Museo Archeologico Nazionale
This fascinating, world-class museum houses the Farnese
collection of antiquities from Lazio and Campania and the
incredible treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Notable among
these collections are the Farnese Hercules and the Farnese Bull,
the largest known ancient sculpture. On the mezzanine level is the
Alexander Mosaic and at the furthest end of the mezzanine floor is
the Secret Room (Gabinetto Segreto). The intriguing collection
contained here showcases erotic material found in the brothels,
baths, houses and taverns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The top
section of the museum houses the Campanian wall paintings,
well-preserved creations attesting to a mysterious past world.
These are supported by a range of artefacts, in the form of glass,
silver, ceramics, rope and even foodstuffs surviving from the
Campanian cities of yesteryear. The remarkable collection is housed
in a 17th-century building interesting in itself. Visitors should
check ahead whether all the exhibits in the museum will be open to
avoid disappointment as the most popular exhibits are subject to
close at any time for restoration and maintenance work. Although a
popular attraction in its own right, the museum is also a
worthwhile stop if you plan to visit Pompeii as so many of its
treasures are stored here.
Address: Piazza Museo Nazionale 18-19
Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Jeff Matthews
Duomo San Gennaro
The Chapel of San Gennaro is accessed from the south aisle of
the Cathedral of Naples. This 13th-century Gothic building is
dedicated to the patron saint of the city. Tradition tells the
story of how two phials of San Gennaro's congealed blood liquefied
in the bishop's hand after his martyred body was transported to the
church. Legend has it that disaster will strike if the blood fails
to liquefy on specific festival days - the first Saturday in May,
on September 19 and December 16. The liquefaction ceremony, known
as the Miracle of the Blood, takes place during a special Mass in
full view of the congregation. The first chapel on the right upon
entry into the cathedral is dedicated to San Gennaro (also known as
Saint Januarius) and holds the famous phials of blood and a silver
reliquary containing his skull. Beneath the Duomo are the
excavations of well-preserved Greek and Roman roads that stretch
beneath the modern city. Special tours of the excavations can be
arranged. Generations of wealthy Neopolitains funded the cathedral
and it is a treasure trove of local history and religious
iconography.
Visitors should be aware that there have been some incidents of
pickpocketing outside of the cathedral. Entry to the cathedral is
free, but there is a charge to visit the archaeological site.
Address: Via del Duomo 147
San Gennaro
Julia Janssen
Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte
This museum occupies a restored 18th-century palace perched on
the city's hills, and its artworks are arranged by collections and
not chronology. The Farnese and Bourbon rulers amassed impressive
collections of Renaissance paintings and Flemish masterpieces that
can be viewed along with other great works. Notable among these are
Masaccio's Crucifixion, Filipino Lippi's Annunciation and Saints,
Raphael's Leo X, Bellini's Transfiguration, Michelangelo's Three
Soldiers and Breughel's The Allegory of the Blind.
The palace is an attraction in its own right and the royal
apartments are beautifully decorated and preserved with their
18th-century furnishings. Capodimonte is a pleasant neighbourhood
in Naples, and the park surrounding the gallery is great for a
peaceful stroll after ogling the art and finery of the museum.
Various rooms and sections of the museum are closed to the public
periodically for maintenance but the collection is so vast that
this usually hardly matters; however, to avoid disappointment,
check ahead how much of the museum is open, or ask at the entrance
before buying your ticket. Although the collection is fascinating,
the audio guide is not amazing and perhaps not worth the additional
cost.
Address: Via Milano 2, Capodimonte Park
Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte
Antonio Manfredonio
The Mediterranean climate of southern Italy is milder and
sunnier than the north, with Naples being characterised by dry,
warm summers and wet but mild autumns and winters. The pleasant
climate and fertility of the Gulf of Naples made the region famous
during Roman times, when emperors such as Claudius and Tiberius
holidayed near the city, and the weather still makes a holiday in
Naples enjoyable in any season. The average temperature in summer
(June to September) is 72°F (22°C), although it can become
significantly hotter, with frequent highs of 86°F (30°C). July and
August are the hottest months of the year and it can become very
humid during this period. In winter (December to March) the average
temperature is about 48°F (9°C) and it can be rainy. In autumn it
is comfortably warm but also wet, with November the wettest month
of the year. Spring is a very pleasant time to visit Naples as it
is warm and dry and sightseers won't suffer the heat of summer.
March to May is therefore probably the best time to holiday in
Naples, but many visitors choose to come in autumn, despite the
rain, and some people enjoy the heat of the summer months.
Naples International Airport
Location: The airport is located five miles (8km) north of the city
centre.
Time: GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March
and the last Sunday in October).
Transfer Between Terminals:
The terminals are within walking distance of each other;
however, Terminal 1 is for scheduled airlines and Terminal 2 is
generally used for charter flights.
Getting to the city:
There is regular bus service from the airport to the central
station of Naples, Stazione Centrale, with the journey taking 15 to
20 minutes. Taxis and rental cars are also available.
Car Rental:
Car rental companies at Naples International Airport include
Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Locauto, Maggiore and SicilybyCar.
Representatives of each operator have desks in the Arrivals
Hall.
Airport Taxis:
Taxis are available from the stand in front of the arrivals
concourse. The journey to the city centre takes around 30 minutes
and fixed rates are in use for the main destinations nearby.
Fascilities:
Airport facilities include ATMs, currency exchange, postal
service, lost property, left luggage facilities, meeting rooms, VIP
lounges, a medical centre, information desks, shopping, restaurants
and cafes.
Parking
Both short-term and long-term parking is available.
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Naples has a public transport network consisting of buses,
trolleys and a subway, which is a bit complicated to use but
preferable to taking on the city's notorious traffic jams in a
hired car or taxi. Tickets for all forms of transport are uniform,
and can be obtained at stations and news kiosks. The city's ANM
buses are fairly frequent, most departing from the Piazza
Garibaldi. The 'Metropolitana' metro line serves downtown (where
most sights are located) and is generally the most useful for
sightseeing. Funicular railways run up the Vomero from stations at
Piazza Montesanto, Amadeo and Augusto. There are taxi ranks in most
piazzas, but using a taxi can prove expensive because of traffic
congestion. It is possible, and pleasurable, to walk around the
historic centre of Naples where many of the main attractions are
located, but some of the worthwhile sights, like the Fontanelle
Cemetery, take tourists into potentially dangerous areas where it
may not be a good idea to walk alone. Travellers should ensure they
have a detailed map to help them navigate the streets of Naples,
and ask at their hotel for advice on which areas should be
avoided.
To holiday in Naples is to visit the real Italy, without the
frills, where grime and dirt somehow add to the flavour of a city
bubbling with life and colourful characters like the lava below its
surface on the convergence of seismic faults.
Most travel to Naples in order to visit the nearby and
well-preserved ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, destroyed in an
eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which stands sentinel over the city.
Pompeii is one of Italy's most famous and popular attractions and
the haunting ruined city justifies a trip to the region in itself.
Sightseers keen to explore southern Italy also tend to use Naples
as a base for expeditions along the scenic Amalfi coast. However,
the city does have its own treasures: the Cappella Sansevero
chapel, in the historic centre of Naples was built in the late
1500s and contains some masterpieces of Italian sculpture. The
Cathedral of Naples, completed in the 14th-century, is a
magnificent Gothic structure containing many valuable artefacts and
art works. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples is a
world-class museum, containing many of the artefacts and remains
from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The San Gennaro Catacombs are
fascinating and spooky, full of mosaics and frescoes, and the
burial site of many notable Naples figures including San Gennaro
himself.
High summer means sweltering heat and crowds and is not the
recommended time to travel to Naples, especially for sightseeing.
Spring and autumn (April to June and September/October) are more
pleasant seasons to pick for a Naples holiday, when the weather is
warm and sunny and the archaeological attractions can be seen in
relative peace and quiet.
Pompeii
In the year 79 AD Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman city
of Pompeii in volcanic lava and ash. The most evocative testimony
to its victims is the 'frozen people', plaster casts of the victims
whose anguished contortions and facial expressions reveal the
horror of their untimely deaths. The excavation of Pompeii, which
started after its accidental rediscovery in 1749, is an ongoing
process and every decade has brought to light new finds that
provide insight into daily Roman life. A comprehensive tour of
Pompeii's attractions will take approximately five hours. Guided
tours are available but are pricier alternatives to doing it alone.
There is an informative 'How to Visit Pompeii' guidebook for sale
outside all the site entrances.
Pompeii is one of Italy's most popular tourist attractions,
seeing nearly 2.5 million visitors every year. It is one of the
most intriguing ancient sites in the world and a full day of
walking barely covers the many sights of interest. The Pompeii site
has been plagued by mismanagement but has recently been granted a
huge injection of funds which should improve maintenance; however,
the place is so captivating that no amount of mismanagement can
deter visitors from travelling to Pompeii, and the four associated
sites of Herculaneum, Oplontis, Stabia and Boscoreale.
Transport: SITA bus to Piazza Esedra in Pompeii; or Circumvesuviana
train line from Central Station to Pompeii Scavi
station
Pompeii Ruins
Paul Kelley
Paestum
The well-preserved Greek temples of Paestum are arguably the
best of their kind in the world, easily rivalling those of Sicily
and Athens. The city was founded by its Greek colonists in the 7th
Century BC, and later fell under Roman rule (until it was no longer
commercially successful and its inhabitants fled for greener
pastures). The north-south axis of the city is marked by the paved
Via Sacra and most guided tours begin at its southern end. A guide
to the excavations and Archaeological Museum can be bought at any
of the roadside shops. Notable among the remains are three Doric
temples, the best-preserved of their kind in the world. Built
without the use of cement or mortar, these remarkable structures
comprise the Basilica, the Temple of Poseidon and the Temple of
Ceres. Heading north along Via Sacra will take one to the Roman
Forum, gymnasium and amphitheatre. Finally, Paestum's Museum
contains a fascinating collection of pottery and paintings found in
the tombs of the area. The main temples are fenced off so you can't
wander through them, but many other ruins can be explored without
hindrance and the site is often pleasantly devoid of tourists,
leaving visitors to explore at their leisure in peace and with
remarkable freedom.
Address: Campania region, southern Italy
Transport: Train from Naples, 40km south of Salerno.
Paestum
Peter Schule
Sassi de Matera
For anyone with even the smallest interest in human history, the
Sassi de Matera - located in the region of Basilicata, about 156
miles (250km) east of Naples - are a must-see tourist attraction.
The unbelievable cave-dwellings of Matera were inscribed in
UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1993, and have been
astonishing visitors to the region ever since. Dug into the tuff
rock of the region (rock comprised of consolidated volcanic ash),
the 'houses' are often little more than caverns, and remain as
testament to a troglodyte population believed to be the first human
settlement in Italy. Some of the streets of present-day Matera
double as rooftops to the underground dwellings, and beneath the
surface, a network of labyrinths and caverns once traversed by the
prehistoric civilisation can still be observed. As has been noted,
the inhabitants of Matera's Sassi are the only people who can claim
to live in the same houses as their ancestors did 9,000 years ago -
making these amazing structures compulsory viewing for all tourists
to Italy who are keen on historical sightseeing. It's fun to hire
bikes and ride to the caverns further afield and there are many
good local guides to hire.
Sassi de Matera
Loloieg
Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra)
An emblematic tourist attraction, the Blue Grotto (Grotta
Azzurra) is reason enough for any visitor to Naples to make the
short trip across to the island of Capri. A world-famous sea cave,
the Blue Grotto is perpetually filled with brilliant sapphire
light, caused by sunlight entering through an underwater cavity and
shining through the seawater from beneath. The cave also contains a
smaller opening right at the level of the waterline, through which
bright sunshine pours, and through which tourists are admitted by
row-boat. Gaze in wonder at the spectral water, more light-filled
than the air in the cave, and be sure to dip your hands and watch
them glow an eerie silver-blue. Since row-boats entering the cave
can only take a maximum of three passengers, you are ensured a
private and truly unforgettable experience in the Blue Grotto, one
which you will treasure for the rest of your life.
Blue Grotto Tours is a popular tour company which guides trips
into the mystical blue cave and has earned rave reviews from
tourists. Of course, the island of Capri is beautiful and a hop
across the water from Naples is worthwhile just to see the lovely
landscape and experience the atmosphere of this famous island.
Blue Grotto
Glen Scarborough
Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Jeff Matthews
San Gennaro
Julia Janssen
Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte
Antonio Manfredonio
