Naples Mini Guide
Naples (Napoli) in Italy, the country's third largest city and capital of the south as well as of the Campania region is a seaport and tourist centre about 185 km (115 miles) south west of
Rome. The glittering bay of Naples and the smouldering volcano Vesuvius provide a dramatic backdrop to the city - which has some of the best museums in the world.
Naples is Italy's most atmospheric city, home of the Mafia and the world's best pizza. With car hire
Naples Airport you can get to the nearby archaeological sights of Pompeii and Vesuvius, the volcano which erupted so dramatically.
Naples was founded as a Greek colony in the 7th-6th centuries BC and flourished during the Roman Empire and subsequently under Byzantine, Norman, Swabian and Spanish rule. The street plan of the old city reflects the Roman, medieval and Spanish periods. The Roman part, between the church of Santa Maria of Constantinople and the Capuano Castle, contains the cathedral. The medieval parts lead down to the dock and the Castel Nuovo. They are a rabbit warren of densely populated narrow alleys and small squares, but were badly damaged by an earthquake in 1980.
No visit to Naples would be complete without trying the local speciality of a margherita pizza topped with fresh tomato, basil and mozzarella. Of course you should wash it down with a good bottle of Italian red wine. Two pizzerias which do this classic dish to perfection are Trianon a Forcella and Da Michele which are both easy to find.
If you get bored of pizza then seafood is generally good in Naples due to its long standing tradition as a harbour city and you will find plenty of restaurants with some fresh and tasty dishes on offer.
Knowing some Italian is always useful but bear in mind that they speak a regional dialect there – Neapolitan - so your efforts may still get lost in translation.