC papyri
found at Herculaneum.

) Gardens & Stables

To the north of the
palace, the gardens
(above), laid out in 1841,
afford views of the hill of
San Martino in one direc-
^ Paintings
Of considerable & Sala di Ercole
The Hall of Hercules
tion, and of Vesuvius and
the bay in the other. The
importance is the abun- derives its name from old stables are now used
dance of paintings of all the ancient statue for special exhibitions.
genres, including works displayed here in the
by Giordano, Guercino, 19th century. Guide to the
Carracci, Preti (below) and Palazzo Reale
Titian. Look, too, for 17th- Cappella Palatina
century Dutch portraits, * A 16th-century You are free to walk
19th-century Neapolitan wooden door, painted in around the inner court-
landscape paintings and faux bronze, leads to the yard and the gardens at
18th-century Chinese Royal Chapel, where all your leisure, without a
watercolours. the court’s religious activ- ticket, as well as to visit
ities took place. the National Library. To
The high altar visit the Royal Apart-
consists of ments, buy your ticket
semiprecious and take the grand
stones set in staircase up to the left
gilt copper, only, after which you
while the 18th- may visit the rooms in
century nativity whatever order you
scene is a rich wish and stay as long
study of local as you like.
life at the time.

The Farnese Hercules statue, once in the Sala di Ercole, can now 9
be seen in the Museo Archeologico See pp14–17
 Castel Nuovo, Naples
The Castel Nuovo is more commonly known locally as the Maschio Angioino, a
name that clearly dates the fortress’s origins to the reign of Charles I of Anjou
in the late 13th century. It was officially called the “New Castle” to distinguish
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

it from existing ones, namely the Ovo and the Capuano. During the reign of
Robert of Anjou, the place became an important cultural centre, attracting
such greats as Petrarch, Boccaccio and Giotto for productive sojourns. It was
the Spanish conquerors from Aragon, however, who, in the 15th century, gave
it is present-day militaristic look as well as Renaissance embellishments.
Currently the castle houses Naples’ Civic Museum and administrative offices.
Top 10 Features
1 Architecture
2 Triumphal Arch
3 Sala dei Baroni
4 Cappella Palatina
Bas-relief, Triumphal Arch
5 Museo Civico
A good choice for a 6 Paintings of Naples
meal, inside nearby 7 Dungeons
Galleria Umberto I, is
8 Inner Courtyard
Caffè Roma, where
you’ll find a tempting
9 Excavations
array of freshly made 0 Views
local dishes (see p82).
Architecture
In the 15th century !
If sections of the five cylindrical towers
castle are closed, were added (right), as was
enquire at the a Catalan courtyard and
information office the Hall of the Barons.
located in the
courtyard and
someone may be
@ Triumphal Arch
Inspired by ancient
kind enough to let Roman antecedents, the
you in for a look. arch was built in 1443 to
celebrate King Alfonso V of
• Piazza Municipio
Aragon and features
• Map N5
sculpted bas-reliefs.
• 081 795 58 77 or
081 420 13 42
• Open 9am–7pm
Mon–Sat (last entry
6pm)
Cappella Palatina
• Adm €5
• Dis. access (partial)
The castle’s main $
chapel is the only
remaining part of
the original
Angevin palace.
£ Sala dei Baroni
In 1486 Ferrante I of
It houses fres-
coes from the
Aragon invited barons who 14th to 16th
were plotting against him centuries, as
to a ball here, whereupon well as a fine
he had them all executed. Renaissance
Today the hall is notable for sculpted taber-
its splendid vaults (above). nacle (right).

10 Look out for theatre and dance events that sometimes take place
in the castle during the summer months
 ^ Paintings
Naples
of 3 4
The second floor of the
museum focuses on 9
Neapolitan works of a
secular nature from the 8 5

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

18th to 20th centu- 6
ries. Delightful
sculptures include 7
scugnizzi (street
urchins), especially 2
the famous Entrance
Fisherboy by
Vincenzo Gemito (left). Plan of Castel Nuovo

& Dungeons
Legend has it that ) Views
One of the best
prisoners would regularly aspects of a visit to the
disappear from these castle is taking in the
dungeons without a magnificent views from
trace, and the cause was its upper walls and
discovered to be a huge terraces. Panoramas
crocodile that would grab include Mount Vesuvius
their legs through a drain and, on a clear day, even
hole and drag them away. the Sorrentine Peninsula.
True or not, the hole now
has a grating over it.

* Inner Courtyard
This harmonious
space (right) has typically
Catalan features, such as
the “depressed” arches
– broader and flatter than
Italian types – and an
external grand staircase.

( Excavations
In the left corner of
From Fortress
the courtyard visitors can to Civic Park
view archaeological The castle still retains a
excavations through a defensive look – most
glass floor. Macabre sur- notably the sloping
prises include skeletons base surmounted by a
of monks from an early rim of castellated battle-
convent on the site. ments – and in the 16th
century an enclosing
ring wall was added,
Museo Civico
On the first floor of % with bastions of its
own, which hid the cas-
the Civic Museum are tle from view and gave
paintings and sculptures, the entire area an even
including a 16th-century more ominous feel. Fol-
Adoration of the Magi in lowing Italy’s Unifica-
which the Wise Men are tion, however, the wall
portraits of kings Fer- was demolished and
rante I and Alfonso II, the area was laid out
and Emperor Charles V. with avenues, lawns
Also here are 15th-centu- and flower gardens,
ry bronze doors, depict- lessening the forbidding
ing royal victories over aspect of the place.
rebellious barons (right).

The Cappella delle Anime del Purgatorio, where condemned 11

prisoners received their last rites, is also of interest
 Duomo, Naples
Naples’ cathedral originally dates from the 4th century AD with the founding of
the Basilica of Santa Restituta, but two centuries later the Basilica del Salvatore
was built at right angles to the first and this is the site now occupied by the
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Duomo. Work on the Duomo as we see it today began in the 13th century dur-
ing the reign of Charles I of Anjou, but over the centuries it has suffered repeated
earthquake damage and has consequently been restored according to prevailing
tastes of the times. The result is a rich array of art and architecture going back
2,000 years. Next to the Duomo is the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro.
Top 10 Features
1 Façade & Portals
2 Interior & Ceiling
3 Cappella di San Gennaro
4 Relics
Domed ceiling, Cappella di 5 Cappella Minutolo
San Gennaro 6 Crypt of the Succorpo
For pizza without
7 Font
queues, visit 8 Santa Restituta
Ristorante-Pizzeria 9 Baptistry
Lombardi (see p79). 0 Archaeological Area

You will doubtless

encounter large
groups being led
! Façade & Portals
The façade of Naples’
cathedral (below) is a Neo-
around by docents.
Gothic affair restored in
No one will mind if the early 20th century but
you join the group, it is graced by three portals
at least for a bit; that date back to the 1400s.
otherwise, take your
own personal tour to
another part of the
cathedral until the
crowds move on.

• Via Duomo 147

• Map P1
• www.duomodinapoli.
com
• Duomo: Open 8am–
12:30pm, 4:30–7pm
Mon–Sat; 8am–1:30pm,
5–7:30pm Sun; Free
• Archaeological Area
and Baptistry: Open
9am–noon, 4:30–7pm
Mon–Sat, 9am–noon
Sun; Adm €3
@ Interior & Ceiling
The interior cathedral £ Cappella
Gennaro
di San

• Museum of the never fails to dazzle. The Built in the 1600s, this
Treasure of San Gennaro: floorplan is 100 m (330 ft) Baroque extravaganza to
Open 9:30am–5pm long, with a nave and two the centre-right of the nave
Tue–Sat, 9:30am– aisles lined with chapels employed marble and pre-
2:30pm Sun; Adm €6 (centre). Sixteen pillars cious metals and the great
support arches flanked by artists of the day to deco-
ancient granite columns. rate its walls and ceiling.

12 The Duomo is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, but it is

commonly known as the church of San Gennaro
 % Cappella
Minutolo ( Baptistry
This is the oldest
This chapel is one of the baptistry in the western
best-preserved examples world (below). It was
of the Gothic style of the built towards the end of
13th and 14th centuries. the 4th century and is

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

$ Relics
The main reliquary is
The Cosmatesque mosa-
ic floor and altar frescoes
adorned with splendid
mosaics. The font itself is
a gold bust of San Gen- are of particular note. thought to have come
naro containing his skull from an ancient temple
bones. The reliquary of
his blood (above) has ^ Crypt of the
Succorpo
to Dionysus.

ampoules of dried fluid. The complexity and origi-

nality of this Renaissance
chapel have led scholars
to attribute the design to
Bramante. Adornments
include paintings and
sculptures by artists such
as Pietro Bernini.

) Archaeological
Area
From Santa Restituta,
you can enter the archae-
ological area (left), with
remnants of Greek,
Roman and early Chris-
tian structures, including
walls, columns, mosaics,
religious buildings and
Greek and Roman roads.
There is some evidence
of insulae (apartment
blocks) having been here
in Roman times.

& Font
The cathedral’s main
San Gennaro
baptismal font (below) Naples’ patron saint was
dates from 1618. The an early Christian who
basin is made of Egyp- battled the disapproval
tian basalt, and there are of Emperor Diocletian.
Greek sculptures and an Bent on stamping out
episcopal throne dating the off-shoot Jewish
from 1376 in the right- sect, the emperor set
hand nave. about slaughtering Chris-
tians, but Gennaro sur-
vived by his faith until he
was finally beheaded in
AD 305. His body and
vials of blood were pre-
served in the Cata-
combs of San Gennaro
* Santa Restituta
Naples’ oldest build- (see p54) until they were
ing was commissioned moved here. Later, a
by Emperor Constantine, believer discovered that
who made Christianity his dried blood miracu-
the religion of the Roman lously liquefied on
Empire. Inside are a demand, an event that
Romanesque fresco and became a city-wide cult.
mosaics dating from 1322.

The bust of San Gennaro is on view only during the twice-yearly 13

miracle of the liquefaction of his blood (May and Sep)
 Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Among the world’s top museums of ancient art,
Naples’ Archaeological Museum overwhelms
with its wealth of beautiful and priceless objects.
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

The building itself was built in the 16th century as

headquarters for the royal cavalry and converted a
century later into a university. Another century saw it
turned into a museum, the Real Museo Borbonico,
to house the Farnese collection and the fascinating Bronze Sculpture
finds that were brought to light at Pompeii and @
This collection is a true
Herculaneum. Now the Farnese Collection is treasure-trove of bronze
masterpieces. The works on
broken up, with the paintings at Capodimonte display include a Resting
and the books in the National Library, leaving Hermes, Fauns, Water-
this museum to focus on its ancient marvels. Bearers and a host of stat-
ues and busts. First floor.

Top 10 Exhibits
1 Marble Sculpture
2 Bronze Sculpture
3 Friezes, Frescoes & Murals
Museum façade 4 Mosaics
5 Il Gabinetto Segreto
A café is due to open
6 Glass & Stone Vessels
in the remodelled
section of the build-
7 Pottery & Metal Vessels
ing in 2010. Alterna- 8 Incised Gems, Coins &
tively, head for Piazza Epigraphs
Bellini and take a 9 Weapons, Jewellery &
table outside Caffè Domestic Items
Arabo (see p77) to 0 Egyptian & Prehistoric Items
gaze at the excavated
Greek walls in the
centre of the piazza.

Make an appoint-
ment to tour Il Gabi-
netto Segreto at the
entrance to the
museum. You will be
given a time and a
choice of languages.
£ Friezes,
& Murals
Frescoes

• Piazza Museo 19 These Roman works exca-

• Map N1 • 081 44 22 vated from Pompeii (below)
149 • www.archeona.
arti.beniculturali.it
! Marble Sculpture
Replicas of some of
disclose a great deal about
the society and religion of
• Open 9am–7:30pm the most renowned the time. Second floor.
Wed–Mon (ticket office ancient Classical sculptures
closes 6:30pm) (above) are housed here,
• Adm €10 by artists such as Phidias,
• Il Gabinetto Segreto: Lysippus, Praxiteles and
Open for tours 9:30am– Polyclitus. Also of great
7:30pm Wed–Mon importance are the striking
• Dis. access (partial) Greek and Roman portrait
busts. Ground floor.

14 Restoration work to the museum has been delayed due to the

discovery of Greek tombs; it is anticipated to be completed in 2010
$ Mosaics Glass & Stone
Romans loved mosaics ^ Vessels
on both floors and walls. Masters at producing
Small chips of coloured coloured and transparent
glass and stone (tesser- glassware, the Romans
ae) were used to create carried these techniques

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

scenes of every genre. to artistic heights.
Mezzanine and first floor. Highlights of the collec-
tion include the celebrat-
( Weapons,
% IlSegreto
Gabinetto ed Farnese Cup,
engraved in semipre-
Jewellery, &
Domestic Items
This collection was cious stone with lay- Shields, helmets and
closed to the public, ers of agate and swords remind us that
but can now be seen sardonyx, and the the ancient world was
by appointment. The blue vase (left). one of combat, but metal-
exuberant sexuality of Used as a wine smiths also made adorn-
the ancient world vessel, the vase ments such as armlets
inspired the frescoes, was found in a (above). Domestic items
sculptures and mosaics Pompeii tomb. include lamps and cups.
on display. Mezzanine. First floor. Basement and first floor.

) Egyptian &
Prehistoric Items
This collection contains
examples of art from the
Ancient Kingdom (2700–
2200 BC) down to the
Roman age. Funereal
steles, vases, statuettes,
sarcophagi and mummies
can be seen here.
Basement.

Building the
Collection
The vast Farnese
Collection, inherited by
King Ferdinando IV from
his mother Elisabetta
Farnese in the 18th
century, forms the core
of the museum,
including one of the
most important and
largest assemblages of
Roman antiquities in

& Pottery
Vessels
& Metal
* Incised Gems,
Coins & Epigraphs
existence. Excavations
around Vesuvius (see
Pottery here includes The collection of incised pp24–7) added to the
Greek and Etruscan gems contains Greek and marvellous bounty. In
kraters, Roman terracotta Roman pieces; bronze, sil- the past 200 years the
jars, vases and figurines. ver and gold coins (left), inventory of world-class
Grecian urns, with red fig- including some from treasures has been
ures on black back- Magna Graecia. augmented by
grounds (above), Ancient written rec- numerous important
depict a variety ords include the aristocratic collections,
of scenes. Cups Tavole di Eraclea including the Bourbon,
and lanterns (3rd century BC). the Borgia, the Orsini,
also feature. First floor and the Picchianti and the
First and sec- basement (epi- Astarita collections.
ond floors. graphs by request).

The museum often hosts world-class exhibitions of modern art, 15

creating an interesting juxtaposition of ancient and contemporary
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Farnese Cup Centre Dancing Faun Right The Doryphorus

Individual Masterpieces
! Farnese Bull
Found in the Baths of £ The Doryphoros
This is the most complete
Caracalla in Rome, this is the replica of the celebrated bronze
largest sculptural group to have original, created in about 440 BC
survived from antiquity. One of by Polyclitus of Argos. The name
the best-known pieces in the means “spear-bearer” and one
Farnese Collection, it recounts can see that the figure once held
the story of Dirce, who ill-treated a spear in his left hand. It is
Antiope and is being punished by thought to represent Achilles,
the latter’s sons by being tied to the hero of the Trojan War, and
a bull. It is probably a copy – the statue was known in ancient
though some claim it may be the times as the Canon, exhibiting
original – of a 2nd-century BC perfect proportions in every
Greek work and is Hellenistic in aspect of its depiction of the
its execution. Ground floor. human form. The sculptor
developed a complex theory of

@ Farnese Hercules
Created and signed by
measurements, related to music,
for the ideal construction of the
Glykon of Athens, this powerful human body. Ground floor.
marble sculpture is a copy and
enlargement of a lost bronze
original by the 4th-century BC $ Dancing Faun
A more joyous image of
Greek master Lysippus. It was freedom and exuberant health
also found in the ruins of the would be hard to imagine. This
Baths of Caracalla in Rome, bronze was found in Pompeii’s
where it is thought Casa del Fauno, to which it gives
that it served as its name, as a decoration in the
magnificent atrium to greet arriving guests.
decoration for Two ancient replicas are known
the imperial of this Hellenistic figure, so it
pleasure-dome. must have been a popular and
The work inspiring object. Mezzanine.
shows the
mythical hero at
rest, exhausted % Hermes at Rest
Were it not for the wings on
after having his feet, one might suppose that
completed his this extremely boyish Hermes
round of 12 (Mercury) was just a young
superhuman athlete taking a break from his
tasks. exertions rather than a god. The
Ground floor. proportions of this eclectic
sculpture were inspired by the
Farnese Hercules work of Lysippus. First floor.

16
^ Sleeping and
Drunken Satyrs * Achilles
and Chiron
Satyrs to the Retrieved from the
ancients were so-called Basilica in
always a Herculaneum, this

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

symbol of pure fresco depicts the
hedonism – not young hero of the Trojan
just sexual licence, War with his mentor, the
but every form of Sleeping and Drunken Satyrs centaur Chiron. Since
ease and indul- this large work was
gence. These two figures, from decoration for a public building,
the Villa dei Papiri (see p26), the message is clear – heed the
express a light-hearted indolence elemental forces of Nature (sym-
that is as implicitly erotic as it is bolized by the centaur) to find
earthy. The ancients believed that balance and fulfilment in life. The
physical pleasure and delight were image is based on a famous
part of man’s divine essence and sculptural group, probably Greek,
gifts from the gods. First floor. now lost but known to have stood
in ancient Rome, as recorded by

& Alexander the Great

Mosaic
Pliny the Elder. First floor (on
display from late 2010).
Found as a floor decoration in
Pompeii’s Casa del Fauno, a
grand aristocratic mansion of the ( Sacrifice of Iphigenia
Found in Pompeii, in the so-
2nd century BC, this Hellenistic called House of the Tragic Poet,
mosaic is certainly one of the this famous painting shows the
most elegant and exciting to dramatic moment when the sac-
have survived. The subject is the rifice of Iphigenia is halted by the
routing of Darius’s Persian intervention of Artemis (Diana),
armies by Alexander the Great’s who kills a deer instead. The
cavalry. The monumentality of fresco was once considered a
the work is impressive and it is faithful copy of a painting by the
almost certainly a copy of a lost Greek artist Timante, but it is
painting of great importance, now thought to be an original
possibly by Philoxeno. Fragmen- Roman depiction – due primarily
tary as it is, there are still some to its overall lack of composition-
one million tesserae (tiles) in its al unity. First floor.
composition. Mezzanine.

) Farnese Cup
The star of the museum’s
cameo and incised gem collec-
tion is this glistening master-
piece, carved from a single piece
of stone, specifically chosen by
the artist for its layering of agate
and sardonyx. The outer face of
the cup has an image of Medu-
sa; inside is an allegorical scene
that probably alludes to the fertil-
ity of the Nile. The cup was pro-
duced in Egypt in the 2nd or 1st
Achilles and Chiron century BC. Ground floor.

17
 Capodimonte, Naples
Construction began on this royal palace, museum and porcelain factory in
1738, under architect Antonio Medrano, and it has been home to a large part
of the Farnese Collection since 1759. After the French occupation in 1799 the
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

collection was briefly dispersed, with some pieces taken away to France, but
they were later returned following the restoration of the Bourbons in 1815.
With the Unification of Italy, in 1860, the palace and its treasures became the
property of the House of Savoy and the residence of the Dukes of Aosta until
1947. It was opened to the public in 1957 and restored in 1996, with the
Neapolitan and contemporary art galleries added in 1997.
Top 10 Features
1 Palazzo Reale
2 Pre- and 14th-Century Art
3 15th-Century Art
Capodimonte façade
4 16th-Century Art
Choose the Museum 5 17th-Century Art
Café for refreshment 6 18th-Century Art
– it’s located down 7 Porcelain Parlour
the arcaded corridor
8 Drawings & Graphic Works
away from the shop
9 Decorative Arts
in the direction of
the toilets and then 0 19th-Century & Modern Art
right; follow the signs.
! Palazzo Reale
The palace was first
Public transport in conceived as a hunting
Naples is not for the lodge by Charles Barbone,
sensitive; for most, but the plans grew into a
the easiest way to three-storey structure set in
the museum is by a 7-sq km (2.5-sq mile) park.
taxi. However, bus
178 runs from Via
Toledo, R4 from Via
Medina and C40 from
Piazza Garibaldi.

• Porta Grande via

Capodimonte, Porta
Piccola via Miano 2
• Map K1
• 081 749 91 11
• Museum: Open
8:30am–7:30pm Thu–
£ 15th-Century Art
Powerful works here
include Botticelli’s Madonna
Tue (ticket desk closes
with Child and Angels and
6:30pm); Adm €7.50
Bellini’s sublime Transfigu-
(€6.50 after 2pm);
• Dis. access @ Pre- and 14th-
Century Art
ration (below).
• Park: Open Most of the earliest Italian
8am–sunset daily; Free
art in the museum was
acquired in the 19th and
20th centuries. Important
works include Simone
Martini’s lavish Gothic
masterpiece San Ludovico
di Tolosa (above).

18 The museum interweaves temporary contemporary art exhibitions

with its permanent collection; sometimes pieces will be moved
 0
18th-Century Art
^ Neapolitan artist
Francesco Solimena is 56
well represented here, 0 9
most especially by his
opulent portrait of a

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

courtier, Principe Tarsia
34 2
Spinelli. Other canvases
provide us with period
views of Naples (left) and 1 7
its bay and other scenes,
including one of Vesuvius
in eruption by Pierre- 8
Jacques-Antoine Volaire.
Plan of Capodimonte
& Porcelain Parlour
This parlour (left) was Key
designed for Queen
Mezzanine
Maria Amalia. Painted and
gilded porcelain assumes First Floor
the shapes of festoons,
musical instruments and Second Floor
figurative scenes. Third Floor

Drawings &
* Graphic Works
Sketches and studies by ) 19th-Century
& Modern Art
some of the greatest History paintings and
artists are here, including landscapes dominate this
works by Fra’ Bartolomeo, part of the collection.
Raphael and Michelangelo. Especially endearing are
Open mornings only. the sculptures of street
urchins by Vincenzo
Gemito, but the signature
modern work is a com-
plete departure – Andy
Warhol’s cheerfully garish
Vesuvius.

Royal Porcelain
Factory
Charles of Bourbon
( Decorative Arts
The palace is replete established the Reale
with decorative arts, from Fabbrica delle Porcellane
ivory carvings to tapes- in 1739 and it quickly
tries, to 18th- and 19th- became celebrated for
the refinement of its
$ 16th-Century Art
Here you’ll find a
century furniture made
for the royal family (above). porcelain creations. The
serene Assumption of factory flourished until
the Virgin by Pinturicchio, 1759, when the king
an Assumption by Fra’ returned to his native
Bartolomeo and works by Spain and took it and
Titian and Raphael. the staff with him, but it
reopened in 1771, and
17th-Century Art production of top-quality
Strongest of all the% pieces recommenced.
works here is Caravaggio’s The mark for objects
Flagellation of Christ and made here was general-
Artemisia Gentileschi’s ly a crowned “N” in
horrifying Judith and blue on the underside.
Holofernes (right).

The Royal Porcelain Factory is today home to the Institute for 19

the Porcelain and Ceramics Industry.
 Certosa di San Martino
In 1325 Charles, Duke of Calabria began construction on what is now one of
the richest monuments in Naples, the monastery of San Martino. The extensive
layout of the place, serenely ensconced just below the massive Castel Sant’
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Elmo, is nothing less than palatial, boasting two fine cloisters and a dazzling
array of architectural and artistic wonders. The Carthusian monks were avid
collectors and between the 16th and 18th centuries commissioned the greatest
artists of the day to embellish their impressive edifice. Given its commanding
position, the finest in Naples, the monastery also enjoys the most spectacular
views of the entire city, its bay, the Sorrentine peninsula and Vesuvius.
Top 10 Features
1 Façade
2 Church
3 Paintings & Frescoes
4 Sculpture & Marble Decor
Chiostro Grande
5 Choir & Sacristy
The best place for a 6 Chapels & Subsidiary Rooms
delicious snack is up 7 Chiostro Grande
the hill at La Cantina
8 Monks’ Cemetery
di Donna ‘Elena’ (Via
Tito d’Angelini 16
9 Quarto del Priore
• 081 578 60 33 • €). 0 Gardens & Belvederes
They serve tasty
home-cooked pasta,
fish and meat dishes ! Façade
Although originally Gothic
as well as sandwich- in style, the façade has
es and other snacks. mostly been overlain with
Baroque decoration, including
Most of the ground the large round windows.
floor is accessible,
but the upper and
lower floors seem to
@ Church
The nave of the church is
be under permanent a riot of Baroque art – the
restoration. If there most complete record of
is something you Neapolitan art from the 17th
particularly want to
and 18th centuries crowded
into a single space.
see, ask one of the
custodians and the
locked rooms may £ Paintings & Frescoes
Dominating the ceiling is
be opened for you. the Ascension of Jesus by
Lanfranco, while the counter-
• Largo San Martino 5 façade has a lovely Pietà
• Map L4 by Stanzione.
• 081 578 17 69
• Open 8:30am–7:30pm
Tue, Thu–Sun (ticket $ Sculpture &
Marble Decor
office closes 6:30pm) The altar, designed by
• Adm €6 Solimena, sports silver
• Dis. access (partial) putti by Giacomo Colom-
bo and silver angels by
Sanmartino, who did
many of the marble
figures (left) that adorn
the chapels.

20
 0
9
8
7 6
3

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

42
5

% Choir & Sacristy

The richly carved walnut choir stalls
(above) were executed between 1629 and 1
1631 by Orazio de Orio and Giovanni Entrance
Mazzuoli. Note the cherubs and the
abundance of volute curves. Plan of the Monastery

& Chiostro Grande

The Large Cloister
(below) is one of Italy’s
finest, with a 64-marble-
columned portico
designed in the 16th cen-
tury in Renaissance style.

) Gardens &
Belvederes
One of the most satisfy-
ing aspects of the Certo-
sa are its gardens. Not
only are the views from
here picture-perfect
(above), but the gardens
themselves are lush and
fragrant, with flower and
fruit-tree plantings, foun-
tains and marble benches.

* Monks’ Cemetery
Taking up a corner of
The Monastery’s
the Chiostro Grande is a Guardian
plot where a small Before entering the Cer-
number of monks have tosa, be sure to take in
been laid to rest (below). the looming castle hov-
ering above it. The mon-
astery was built directly
beneath Castel
Sant’Elmo for the pro-
tection that it afforded.
The original structure
dates from Angevin
times, but it was rebuilt
by the Spanish in the
16th century on a six-

^ Chapels & Quarto del Priore

Subsidiary Rooms ( These were the
pointed star design. Its
original name was
The eight chapels are quarters of the Sant’Erasmo, after the
decorated in a unified monastery’s Prior, the hill it stands on, but the
style consistent with the only one of the monks name became corrupted
main part of the church. who was allowed contact over the centuries, first
All of them are rich with with the outside world. to Sant’Eramo, then
brightly coloured marbles Aristocratic furnishings Sant’Ermo, and finally
and opulent gilded stucco and priceless works of Sant’Elmo.
trim (above). art adorn the walls.

21
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Monks of Certosa, Micco Spadaro Right Tavola Strozzi, Italian Renaissance

Pinacoteca and Museum Exhibits

! Early International
Renaissance Art
1 8
765 432
The most outstanding piece here
is the triptych by Jean Bourdi-
chon of the Virgin and Child and
saints John the Baptist and John
the Evangelist (c.1414). The work 0
employs masterful perspective
and anatomical detail. 9

@ Early Italian
Renaissance Art Key
Of special note here is a 15th-cen- Ground Floor
tury view of Naples, the Tavola First Floor
Strozzi, by an unknown artist and
the first painted view of the city marble by Sanmartino. A devout
from the sea. Sculptures include a Lanfranco painting, Madonna
marble Madonna and Child, attrib- with Child and Saints Domenico
uted to Tino di Camaino. and Gennaro, is typical of the age.

£ High Renaissance Art

The most significant works % Jusepe Ribera
The great Spanish artist,
here are marble sculptures, who worked in Naples for most
including a late 16th-century work of his life, was appreciated for
by Pietro Bernini, Madonna with his dramatic style (see p45). His
Child and St John the St Sebastian is one of the most
Baptist as a Child. powerful works, showing the
Its twisting composi- ecstatic face of the young man,
tion, with St John his body pierced with arrows.
kissing the Child’s foot
and Mary looking on,
embodies tenderness. ^ Micco Spadaro
This artist’s Martyrdom of St
Sebastian provides an interesting

$ Baroque Art
This era is the
contrast with Ribera’s work.
Rather than focus on the man in
collection’s strongest close-up, he is shown off to the
suit. Sculptures include right being tied up, just before
a Veiled Christ in ter- Roman soldiers let their arrows
racotta by Corradini fly. Another Spadaro work shows
and a St Francis in the monks of the Certosa
thanking Christ for sparing them
Madonna with Child and St
John the Baptist as a Child, from the plague, with a view of
Pietro Bernini Naples’ bay through the arcades.

22 For opening times to the museum See p20

& Stanzione
Stanzione’s Baptism of Christ ( Glass, Porcelain and Gold
The array of objects here
is noteworthy for the luminous goes back to the 1500s and
way the flesh is rendered, includes painted plates, vases,
employing pronounced effects of tiles, pitchers, mirrors and

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

chiaroscuro (light and shade). figurines. Subject matter ranges
from religious, such as a coral

* Nativity Collection
Of all the priceless nativity
and gold Crucifix, to mythologi-
cal, to scenes from daily life.
scenes and figures here, the
Cuciniello Presepe is by far the
most elaborate. Quite lost is the ) Neapolitan
19th-Century Art
manger scene amid 180 shep- Pre- and post-Unification was a
herds, 10 horses, 8 dogs, folk time when Italians awoke to
going about their business, a their cultural heritage and began
Moroccan musical ensemble and to capture it in art. City views and
much more. Lighting effects its environs are informative of
create dawn, day, dusk and night. bygone days, as are the portraits.

Nativity Scenes
The custom of nativity scenes is traditionally traced to December 1223, when
St Francis of Assisi celebrated mass before a sculptured group of the Holy Family
flanked by a live ox and ass. However, in 1025, there was
already a church of Sancta Maria ad Praesepem in Naples,
where a representation of the Nativity became the focus of
devotion. Called presepio, derived from the Latin praesepe or
“feeding trough”, referring to the Christ Child’s initial resting
place, the art of the nativity scene grew to become a major
undertaking in the 1600s. Kings and queens would vie with
each other to gather together the most impressive, dazzling,
poignant and often humorous display, commissioning the best
artists and designers of the day. However it was not until the
Nativity figure end of the 19th century that these wonderful works were fully
recognized as an artistic genre in their own right. The oldest
example of a monumental Neapolitan presepio comes from the church of San Gio-
vanni a Carbonara; sculpted by Pietro and Giovanni Alemanno in 1478–84, it origi-
nally included 41 life-size wooden figures, of which 19 still survive in the church.

Nativity Tableau
The traditional nativity
scenes celebrate the
glories of Christ’s birth in
a stable, complete with
Mary and Joseph, shep-
herds and the Three
Wise Men. However
characters from contem-
porary life are also often
included in the setting.

The museum also houses a large and important naval collection 23

 Pompeii
Two thousand years ago, few people knew that Vesuvius was a volcano,
although in AD 62, what turned out to be a premonitory tremor caused
damage to the ancient seaside resort of Pompeii as well as to other towns in
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

the vicinity. Years later, many residents were still repairing the damage to
their homes and public buildings. Then, in August AD 79, came the most
devastating eruption (see p27). Horrible as it was for those who suffered and
died, the result for posterity was the preservation of an entire ancient culture,
discovered centuries years later like an enormous time capsule.
Top 10 Sights
1 Forum
! Forum
Every Roman city
centred civic, commer-
2 Theatre cial, political and religious
3 House of Menander life around the Forum
4 Amphitheatre (below), generally a long
Forum rectangular area.
5 Stabian Baths
There are on-site 6 Brothel
cafés at Pompeii and 7 House of the Golden Cupids
Herculaneum.
8 House of the Faun
Extra buildings are
9 House of the Vettii
open to visitors Sat– 0 Via dei Sepulcri & Villa dei
Sun am. Guided tours Misteri
are also available –
call 081 857 53 47.
@ Theatre
The large 2nd-century BC
• Via Villa dei Misteri 2, theatre was built in accord-
Pompeii • Map E4 • 081 ance with the Greek system,
536 51 54/857 53 47 using the slope of the land
• www.pompeiisites.org for the cavea (seating area).
• Open 8:30am–7:30pm
daily (until 5pm Nov–Mar)
(last entry 90 mins before £ House of Menander
This grand house
closing time) includes an atrium, peristyle,
• Adm €11 (cumulative and baths. It proved to be a
ticket for five sites €20) treasure-trove of silver
• Herculaneum: Corso objects, now on display in
Resina 6; Open as above; Naples’ Museo Archeologico.
Villa dei Papiri: must book
ahead at www.arethusa.
net; Open 9am–noon $ Amphitheatre
Far to the east stands
Sat–Sun; Adm €11
• Oplontis, Stabia, Bosco-
Pompeii’s amphitheatre – a
typically oval shape, though % Stabian Baths
On the western side
reale: Via Sepolcri 1, Torre small by Roman standards of Via Stabiana are the
Annunziata; Open as (below). It was the first such Stabian Baths, the most
above; Adm €5.50 • Villas built for gladiatorial combat. ancient structure in
Arianna and San Marco: Pompeii, dating
Via Passeggiata Archeo- back to the 4th
logica, Castellammare di century BC. The
Stabia; Open as above; stuccoed vaults
Adm €5 • Dis. access in the men’s
(partial) • Crater of Vesu- changing room
vius: Open 9am–5pm have preserved
daily; guided tours (see images of
p89); Adm €6.50 nymphs and
cupids.

24 There are three main entrances – Porta Marina, Piazza Esedera

and one in the modern town of Pompei
 
/$

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Brothel
^ The lupanarium, 9,

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Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10


give some clue to the
proclivities of the
prostitutes. Map of Pompeii

& House of the

Golden Cupids
Named after the gold-leaf
decorations of amorini
(cupids) in the bedroom,
this house was owned by
the Poppaea family, that
of Nero’s second wife.
The gardens were ( House of the Vettii
The interior of this house is adorned with
adorned with sculptures, splendid paintings and friezes featuring mythological
marble tables and a pool. themes (above).

) Via dei Sepulcri &

Villa dei Misteri
The Way of the Tombs
lies outside the city
gates for fear of the dead
bringing bad luck. Beyond
this is the 90-room
House of the Mysteries
(below), where you can
peek in to see the mar-
vellous wall paintings.

Mount Vesuvius
In ancient times,
Vesuvius was simply
“the mountain”, covered
House of
the Faun * with vegetation and
vines, until it famously
The 1-m (3-ft) bronze blew its stack in AD 79.
statue of the Dancing At least five other
Faun (right), found here occurrences have been
in the middle of the recorded in the last 400
courtyard pond, accounts years and experts
for the name of this estimate that it could
house, which covered an erupt again at any time.
entire insula (city block). Its last rumble was in
Still here are opus sectile 1944, when the pointed
mosaic marble floors cone disappeared, along
(coloured geometric pat- with the smoky plume
terns) as well as wall that issued from it.
decorations of merit.

Buses to Vesuvius depart from Pompei-Scavi from 8am to 2pm. The 25

last bus from Vesuvius departs 4:30pm. Visit www.pompeiturismo.it
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Mosaic, House of Neptune & Amphitrite Right Villa of Sabina Poppaea

Herculaneum, Oplontis & Stabiae

! Villa dei Papiri
The remains of the resort
town of Herculaneum were dis-
covered before Pompeii but were
harder to excavate since the city
was covered by volcanic mud.
Fortunately, this also meant that
every aspect was better pre-
served. This villa was one of the
first to be explored, housing art
treasures now in the Museo
Archeologico (see pp14–17). The
papyrus scrolls that give it its Map of Herculaneum
name are in the National Library.

@ House of the Stags $ Trellis House

This building provides a won-
The name derives from the derfully preserved example of
sculptured group of stags being what an ordinary multi-family
attacked by dogs that was found dwelling was like. Two storeys
here. Other sculptures include a high, it has a balcony that over-
Satyr with Wineskin and a hangs the pavement and its
Drunken Hercules. walls are composed of wood and
reed laths with crude tufa and

£ House of the
Mosaic Atrium
lime masonry to fill in the frame.

This house takes its name from

its mosaic floor of black-and- % City Baths
Built in 10 BC, these
white geometric patterns. traditional baths are divided into
Gardens and rooms with views male and female sections, both
of the sea must have made it a decorated with the same sea-
lovely place to relax. themed mosaics featuring tritons
and fish. At the centre of the
complex is an open porticoed
area used as a gymnasium.

^ House of Neptune
and Amphitrite
This is named after the mosaic
of the sea god and his nymph-
bride that adorns the fountain in
the summer dining room at the
back of the house. Other fine
House of the Mosaic Atrium floor mosaics can be seen here too.

26 For directions and opening times to these sights See p24

 The Eruption
of AD 79
On 24 August AD 79,

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Mount Vesuvius
suddenly erupted.
The apex of the
calamity started at
about 10am and by
1pm it was all over –
all the cities on the
Pliny the Younger mountain’s slopes
were covered with
lava and mud, and Pompeii and its
Trellis House citizens were entirely buried. It lay
undiscovered until 1750. Here are the
words of Pliny the Younger, who
& House of the
Wooden Partition survived to write an eyewitness account
of the catastrophic events: “On Mount
A kind of “accordion” partition
here was devised to separate Vesuvius broad sheets of fire and
the atrium from the tablinium, leaping flames blazed at several points,
the room of business affairs. their bright glare emphasized by the
darkness… an ominous thick smoke,
spreading over the earth like a flood,
* Thermopolia
An example of a fast-food enveloping the earth in night… earth-
shocks so violent it seemed the world was
outlet of the day. The terracotta
amphorae set into the marble being turned upside down… the shrill
counter top would have con- cries of women, the wailing of
tained various comestibles. Only children, the shouting of men… Many
wealthy people had facilities to lifted up their hands to the gods, but a
cook food, so most would stop great number believed there were no
by such a place to eat. gods, and that this was to be the
world’s last, eternal night…The flames
and smell of sulphur… heralded the
( Villa of Sabina Poppaea
& Villa of Crassus approaching fire …The dense fumes…
choked… nearly everyone, to death.”
These aristocratic villas are locat-
ed in what was once the ancient
resort of Oplontis. The complex
includes gardens, porticoes, pri-
vate baths, a pool and astound-
ing wall decorations.

) Stabian Villas
Set on the Varano Hill, both
villas preserve mosaic floors,
gardens, peristyles and frescoes.
Villa Arianna is named after a
fresco of Ariadne being aban-
doned by Theseus. Villa San
Marco sports a gymnasium, pool Replica ash figure buried in Pompeii
and interesting frescoes.

27
 Capri
Ever since ancient times, this luxuriant, saddle-
shaped rock in the Bay of Naples has captured the
world’s imagination as a place where dreams can
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

be realized and life can become an earthly para-

dise. Hopes and wishes notwithstanding, the island
does have something special, perhaps generated
by its sheer dramatic beauty, its crystal-clear
waters and its lush vineyards and lemon and olive
groves that seem to cover every available corner.
Villa Jovis
The mythic power of Capri runs far deeper and £
Emperor Tiberius’s
warrants more exploration than the quick 1st-century-AD villa is
package-tour tone it sometimes strikes. now in ruins (above) but
the views of the Bay of
Top 10 Sights Naples, from the highest
1 Marina Grande point at this end of the
island, are dazzling.
2 Capri Town
3 Villa Jovis
4 Arco Naturale
I Faraglioni
5 Via Krupp & I Faraglioni
In Capri town Da 6 Marina Piccola
Gemma (see p105)
7 Monte Solara
provides fine views
8 Anacapri & Punta Carena
as you dine on pizza,
buffet choices or 9 Blue Grotto
traditional dishes. 0 Villa San Michele

To get a feel for the

island, take one of ! Marina Grande
Whether by ferry, hydro-
the recommended foil or private yacht, virtually
hikes – or better yet, all visitors to the island arrive
rent a kayak and go at this little port town
exploring along the (below). It’s a colourful place,
otherwise inacces- but the bustle is only skin-
sible coastline areas. deep – in reality it’s just as
laid back as the rest of Capri.
• Map C5, S1
• www.capritourism.com
• Tourist Information:
Piazzetta Cerno 11, 081
837 06 86 • Ferries
(traghetti) and hydrofoils $ Arco Naturale
Follow signs from the
(aliscafi) leave from many centre of Capri Town for
ports, including Mergelli- this easy-going walking
na and Beverello in trail, where a series of
Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, rocky staircases offer fine
Salerno, Ischia and Cas-
tellammare di Stabia. @ Capri Town
Piazza Umberto I, known
panoramas of the main-
land coastline. The
Journey times to Capri simply as “Piazzetta” (centre) imposing Natural Arch
are: 80 minutes from is the town’s outdoor salon, itself consists of a huge
Naples; 40 minutes from filled to the brim with chic limestone crag, jutting
Sorrento. Hydrofoils take bars and restaurants. Night- out and with the bright
half these journey times. time is when the true Capri turquoise sea seen
denizens come out to play. far below.

28 For details on ferry services to Capri, visit www.capritourism.com

Ferries from Salerno, Amalfi and Positano only sail May–Sep
 9LOOD
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Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

1VOUB ,)DUDJOLRQL
Via Krupp &
% I Faraglioni
$BSFOB

Via Krupp (above) is a

switchback path carved
into the cliff face. From ( Blue Grotto
The island’s most
here there are views of I famous attraction is this
Faraglioni, rocks isolated stunning sea-grotto, of a
out to sea. colour and intensity of
blue that can be experi-
^ Marina Piccola
This small harbour
enced in no other way
(left). Local oarsmen ferry
has private bathing huts, visitors inside.
a pebbly arc of beach,
wonderful rocks for div-
ing from and several ) Villa San Michele
Built by a Swedish
good fish restaurants. doctor on the site of one
of Tiberius’s houses, this
villa (below) is an eclectic
mix of Romanesque,
Renaissance and Moorish
styles, surrounded by
gorgeous gardens.

A Glamorous Past
Capri emerged on the
up-market tourist map
in the 19th century, but
the high point of famed
“Gay Capri” was the
early 20th century,
when it attracted
literati such as Norman
Douglas, Graham
Greene, Somerset
& Monte Solaro
No trip to the island * Anacapri &
Punta Carena Maugham and Maxim
is complete without a Before 1877, when the Gorky. More recently,
funicular ride up to road was built, Anacapri the 1960s, the era
Capri’s highest peak, was truly isolated and is known as “Capri Peo-
from which you can look still less pretentious than ple”, brought the interna-
down on the pastoral the rest of the island. tional jet-set to the
timelessness of lemon From here, another great island, including La
groves, little white hous- jaunt is to the lighthouse Dolce Vita swingers,
es, and endless flower at Punta Carena, where Hollywood film stars,
gardens that cover the an uncrowded rocky and even the beautiful
island. Once up top, the beach awaits, as well as newly-wed Jacqueline
360-degree views are good facilities and excel- Kennedy Onassis.
breathtaking. lent restaurants.

29
 Ravello
The magnetic beauty of Ravello probably has to do with its many exhilarating
contrasts, both visual and cultural. Built boldly upon a rocky spur, separating
the Valle del Dragone from the Valle di Maiori, this remarkable city is sus-
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

pended 350 m (1,150 ft) directly above the azure and turquoise sea of the
Gulf of Salerno. From here you can take in the entire Amalfi Coast and its
famously picturesque towns in one sweeping glance – and remain transfixed
indefinitely by the thoughts of infinity such an awesome view conjures up. A
wide range of poetic and artistic souls have taken one look at the place and
decided to stay, among the former residents are Boccaccio, Wagner, Grieg,
Greta Garbo, Leopold Stokowski and Gore Vidal.

Top 10 Sights
1 Villa Cimbrone
2 Chiostro de San Francesco
Scala 3 Villa Rufolo
Ravello requires a lot 4 Duomo di Ravello
of steep walking so 5 Museo del Duomo
bring walking shoes 6 Santa Maria a Gradillo
and a maximum 7 San Giovanni al Toro
dose of energy. The 8 Scala
entire town is likely
9 Duomo di Scala
to be a challenge for
0 Minuta
disabled visitors.

• Map E4 ! Villa Cimbrone

The creation of an English
• Tourist Information: Via lord, Ernest Beckett, the
Roma 18, 089 85 70 96 house imitates the Moorish
• Villa Cimbrone: Via style that predominates in
Santa Chiara 26; 089 85 Ravello, while its gardens are
80 72; Open 9am–30 set about with Classical tem-
min before sunset daily; ples (below).
Adm €6
• Villa Rufolo: Piazza del
Duomo; 089 85 71 57;
Open 9am–30 min before
sunset daily; Adm €5
• Duomo: Piazza del
Duomo; 089 85 83 11; £ Villa Rufolo
The 800-year-old
Church: Open 9am– Arab-style palace and its
1pm, 4–7pm daily; Free; terraced gardens (below)
Museum: Open 9am– have inspired many visi-
7pm (summer), 9am– tors. The terrace is used
6pm (winter) daily; in summer for staging
Adm €2 concerts.
• San Giovanni al Toro:
No regular hours; Free
• Santa Maria a Gradillo: @ Chiostro de
San Francesco
Open 9am–1pm, 3– This cloister dates from
6pm daily; Free 1222, when it was a jewel
• Duomo di Scala: of Gothic art. The space was
Open 8am–noon, altered in the 18th century
5–7pm daily; Free but it still retains ancient
columns.

30
$ Duomo di Ravello
The 11th-century
cathedral is a treasure-
trove of works. Its
beautiful pulpit (1272) 3CALA
3,$==$
has twisted columns )217$1$

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

resting on sculpted lions

2& & $ & & ,2

at the base (centre).

$ 5 ,$
0
F

 ' ( / / $       
PO
% Museo & San Giovanni

1 ,%
2


H
SB

$1
%

, 2 9 $1
/,
del Duomo al Toro

,*
&
  
In the crypt is a collection This church has a pulpit

9, $  *
9,$
9,$
of Roman and medieval (above) adorned with birds 3,$==$
'8202
artifacts. Other treasures and saints, supported by 2AVELLO
include a 14th-century Corinthian columns.
marble sarcophagus. Undergoing restoration.

Map of Ravello

) Minuta
Even higher than
Scala, Minuta (below)
has a pretty 12th-century
church with 10 ancient
granite columns in the
nave and some fine fres-
coes in the crypt.

Ravello
Music Festival
The musical offerings
here consist mainly of
chamber music, but may
include specialist musical
events, large and small,
and even ballet, all
* Scala
This tiny hamlet, built featuring world-class
on a succession of international performers.
terraces, is worth a visit The festival’s beginnings
for the views it affords go back to Richard
when you look back at its Wagner and Edvard Grieg,
larger neighbour, Ravello. the 19th-century
composers who found
some of their greatest
( Duomo di Scala
inspiration in these balmy
^ Santa Maria
a Gradillo
Scala’s cathedral
dates from the 13th southern climes. For the
This Romanesque church century. Despite Baroque most part, the concerts
(above) has a belltower in restructuring, the original take place at Villa Rufolo,
Arab-Sicilian style – in the wooden crucifix over the but the festival has
12th century Sicily and the main altar and the tomb now expanded
Middle East were trading of the Coppola family (see p65).
partners with Ravello. have been preserved.

Ravello Music Festival runs from March to November. For 31

details visit the website www.ravellotime.it
 Paestum $ Amphitheatre
This Roman structure,
Paestum enjoyed 1,000 years of prosperity, first as dating from the 1st cen-
tury BC or later, is only
Greek Poseidonia, founded in the 7th century BC, partially excavated, the
then under the Lucanians, then the Romans. But rest lying under the 18th-
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

the crumbling of the Roman Empire led to the century road, but some
of the exposed part has
gradual abandonment of the city and with that, been rebuilt. Its capacity
the degradation of the fields, which turned into was small – only about
malaria-ridden swamps. No one dared come near 2,000 – compared to
others in the region.
the spot until the 18th century when Charles III
was having a road built; trees were cut down, and
there they were – three intact Greek temples. Much
more was discovered in the 20th century.
Top 10 Sights
1 Walls
2 Basilica
3 Temple of “Neptune”
Amphitheatre
4 Amphitheatre
There are plenty of 5 Temple of “Ceres”
quick snacks and 6 Museum
light meals available 7 Tomb Frescoes
up and down the
8 Sculpture
tourist strip.
9 Pottery
To see the temples at 0 Artifacts
their most evocative,
try to visit at dawn ! Walls
At its peak, the city was
or at dusk. large and prosperous, as
evidenced by its impressive
• Map H6 5 km (3 miles) of walls, set
• Via Magna Graecia 917 off with towers and gates at
(SS18) strategic points.
• 0828 81 10 23
• Site: Open 9am–1 hr
before sunset daily
• Museum: Open
8:30am–7:45pm daily
(closed 1st & 3rd Mon
of each month in winter)
% Temple of “Ceres”
Votive offerings found
• Adm: €4 for site or here suggest that this
museum, €6.50 for both small temple (above),
• Frequent buses run
from Salerno to Paes-
@ Basilica
The oldest temple on the
further north than the
other sites, was actually
tum, and in summer four grounds (above), c. 530 BC, dedicated to Athena.
buses run daily from was most likely dedicated to
Naples – call 800 01 66 two deities, Hera and Zeus.
59 or visit www.cstp.it –
Temple of “Neptune”
or take the train to
Paestum Station (1 km/ The last of the three£
half a mile from site) temples to be built, in about
• Tourist Information: 450 BC, is also the finest
Via Magna Graecia 887, (right). It may have been ded-
0828 81 10 16, www. icated to Neptune (Poseidon),
infopaestum.it but some scholars argue for
Apollo, others for Zeus.

32 In summer and around Christmas, evening events are often held

at Paestum, which is atmospherically lit up for the occasion
^ Museum
Finds from this exca-
vation and several impor-
tant ones nearby are 2 3
exhibited here. One of 5
those sites is the Sanctu-

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

ary of Hera Argiva, built 4
by the Greeks at the 9
mouth of the River Sele 1 6
in about 600 BC. There is 7
also a collection of 08
Roman finds upstairs. Map of Paestum

Sculpture
Prime examples in *
this category of the
museum include archaic
metopes (decorative
architectural elements)
and one of two dancing
girls from the Sanctuary
of Hera Argiva (right),
They are so well carved
in bas-relief that each of
the figures seems to be
moving independently
in space.

) Artifacts
Other artifacts in the
museum include a bronze
vase that contained
honey, amazingly still liq-
uid at the time it was dis-
covered due to unique
atmospheric conditions
below ground.

( Pottery
Fine examples of
Magna Graecia
Grecian urns are on view Being great seafarers,
in the museum. These the ancient Greeks
include a krater with red- were indefatigable colo-
figured painting on black, nizers. Each important
Tomb Frescoes city-state sent out expe-
Most famous of the & depicting a young satyr
and a girl reluctant to ditions all over the Med-
exhibits in the museum succumb to his blandish- iterranean to set up
are the tomb frescoes ments (above), and an new cities. Magna Grae-
(below), discovered in amphora with black fig- cia (Greater Greece)
1968 about 1 km (0.5 ures on red celebrating formed the southern
mile) from Paestum. the fruit of the vine. part of the Italian penin-
Virtually the sula, along with Sicily,
only examples which the Greeks domi-
of ancient nated for centuries, until
Greek painting the Romans expanded
to survive, their hegemony. Paes-
they are full of tum (Poseidonia) was
light and bright one such Greek city,
colours. Themes as were Naples
include a (Neopolis), Cumae, and
banquet of many more.
male lovers.

33
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Vesuvius erupts Right Garibaldi enters Naples

Moments in History
! Greek Colonization
From the 8th to the 5th % Angevin Capital
In the mid-13th century, the
centuries BC this area became French Anjou dynasty, having
an important part of Magna taken over the Kingdom of Sicily,
Graecia when Greek city-states shifted its capital to Naples, to
set up trading posts here (see the great joy of the residents.
p33). In 470 BC Neapolis (New Many new buildings were con-
City) was founded, which structed, including, in 1279, the
became modern Naples. Castel Nuovo (see pp10–11).

@ Vesuvius Erupts
Around 326 BC the area was ^ Sicilian Vespers
With the removal of the
absorbed into the Roman Empire capital to the mainland, Sicilian
and by the 1st century AD resentment came to a head on
Naples was a renowned centre Easter Monday 1282. A riot,
of learning. But in August AD 79 known as the Sicilian Vespers,
all that changed when Mount left 2,000 Frenchmen dead and
Vesuvius suddenly erupted after initiated a 20-year war. Finally,
centuries of dormancy. Within a Sicily was lost and the Angevin
few hours, entire cities were kings focused their entire
gone, covered by ash or boiling attention on Naples, leading to a
volcanic mud (see pp24–7). period of ever greater prosperity.

£ Byzantine Siege
With the fall of the Roman
Empire in the 5th century, the
area was overrun by tribes from
the north, particularly the Goths.
In 553 the Byzantine emperor
Justinian’s chief general Belisarius
conquered the zone.

$ Norman Conquest
In 1140 the Norman king
Roger II made his triumphant
entry into Naples – the Normans
had already gained possession of
Sicily and most of southern Italy.
The once proudly autonomous
city now had to take a back seat
to Palermo – although wellbeing
continued to rise, thanks to the
Normans’ stability and efficiency. Norman king, Roger II

34
 Top 10 Historic
Figures
! Parthenope
The siren spurned by

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Ulysses gave her name to the
first Greek colony, in 680 BC,
now Pizzofalcone (see p37).

@ Spartacus
This runaway slave led a
revolt of the oppressed from
headquarters on Vesuvius.

Giving thanks for the end of the plague

£ Romulus Augustulus
The last emperor of the
Western Empire died in
Naples in AD 476.
& At the beginning of the 17th
Plague of 1656
$ Belisarius
century Naples was Europe’s The general was sent by
largest city, with a population of the Byzantine Emperor to
some 300,000, but in 1656 a reconquer much of the Italian
peninsula in the 5th century.
plague struck. After six months,
three-quarters of the population
were buried in mass graves. % Pope Innocent II
When the Normans were
making progress towards
Naples in 1137 the city turned
* King Charles III
Enters in Triumph
to the pope for help, but the
Normans took him prisoner.
In 1734 the Spanish king arrived
in Naples. He was heir to the
Farnese clan, who were Italian
^ Queen Joan I
Joan (1343–81) was so
by birth, and transformed his loved by the people that they
forgave her for plotting the
new home town into a city of murder of her husband.
the Enlightenment.
& Tommaso Aniello
This fisherman led a revolt
( On 21 October 1860 Naples
Naples Joins Unified Italy
in 1647 against the taxation
policies of the Spanish rulers.
voted to join a united Italy, under
the rulership of an Italian king,
Vittorio Emanuele II – Garibaldi * Maria Carolina
of Austria
had entered the city two months The sister of Marie Antoinette
previously to gather up support. was the power behind the
throne of her husband,
Ferdinand IV (1768–1811).

) Lenapoletane
quattro giornate
( King Joachim Murat
On 27–30 September 1943 Napoleon’s brother-in-law
Neapolitans showed their true ascended the throne of
Naples in 1808 but was
character. After the occupying executed in 1815.
Nazis threatened to deport all
the city’s young males, four days
of rioting by the populace kept
) Antonio Bassolino
Naples’ left-wing mayor
the Germans so busy that the from 1993 to 2001 brought
about a long-overdue clean up
Allies were able to get a toehold of the city (see p37).
and rout the enemy.

35
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Normans building Castel Nuovo Right World War II troops in Naples

Epochs and Eras

! Ancient Naples
The Greeks may have
founded a colony here as early
as the 10th century BC. Greek
customs and language generally
survived during the Roman
period, when this was a favourite
place for the élite to build holiday
villas and to send their young for
higher education.

@ The Duchy of Naples

Campania suffered a chaotic
period between the 5th and 6th
centuries, caused by barbarian
invasions, the Gothic war and Emperor Charles V of Spain
the Longobard conquest.
However, with the reconquest of
the coastal areas by the Byzan- % The Viceroys
One of the most significant
tines, Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, periods of the two centuries of
Salerno and other cities were set Spanish viceroys occurred under
up as dukedoms and flourished Emperor Charles V (1516–56),
until the 11th century. who sent Pedro de Toledo to
govern Naples for more than 20

£ Feudal Naples
Naples finally fell to the Nor-
years. The infrastructure, both
materially and politically, was
mans in 1139. As a result, the strengthened and embellished.
established trade with the East
went into decline and Naples
became a feudal possession, ^ Bourbon Naples
In 1734, the kingdom of
beholden to Sicily. Nevertheless, Naples as an autonomous entity
the Norman period was one of was re-established and Charles
relative prosperity. of Bourbon was chosen to rule.
He ordered notable public works,

$ Growth of the City

With the advent of the
and presided over the age when
Naples was high on the list for
Angevins (1266–1442) and the Grand Tour enthusiasts.
Aragons (1442–1503), Naples
was now a modern capital and a
powerful employment magnet. & Cholera Epidemic
Although embraced by royal-
This led to severe overcrowding ist Neapolitans, Unification
– a chronic Neapolitan problem resulted in the city’s marginaliza-
to this day. tion when Rome was chosen as

36
capital. Not long after, a cholera Top 10 Ancient Sites
epidemic in 1884 also made it
plain that Naples had problems. ! Pompeii &
Herculaneum
The Urban Renewal Plan reme- Frozen in time by a volcanic
died the overcrowding and poor eruption, these sites provide a

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

sewage system to some extent. view of the world as it was
2,000 years ago (see pp24–7).

* World War II
Ironically, the gutting of the @ Capri
Remains of imperial villas
city’s derelict structures was that once enjoyed vantage
accomplished in large part by points atop the cliffs can be
World War II bombs, but the city seen here (see pp28–9).
was left devastated and starving.
More than 20,000 civilians lost £ Paestum
Three intact Greek temples
their lives in Allied air raids. standing on a tranquil plain
are one of the chief pleasures
of the area (see pp32–3).
( Postwar Naples
After the war, ugly apartment
blocks throughout the region $ Piazza Bellini
Sections of 5th-century
paved over what had been one of BC Greek walls are found on
the most beautiful landscapes in this square (see p70).
the world. Corruption was rife,
and La Camorra (the local Mafia) % Largo Corpo di Napoli
The ancient statue of the
gained unprecedented power. In Nile on this square was once
1980 an earthquake destroyed thought to be that of a woman
thousands of shoddy buildings. suckling her young. d Map P3

) The New Naples ^ San Lorenzo Maggiore

Under the church, excava-
In 1992 the Mani pulite tions have revealed 2,000-
(“clean hands”) movement trans- year-old streets, complete
formed Italian politics and a new with shops and a porticoed
generation of leaders came to arcade (see p74).
the fore. Naples’ mayor Antonio
Bassolino, elected in 1993, began & Via Anticaglia
Here you can see the
restoration projects, new parks remains of brick arches dating
and better public transport that from Roman times. d Map P2
have changed the face of the city.
* Pizzofalcone
Probably founded in the
7th century BC, this was the
first settlement in Naples.
d Map M6

( Phlegraean Fields
Underground cities, cra-
ters and mythic ruins all attest
to the zone’s rich archaeologi-
cal heritage. d Map B3

) Cumae
This Greek settlement
dates from the 8th century
BC and flourished into Roman
times (see p111).
Scaffolding after the 1980 earthquake

37
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Capodimonte artwork Right Paestum tomb painting

Museums and Galleries

! Museo
Archeologico, Naples
feel of Naples in the days of
Italian Unification. A section
An insurpassable museum for devoted to Nativity scenes
the range and beauty of its demonstrates the power and
Greco-Roman art, with important beauty of this uniquely Neapoli-
pieces unearthed in Rome and in tan art form (see pp20–23).
towns around Vesuvius. The
experience is a total immersion
in the life of the ancients – their $ Pinacoteca
Girolamini, Naples
religious beliefs, sports, eating For lovers of Neapolitan Baroque
habits, and even their erotic this little-known gallery is a
peccadilloes (see pp14–17). must. Part of a monastic com-
plex, there are fine works by

@ Capodimonte, Naples
This world-class museum
Carracciolo, Vaccaro, Giordano,
and several by Ribera, featuring
also owes its main masterpieces his signature taste for the
to the Farnese Collection. Paint- outrageous and extreme.
ings run the gamut from medieval d Via Duomo 142 • Map P2 • Open
to contemporary; the porcelain 9:30am–1pm Mon–Sat • Free
collection also shouldn’t be
missed (see pp18–19).
% Museo Civico
Filangieri, Naples

£ Museo di San
Martino, Naples
The palace itself is an
unusual example in Naples
This monastery of the 15th-century Tuscan
complex is home to Renaissance style, and
several collections was donated to the city
of art. The as a museum in the 19th
Pinacoteca, century. Until 1943 it
comprising part housed Prince
of the Prior’s Filangieri’s private
Quarters, is collection of
notable for its armour, majolica,
works from the coins, porcelain, Nativ-
Renaissance and ity figures, sculpture and
Baroque eras, paintings. Sadly, most
many having been of the original
commissioned pieces were
for the monas- destroyed in
tery. On the World War II,
upper floors, but since
19th-century works then the
convey the look and Statue, Museo Archeologico, Naples exhibits have

38
been restored and augmented. settled by Greeks from the island
Partially closed for restoration, of Euboea. The most famous pots
opening in 2010. d Via Duomo 288A were found at a nearby necropolis;
• Map P2 • Open 9:30am–2pm, 3:30– among these are a typical late
7pm Tue–Sat; 9:30am–1pm Sun • Adm geometric krater, decorated with

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

a shipwreck scene. d Corso Angelo

^ Museo Nazionale
della Ceramica Duca di
Rizzoli 210, Lacco Ameno • Map A4
• Open 9:30am–1pm, 3–7pm (7–10pm in
Martina, Naples winter) Tue–Sun • Adm
Naples is famous for fine ceram-
ic production and this museum
provides rich amplification of the
theme. Not only are exquisite
Italian pieces found here, by
Capodimonte and Ginori artisans,
but also creations by the facto-
ries of Meissen, Limoges,
Sèvres and Saint-Cloud. Majolica
works, from medieval times
onwards, are also well represent-
ed, and the collection of Chinese
and Japanese ceramics, from as
far back as the T’ang Dynasty, is
one of the country’s best. d Via
Cimarosa 77 • Map J5 • Open 8:30am–
2pm Wed–Mon • Adm • Dis. access Machinery, Museo della Carta
• www.pierreci.it

& Museobottega della ( Museo della Carta, Amalfi

This fascinating museum,
Tarsialignea, Sorrento set in an old warehouse, pre-
Sorrento has been known since serves one of Europe’s first
the mid-18th century for its fine papermaking factories. Visitors
inlaid wood furniture and objects can see the original stone vats
(intarsio) and this museum is and machinery downstairs, and
devoted to the delicate art. Dis- there’s also an interesting exhibit
played in a beautifully restored tracing the history and technical
palace, the exhibits also include progress of the paper industry
paintings, old photos and other over the centuries. d Palazzo
Sorrentine memorabilia. d Via S Pagliara, Via delle Cartiere 24, Valle dei
Nicola 28 • Map D5 • Open Oct–Jun: Mulini • Map E5 • www.museodellacarta.it
10am–1pm, 3–6:30pm Mon–Sat; Jul–Sep: • Open Mar–Oct: 10am–6:30pm Tue–Sun;
10am–1pm, 4–7:30pm Mon–Sat • Adm Nov–Feb: 10am–3:30pm Tue–Sun • Adm

* Museo Archeologico
di Pithecusae, Ischia ) Museo Archeologico,
Paestum
Housed in the 18th-century Villa Among this museum’s beautiful
Arbusto, exhibits here illustrate treasures are ancient Greek tomb
the history of ancient Ischia, paintings that were only discov-
from prehistoric to Roman times. ered on the site in 1968. Other
Many of the most important finds include bronze vases, terra-
objects date back to the 8th cotta votive figures and various
century BC, when Ischia was funerary furnishings (see pp32–3).

39
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Certosa di San Martino Right Santa Chiara

Churches in Naples
! Duomo
The oldest wing of Naples’ £ Santa Chiara
The original church here was
cathedral is the city’s most built in 1310 and, after various
ancient surviving building, a renovations, has been returned
Paleo-Christian church dating to its Gothic style. The most
from the 4th century. The cathe- famous feature is the adjoining
dral also has the oldest baptistry convent’s 18th-century majolica
in the western world. Archaeo- cloister celebrating secular
logical excavations here have themes (see p69).
revealed structures reaching as
far back as the ancient Greeks
(see pp12–13). $ San Francesco di Paola
A rarity in Naples, this Neo-
Classical structure imitates the

@ Certosa di San Martino

This sparkling white monas-
Pantheon, Rome’s great pagan
temple to the gods built in the
tery complex commands the 2nd century AD. Inside and out
most perfect location in the the basilica is austere, with the
entire city, attesting to the exception of the polychrome
wealth and power the monks marble Baroque altar (see p81).
once enjoyed. In the 17th and
18th centuries they commis-
sioned the greatest artists of the % Monte di Pietà
This majestic building and its
day to embellish their church and adjoining church were built in the
chambers in Baroque style – the late 1500s as a charitable insti-
church, in particular, is a flamboy- tute set up to grant loans to the
ant catalogue of colour and pat- needy. In return, the noblemen
tern, sporting at least one work who provided this service were
by each and every famous hand granted eternal salvation. Deco-
of the age (see pp20–23). rated mostly in late-Renaissance
style, inside are sculptures by
Pietro Bernini and frescoes by
Corenzio. d Via S Biagio 114 • Map P2
• Open 9am–2pm Sat–Sun • Free

^ Santa Maria Maggiore

Nicknamed Pietrasanta (holy
stone) after its ancient stone
marked with a cross, thought to
grant indulgences to whoever
kissed it, the original church here
was built in the 10th and 11th
centuries and the belltower is
San Francesco di Paola Naples’ only example of early

40
medieval architecture. The present
church, however, is Baroque. d Via
dei Tribunali • Map N2 • Open 9am–1pm
Mon–Sat (adjacent chapel only)

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

& Pio Monte della
Misericordia
This charitable institution was
founded in 1601, inspired by
Counter-Reformation precepts
which gave weight to such works
as a way of ensuring salvation.
The church is set back from the
street by a five-arch loggia,
where pilgrims could find shelter.
The altarpiece, The Seven Acts of
Mercy by Caravaggio, is an alle- Santa Lucia
gory of charitable deeds. Upstairs
is a large art collection. d Via dei
Tribunali 253 • Map Q2 • 081 44 69 44 • ) Santa Maria del Parto
The Neapolitan poet Jacopo
Open 9am–2:30pm Thu–Tue • Free Sannazaro, a confirmed buman-
ist, ordered this church to be

* Santa Lucia
According to legend, a church
built in the 16th century and his
tomb behind the high altar is
dedicated to St Lucy was built notable for its lack of Christian
here in ancient times, although symbolism. In a side chapel the
experts date the earliest structure painting of the Archangel
to the 9th century. Destroyed and Michael searing the “Mergellina
rebuilt repeatedly, the present Devil” records the spiritual
church is postwar. All the artworks victory of a local bishop when a
were destroyed during World War woman proclaimed her love for
II, save an 18th-century statue of him. d Via Mergellina 21 • Map K2
St Lucy and a couple of paintings. • Open 4:30–8pm daily • Free
d Via Sta Lucia 3 • Map N6
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8am–noon Sun • Free

41
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Piazza Plebiscito Right Piazza Bellini

Piazzas and Fountains

! Piazza Plebiscito, Naples
This vast, magnificent urban $ Piazza Dante, Naples
Following Italian Unification,
space has been restored to its a statue of the poet Dante was
original grandeur. On one side is placed in the centre of the broad
the church of San Francesco di curve of this square which was
Paola (see p81), and on the other accordingly renamed. Before
the Palazzo Reale (see pp8–9). that, the area was known as
The royal equestrian statues on Largo del Mercatello, when it
the square are all the work of was a major marketplace. Today
Canova. d Map M5 it is still a busy focal point of the
old part of the city. d Map N2

@ Fontana di
Nettuna, Naples
% Piazza Bellini, Naples
Shifted from its long-time home Without a doubt, this is
at Piazza Bovio in 2001, the central Naples’ most inviting
beautiful Fountain of Neptune square. With café tables lined up
now graces a wide spot on on the sunny side and elegant
Via Medina. The 16th-century architecture facing all around, it’s
masterpiece is the work of three a favourite spot for intellectuals,
artists, including Pietro Bernini. artists, students and anyone who
d Map P4 wants to take a break (see p70).

£ Fontana
dell’Immacolatella, Naples ^ Piazza Sannazzaro, Naples
The nautical theme of the
Composed of three triumphal mermaid and turtles fountain here
arches, this Santa Lucia district is appropriate, as the nearby port
landmark once adorned the is the main one for embarking on
Palazzo Reale. It dates from 1601 a trip to the islands of Capri,
and is another creation of Pietro Ischia or Procida. d Map K2
Bernini, as well as
Michelangelo
Naccherino. This & LaCapriPiazzetta,
grand fountain Magnetic at any
stands at one end of time of day or night,
the seafront Lungo- this is Capri’s most
mare (see p48), frequented spot.
while the Sebeto Marked by the little
Fountain, a later domed belltower, it
work by Cosimo has several cafés
Fanzago, marks the with tables outside,
other terminus. surrounded by
d Via Partenope, near whitewashed
Castel dell’Ovo • Map K2 Fontana dell’Immacolatella arcades (see p28).

42 At Christmas a modern (and usually controversial) installation by

a celebrated contemporary artist is placed in Piazza Plebiscito
 Top 10 Parks and
Gardens
! Santi Marcellino e
Festo Cloister, Naples

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

The site of former 8th-century
monasteries enjoys fine views.
d Largo S Marcellino 10
• Map P3 • Open 8am–8pm
Mon–Fri, 8am–2pm Sat • Free

@ Orto Botanico, Naples

The “Royal Plant Garden”
was founded by Joseph
Bonaparte in 1807 (see p70).

£ Capodimonte, Naples
Established by Charles III,
this park has numerous
ancient trees (see pp18–19).

Piazza Sedile Dominova

$ Villa La
Floridiana, Naples
These grounds have been
* Piazza Sedile
Dominova, Sorrento
a public park since the 1920s
(see p52). d Map J4
This Sorrento square is note-
worthy for the 15th-century
building from which it takes its
% Villa
Comunale, Naples
This park is now appreciated
name. The edifice was an open- for its statuary and fine
air meeting place for the local structures (see p82).
aristocracy under the Angevin
rulers and the fine arcaded log-
gia, partially enclosed by balus-
^ Parco
Virgiliano, Naples
This hilltop position provides
trades, still preserves some fine panoramas (see p109).
faded frescoes and a majolica
dome. These days, the structure
is the focus of the local working
& Caserta Park, Naples
These 18th-century gar-
men’s club. d Map D5 dens were influenced by
Versailles (see p111).

( Piazza Duomo, Amalfi

Dominated by the steps up * La Mortella, Ischia
Ischia’s fabulous gardens
to the cathedral and the black- include rare species. d Via F
and-white design of the building Calise 35, Forio • Map A4 •
Open Apr–mid-Nov: 9am–7pm
and its belltower, this square is a Tue, Thu, Sat–Sun • Adm
hub of café life. d Map E5
( Gardens of
Augustus, Capri
) Any visit to Ravello will
Piazza Duomo, Ravello
The island’s primary green spot.
d Via Matteotti • Map C5 •
begin and end in this charming Open dawn–dusk daily • Free
piazza, so perhaps most signifi-
cant are the several choices of
direction you can take from here.
) Villa
Cimbrone, Ravello
Staircases and ramped walkways Some say the view from here
is the most beautiful in the
lead off in all directions around world (see p30).
the town. d Map E4

In the summer classical concerts are held at La Mortella, once 43

the home of composer William Walton (www.waltontrust.org.uk)
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Drunken Silenus, Ribera Right Cappella di San Gennaro fresco, Domenichino

Artists and their Masterpieces

! Pietro Cavallini
Many scholars now credit
Capodimonte Museum. The work
is a blend of the formal medieval
this Roman artist (c.1250–c.1330) tradition and the vitality of the
with much of the St Francis fresco Renaissance. Of note are the
in Assisi, until recently attributed anatomical accuracy of Christ’s
to Giotto. His work in Naples torso and the sense of drama
includes Scenes from the Lives created by the outstretched arms
of Christ and John the Baptist in of Mary Magdalene.
San Domenico Maggiore (see p74).

@ Donatello $ Sandro Botticelli

Typical of this much-loved
The bas-relief of the Assump- Florentine artist (1444–1510) is
tion, the cardinal’s head and the his Madonna with Child and Two
caryatid on the Right of the Tomb Angels in the Capodimonte
of Cardinal Rinaldo Brancaccio in Museum. Although it is an early
Sant’Angelo a Nilo church (see work, all of the hallmarks of the
p74) are assumed to be the only painter at his height are here:
pieces in Naples by this Floren- the delicacy of the veils; the
tine master (1386–1466). refinement of features; and the
soulful eyes, evoking sublimity.

£ Masaccio
A 15th-century Crucifixion by
% Titian
this Tuscan painter (1401–28) is This consummate painter of
one of the treasures of the the Venetian Renaissance
(c.1490–1576) is represented in
Naples by several works, all but
one in the Capodimonte Muse-
um. These include his sensuous
masterpiece Danaë, and the reli-
gious works La Maddalena and
Annunciazione.

^ Caravaggio
This Baroque master
(1571–1610) created a lasting
artistic revolution with his
dramatic use of chiaroscuro (light
and shade). He spent a year or
so in Naples; among the works
he completed here is Flagellation
of Christ, originally in the San
Domenico Maggiore church but
Madonna with Child and Two Angels, Botticelli now in Capodimonte.

44
 Top 10 Writers and
Philosophers
! Virgil
The epic poet (70–19 BC)

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

lived in Naples for many years,
incorporating local legends
into his work The Aeneid.

@ Petronius
In his saga The Satyricon,
only a fragment of which sur-
vives, this author (d.AD 66)
captures the decadence of
the Roman Empire in the vil-
las of Naples.

Flagellation of Christ, Caravaggio £ Pliny the Younger

Thanks to this writer (AD
62–113) we know much about

& Domenichino
A mammoth fresco cycle by
the day Vesuvius erupted and
buried Pompeii (see p27).
this painter (1581–1641) adorns
the Duomo’s Cappella di San $ Suetonius
The writer (69–140) is
Gennaro (see p12), depicting epi- famous for his Twelve Cae-
sodes from the life of Naples’ sars, scandalous accounts of
patron saint. the first Roman emperors.

* Jusepe Ribera % St Thomas Aquinas

The theologian (1225–74)
The Spanish painter (1590– was often a guest at San
1652) spent much of his life in Domenico Maggiore, head-
Naples, where he created power- quarters for religious study at
ful and original works. These the University of Naples.
include his San Sebastiano in the
Certosa di San Martino (see p22). ^ Petrarch
The great lyric poet and
scholar (1304–74) often visited
the court of Robert of Anjou
( Artemisia Gentileschi
It is said that Gentileschi in Naples.
(1597–1652) was violated in her
youth and brought the pain of & Giovanni Boccaccio
Author of The Decameron
her indignation to her astounding (1348–53), 10 tales of ribaldry
Judith and Holofernes, now in in medieval Naples.
Capodimonte. She was virtually
the only female artist of the age * Torquato Tasso
An epic poet and a native
to rise to fame. of Sorrento (1544–95).

) Luca Giordano
One of the most prolific of
( Giovanni Battista Vico
Born in Naples in 1668,
Vico found fame with his influ-
Naples’ Baroque artists (1632– ential La Scienza Nuova (The
1705). His paintings and frescoes New Science) (1725).
are ubiquitous in the city, adorn-
ing churches and museums. Most
significant is Triumph of Judith on
) Benedetto Croce
The philosopher, historian
and statesman (1866–1952)
the Treasury ceiling in the Certosa spent much time in Naples.
di San Martino (see pp20–23).

45
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Totò Right Massimo Troisi in Il Postino

Icons of Popular Culture

£ Presepi
The tradition of creating
sculpted tableaux of Christ’s
birth (presepi) has risen to a high
art in Naples ever since the
1700s. Sculptors create scenes
that expand far beyond the cen-
tral event and include features of
everyday life – Pulcinella may be
shown slapping the current
mayor, for example.

$ Neapolitan Song
Naples has always been
known as a city of music, with
songs focusing nostalgically on
love, the sun and the sea. O’
Pulcinella Sole Mio and Santa Lucia are the
most renowned. Of the top musi-

! Pulcinella
Cunning, perpetually hungry
cians, Pino Daniele has gained
the greatest fame outside Italy.
and rambunctious, Pulcinella
(Little Chicken) is the symbol of
Neapolitans and their streetwise % Totò
For many, this rubber-faced
way of life. His signature white comedian was the quintessence
pyjama-like outfit, peaked hat of Italian humour. Until his death
and hook-nosed mask go back to in 1967, “The Prince of Laughter”
ancient Roman burlesque, in made five films a year, some of
which a bawdy clown, Macchus, them comic masterpieces. One
was one of the stock characters. of his most successful was Un
He is the prototype of Punch and Turco Napoletano (A Neapolitan
similar anarchic puppets around Turk, 1953).
the world.

@ Scugnizzi and Lazzaroni ^ Eduardo De Filippo

De Filippo (1900–84) com-
These two characters, prod- bined the roles of comic actor,
ucts of the poverty the city has manager and play wright. His
historically suffered, are street comedies, originally in the Nea-
urchins and ruffians. Both have politan dialect, revolve around
been heavily romanticized by the petty concerns of family life
outsiders, yet their sly wisdom and were performed by his fami-
and wit are traits all Neapolitans ly troupe. His best known film is
seem to aspire to. Napoli Milionaria (1950).

46
 Top 10 Opera Legends
! Teatro San Carlo
The oldest working opera
theatre in Europe, 40 years
older than Milan’s La Scala

Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

(see p82).

@ Inauguration
On 4 November 1737 the
San Carlo was inaugurated
with Metastasio’s opera
Achille in Sciro.

£ Castrati
An 18th-century Neapoli-
tan speciality, renowned
castrati who sang at the San
Sophia Loren Carlo included Caffarelli (Gae-
tano Majorano), Farinelli
(Carlo Broschi) and Gian
& Sophia Loren
An indefatigable love god-
Battista Velluti.

dess since her star began to rise

in 1954 in L’Oro di Napoli (The $ Fire
In February 1816 fire destro-
Gold of Naples), “La Loren” went yed the San Carlo. In a few
on to become a Hollywood star. months the theatre had been
rebuilt with perfect acoustics.

* Massimo Troisi
Embodying the heart of the % Ballet
San Carlo shares with La
Neapolitan character, this actor Scala the record for the first
made international waves with Il Italian ballet school (1812).
Postino (The Postman), nominat-
ed for an Academy Award in 1995. ^ Gioacchino Rossini
The composer was artistic
Sadly, after the film was complet- director of the opera house
ed, Troisi died at the age of 41. between 1815 and 1822.

( Naples in the Movies & Gaetano Donizetti

Donizetti composed 16
Greats of the golden age of operas for the San Carlo, includ-
Italian cinema all felt inspired to ing Lucia di Lammermoor.
communicate their impressions
of Naples. Notable films include * Vincenzo Bellini
In 1826 Bellini was asked
Roberto Rossellini’s Viaggio in to stage his first work at the
Italia (1953) and Francesco Ros- San Carlo, Bianca e Gerlando.
si’s Mani Sulla Città (1963).
( Giuseppe Verdi
The “god” of Italian opera
) Naples and the coast have
Recent International Films
wrote his first opera for the
theatre, Alzira, in 1845.
provided the setting for films as
diverse as the fifth Star Wars
instalment, which used the Royal
) Enrico Caruso
Arguably the most famous
Palace at Caserta for the queen’s tenor ever, Caruso was born
in Naples in 1873. His 1901
abode, and The Talented Mr performance at the San Carlo
Ripley, some scenes of which was so heavily criticized that
were shot on the islands of he never sang in Naples again.
Procida and Ischia.

47
Naples & the Amalfi Coast’s Top 10

Left Lungomare Right Vesuvius

Walks
! Spaccanapoli
The colloquial name of this
with unmissable sights, as well
as intriguing shops and bars and
ancient street means “Splits cafés to while away the hours.
Naples”, which is exactly what it d Map P2
does, cutting the oldest part of
the city right down the middle.
Beginning at the western end in £ Royal Naples
For regal edifices, including
Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, a straight castles and palaces and elegant
line takes you past some of the cafés and shops, this is a choice
city’s finest monuments. In addi- part of town and renovated to be
tion, there are shops, bars, cafés more pedestrian-friendly. A good
and pizzerias (see pp68–79). place to start is at the Fontana di
Nettuno on Via Medina (see p42)

@ Decumano Maggiore
In Roman times this street,
and then head down towards the
sea and west. This arc will take
now known as Via dei Tribunali, in many of the city’s highlights,
was the main east-west artery of including Castel Nuovo, Teatro
the city. It constitutes the heart San Carlo and Galleria Umberto I.
of the old quarter and is replete d Map P4

$ Lungomare
Beginning at the pub-
lic gardens next to the
Palazzo Reale, take the
seaside road around the
Santa Lucia quarter and
past some of Naples’
loveliest areas, including
the island of Castel
dell’Ovo and the green
splendour of the Villa
Comunale. d Map N6

% Via Toledo
From the royal quarter
Via Toledo begins elegant-
ly, but soon the Quartieri
Spagnoli (Spanish Quar-
ters) come up along the
western flank – a warren
of narrow, dark streets
that don’t seem to have
Royal Naples changed in centuries.

48
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