Bay of Naples Maps and Guides
Pompeii Maps and Guides
 
Sorrento
Capri
Pompeii
Herculaneum
Sorrento
Naples,
Salerno
Positano
Amalfi City  & Coast
Ischia and Capri.- the famed islands in the Bay of Naples
  • Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park
  • Mount Vesuvius
    Paestum Greek temples
    unified public transport ticket Campania Unico.
    Ferry during summer months from Salerno, Naples, Positano, Amalfi
    National train lines go from Naples to Salerno
    Salerno is an ideal stopping off point on the way to Paestum, Pompeii or Positano, or the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, which is a lesser known UNESCO World Heritage site. Placed as it is at one end of the Amalfi Coastline, it is an important passing point for the local tourism scene.
     Campania is a good base for exploring other regions of southern Italy such as Basilicata, Calitri, Calabria and Apulia, as well as Sicily.

    Official seal of Naples

    Metropolitana di Napoli
    Landmarks in Naples: Albergo dei Poveri · Cathedral of Naples · Cappella Sansevero · Castel dell'Ovo · Castel Nuovo · Certosa di San Martino ·
    Gesù Nuovo · Museo di Capodimonte · Palazzo Reale · Posillipo · San Domenico Maggiore · Santa Chiara · Teatro San Carlo Flavian Amphitheater (Pozzuoli)
    Paestum - The best preserved Doric "temples" in the world.
    The Palace of Caserta
    Naples National Archaeological Museum, Naples, Italy, was formerly the Royal Borbonic Museum (Reale Museo Borbonico),
    Farnese collection much from the Baths of Caracalla in Rome during excavations commissioned by Pope Paul III in the hope of finding ancient sculptures to adorn his Roman residence
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    In 2005, at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in San Diego, California, Dr. Bradley E. Schaefer, a professor of physics at Louisiana State University, presented a widely reported analysis concluding that the text of Hipparchus' long lost star catalog may have been the inspiration for the representation of the constellations on the globe

     

     
     
     
     
     
     

    Ischia,  the Bay of Naples @ nona-travel.
    blogspot.com

    A package deal to island of Ishia in 2006

    Under Vesuvius @ sottoilvesuvio.it

    Around Naples in English by Jeff Mathews

    Public Fountains

    The Cavern of Mithra  now a parking garage. Learn more about Mithras who was a lot more of the Roman in "Roman Catholic" than people realize

    agrituris
    moseliano.it
     

    cooking classes near Pasteum

     

    The stunning Divina Costiera (Divine Coast) harbours ancient and charming fishing towns such as Sorrento, Positano, Ravello and Amalfi. The region's white cliffs and azure waters make this one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations
    Naples Guide
    The metropolitan area of Naples is the second most populated in Italy and one of the largest in all of Europe with around 3.8 million people. In the central area.  Naples, south of Rome in the Campania region, is the third largest city in Italy with a population of around 1 million people. It is like nowhere else in Italy which the locals are proud to admit.  A city in which culture, art and light mix with the obscure darkness of a hidden,  underground world many millennia in the making.

    Naples is also on the way up as a visitor destination. The government has been successful in reclaiming the streets and now can point to greater outdoor dining, busy piazzas and a growing number of visitors all in inverse ratio to the decreased crime. However, extra caution is still in order as pick pocketing remains relatively common.

    Besides contributing the invention of pizza to the global culture it is also very proud of its Neapolitan musical heritage including the invention of the romantic guitar and the mandolin as well as strong contributions to opera and folk standards. There are popular characters and figures who have come to symbolise Naples, this includes patron saint of the city Januarius, Pulcinella and the Sirens from epic Greek poem the Odyssey.

    Naples is called the Parthenopaen City because according to legend the Siren Parthenope gave her name to the

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    the original nucleus of the city called Parthenope originated near the tomb of the young siren who had lived in the seas around the Sorrento peninsula. Today Naples is still a fascinating siren who never ceases to enchant visitors to her shores.

     town. In fact, its origins are greek: It was conquered by the Romans in the 4th century B.C. Rich inhabitants of Rome like Virgil, Augustus, Tiberius, Nero used to spend the winter there, but the Neapolitans themselves retained the Greek language and customs until the decline of Empire.

    The French Pope Clement VI called Charles I of Anjou to the throne of Naples. His son, Charles II and is grandson, Robert I, succeeded him. Robert the Wise, whose brother Louis became Bishop of Toulouse and was canonised, attracted poets, scholars and artists to this court.

    The gritty port city is often overlooked by visitors but it has many worthwhile attractions with many walkable from the main passenger pier. Enjoy the best pizza in Italy in the city where it was invented and be sure to order insalata Caprese with Buffalo Mozzarella as most of the production of the mozzarella occurs here in the region of Campania

    Via Toledo , the main street of the city, edges the old centre from the Palazzo Reale up to the Museo Nazionale Archeologico and the heights of Capodimonte ; to the left rises the Vómero , with its fancy housing and museums, and the designer-clad streets in the neighbourhood of Chiaia , beyond which lies the long green boulevard of Riviera de Chiara , stretching around to the districts of Mergellina and Posillipo. Wandering down Spaccanapoli, the historic artery of the old town, try to see something of the subterranean Graeco-Roman city that lies underneath modern Naples. For the best view of Naples' sprawling metropolis, travel to the hilltop suburb of Vomero - an elite neighbourhood separated from the never-ending hustle and bustle of the city below.

    "Some parts of the Campania region are covered with vineyards, such as, for example, the Avellino area. This area produces some famous wines: Greco di Tufo DOC, Taurasi DOCG and Fiano di Avellino. The latter is ideal as an aperitif and for accompanying fish dishes. Other wines to note are Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio that can be white, red or rosé and Aglianico del Taburno."
    "Naples (Napoli) is Italy's most controversial city: You'll either love it or hate it. Is it paradiso or the inferno? It's louder, more intense, more unnerving, but perhaps ultimately more satisfying than almost anywhere else in Italy.
    Cappella Sansevero:

    Cappella Sansevero: The beauty of the Veiled Christ is really astonishing, as well as the one of the Disinganno and Pudicizia. The symbologies of the marble statues are endless: from the noble family, passing to catholic, arriving also to illuminati/Masonic meanings. The two body blood reconstruction then is a real piece of great science.

    • Address: Via Francesco di Sanctis 19, Naples Phone: 081/5518470
    • Open: Mon. and Wed.-Sat. 10-6, Sun., 10-1:30
    • Metro: Dante Cost: EUR 6
    "The city offers the tourist a perfect blend of traditional, warm hospitality and a modern range of facilities and, unlike other cities which are in themselves museums, display cases for their art but with no real heart, Naples is famous for the character and drama of its everyday life which is played out by the people who have lived and worked in the historic centre for centuries.
    Places to Eat
    most restaurants are family-run places used by locals and as such generally serve good food at very reasonable prices
    Updated By Calista... on January 18, 2008

     

    Alberto's Ristorante Pizzeria [Via Ferdinando Del Carretto 22] ThePasta alla norma, my favorite! - Naples portions are huge. Anyway, incredible food no matter if you choose pasta, meat or pizza!.......Il Delicato Via Manzoni, San Giorgio a Cremano... Neapolitan people love their sweets. So it's obvious that Gran Bar Riviera [Riviera di chiaia, next to Mergellina] should be open 24/ 7.... .Da Michele: The best Pizza of Napoli -> best in the world....Brandi: The best pizza This pizzeria is historical and a must see. It's the birthplace of Pizza Margherita. ... Leon d’Oro [Piazza Dante 48 metro is Piazza Dante] our favourite of the restaurants we tried in and around the Piazza Dante. It isn’t a fancy place, but I loved its genuine feeling
    Nightlife
    Naples is now becoming popular with a younger generation, especially those from countries to the north. Undeterred by reports of unfavorable conditions, they flood into the city and lend it a new vitality. The old part of the city is crammed with bars ; the best thing to do is head for one of the lively and glamorous central squares where the local ragazzi hang out. The hippest scene is at the bars and cafes on Piazza Bellini, near Piazza Dante.or Piazza Gesù Nuovo. Bear in mind though, that things don't really get going till at least 9pm.
    "English speaking staff. You can find all types of people at Botany's, from hippies to posh....La Mela is supposed to be one of the "coolest" places to be in Naples. People come just to show off and not to have fun. ,,,Neapolitans aren't exactly people that like to stay up all night long and dance. Arenile di Bagnoli A lot of stylish Italian people dancing all night!....the Piazza Bellini became our favourite spot in which to end (and on one occasion to start!) every evening. Quite near the university, it attracts something of an intellectual crowd, and the bars and cafés have a little of the feel of Paris’s Left Bank One bar, Intra Moenia, became a firm favourite"
    Pozzouli
    Pozzouli: Straggling westwards, the City of Naples  absorbs the neighbouring town of Pozzuoli, encompassing on the way a (now) little-visited landscape of fumaroles and bubbling craters and the grave of the great Roman poet and author of the Aenad, Virgil

    Not many tourists venture to the Campi Flegrei region – literally "fiery fields" – yet it is a phenomenal area. This large volcanic tract lies west of Naples, extending from what is now the suburb of Solfatara and into the town of Pozzuoli and beyond. The Greeks first established a settlement here; the Romans rebuilt and added to the development with thermal baths as well as villas, theatres and more.

    Pozzuoli contains some remarkable archaeological zones including:

    •  Anfiteatro Flavio at Via Terracciano (open 9am until sunset daily except Tuesday;), which is the third largest amphitheatre in Italy;
    •  Rione Terra quarter at Largo Sedile di Porto (open weekends only, 9am-6.15pm; ). At this excavated Roman settlement, you head underground, beneath the current street level of Pozzuoli, to walk along an ancient road dating from 194BC where you will see the remains of shops and taverns. For more details on the Campi Flegrei sites, see www.infocampiflegrei.it.

     The most extraordinary of the sights is the

    • Solfatara Crater (the entrance is at Via Solfatara 16; open daily 8.30am-7pm;, which is a geothermal wonderland of hot spitting mud, jets of sulphurous steam and bubbling sands.
    Amalfi Coast Guide

    the Land of Mermaids along the Divina Costiera

    The Amalfi Coast, which begins at Vietri sul Mare and ends in Sorrento, is a succession of curves, small inlets, romantic beaches and hidden bays, which offer breathtaking views.

    From Sorrento: A short bus ride over the ridge south from Sorrento brings you to the breathtaking Amalfi coastline. A bus was definitely the way to see the sights here, because any driver on the switchback-filled route must pay full attention to the road as you hang in space above the crystal blue Mediterranean waters till you arrive at the vertically inclined village of Positano. Stairs and steep streets descended from the main route to the fishing village’s main piazza, beach, and harbor. A nice place for a day of swimming, sunning and shopping concluding with a relaxing beachside dinner at a restaurant terrace.

     Go diving a Li Galli in the Punta Campanella Marine Reserve or take in the sun as you stretch out on a towel at the Marina Grande Beach. Find a small patch of sand or pebbles for your towel at Positano, Atrani, Maiori and Minori, or explore one of the many tiny coves reached only by boat or rickety stairs down the cliffs.An Amalfi Coast holiday should also include a visit to the historical and artistic towns of Positano, Praiano and Massa Lubrense.

    Amalfi: A great place to start your Amalfi coast vacation is in the picturesque seaside resort of Amalfi. Visit the 6th century Duomo, containing the remains of St Andrew the Apostle. See the famous bronze door and the stunning collection of mosaics that decorate the Duomo. and boasts arguably the most beautiful cathedral in southern Italy.
    The town of Amalfi was once a great naval power but was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1343,Chronologically, Amalfi is Italy's first Maritime Republic. In Amalfi's heyday it rivalled Venice, Pisa and Genoa, trading across the Mediterranean. Amalfi was the home of Flavio Gioia, the inventor of the compass for the western world and codified maritime law with its Tavole Amalfitane.

    Conca dei Marini is best known for the nearby Emerald Grotto (Grotta dello Smeraldo). This is a deep cave in the cliffside, now invaded by the sea, in which the water acquires a bewitchingly intense emerald green colour, when the sun filters through inside. Also of great interest is the ceramic crib, 4m below on the grotto bed and the stalactite and stalagmite formations.

    Positano, with a population of less than 4000, is a vertical rather than horizontal town and has a charming facade of ice-cream coloured houses.   Luxury hotels and top class restaurants sit side by side with innumerable boutiques, many specializing in the famous Positano fashion. Traffic is excluded from much of the town, whose flower-bedecked narrow alleys and steps create a unique and intimate setting and atmosphere.Summer dusk lasts till almost 9pm.

    Ravello: The serene, traffic-free town of Ravello has charmed numerous writers, musicians, actors and painters over the years, including Arturo Toscanini, Leonard Bernstein, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence and Greta Garbo.. It was here which inspired Wagner to write his opera Parsifal. Ravello is known as the city of music and has always been a high class tourist destination for those looking for tranquility. Along with Positano, it is Ravello that defines the Amalfi Coast in most visitors' minds. The view of the twin church towers and single pine from the terrace of the Villa Rufolo is probably the most photographed on the Amalfi Coast. Ravello is perched 350 metres above the sea, where cooling breezes temper the summer heat

    Praiano:The most secluded and unpretentious town along the Amalfi Coast is Praiano. Praiano is an ancient fishing village with a great past located away from the most touristy areas and thus offering relatively good value for this otherwise very expensive visitor zone.

    amalfiweb.com recommends you use ferries that travel between Salerno and Positano. and not miss Amalfi or Ravello
    amalficoastweb.com Amalfi | Atrani | Ravello | Positano | Praiano | Minori | Maiori | Conca | Agerola

    Ferries: Amalfi is well connected to Naples and Salerno and with the inauguration of “Metro del Mare” it is possible to reach Cilento and the bay of “Baia Domizia”. From Amalfi you can take a direct ferry to the islands of Capri and Ischia and Positano.

    Salerno Guide
    Further south, the port of Salerno is an inviting place and gives access to the Hellenistic site of Paestum and the uncrowded coastline of the Cilento just beyond. A province capital in Campania, Salerno's history dates from its establishment as a Roman town in about 194 BC after the wars with Hannibal the Great.

    Behind the city is a high rock surmounted by an ancient castle, the Castle of Arechi, which dominates your view while offering its own spectacular view overlooking the city and the Bay. The Archeological Museum contains a rich archive of documentation relating to the entire Province of Salerno covering the pre-historic period up to ancient times

    By Car: Take highway A3 from either the south or the north and Exit at Salerno.
     By Train: Salerno, being one of the larger towns in Italy is well-serviced by hourly trains going to and from any number of cities.
    By Ferry:
    Salerno ferry port operates services to Grimaldi, Valletta, Malta and Palermo, Sicily. There is a ferry that runs in the summer months from the Almafi Coast's Positano, Amalfi and sometimes Minori. This is a much better way of enjoying the journey, and you will arrive with a smile on your face.

    Pasteum

    - ancient sister city to Athens when the Greeks
    ruled the Mediterranean sea

    Paestum was founded as a colony by the Greek city of Sybaris around 600 B.C. and was first named Posidonia, in honor of the god of the Sea. It flourished with the rest of Magna Graecia through the 6th cent. B.C. becoming the 2nd most important city during the golden age of Greece. The ruins included a theater, centre square, and even a basillica. The Basillica and the temple of Apollo were the biggest in the world next to the Parthenon in Athens.

     The Romans took the city in 273 B.C. and called it Paestum. It is said these ruins are in better shape than any ruins in Greece. Some find the grandeur of Paestum to be even more awe-inspiring than Pompeii.  The three Paestum temples are all in the Archaic Doric style with heavy columns and capitals. They are thought to be dedicated to the city's namesake Poseidon (known to the Romans as Neptune), Hera and Ceres. The temples of Neptune and Hera are located next to each other at the southern end of the site, while the smaller Temple of Ceres is at the northern end. You can walk up close to the temples, but they are roped off to prevent interior access.

    Originally called Poseidonia, the city of Neptune, (later becoming Paestum under the Romans), the ruins are located on the alluvial plain of the River Sele in the heart of Magna Grecia. This area of southern Italy was colonised by the ancient Greeks in the 6th century BC, when Doric temples were constructed to honour the patron gods of the town: Neptune, Hera and Athena.

    The most impressive of the three temples is the one dedicated to Neptune at the southern edge of the site. Built in the 5th century BC, it is the largest of the three at 60 metres long and 24 metres wide, with 14 fluted columns at the side and six at the end. Its stone is golden and when it catches the evening sun, the columns and entablature glow pink.
     

    Northwest of the forum is a small Roman amphitheater, of which only the southern half is visible. In 1930, a road was built across the site, burying the northern half. It is said by local inhabitants that the civil engineer responsible was tried, convicted and received a prison sentence for what was described as wanton destruction of a historic site.

    Paestum by sacred-destinations.com
  • Address: Via Magna Grecia 887
  • Phone: +39 0828 811 016
  • Website: http://www.infopaestum.it
    Location: 1 hr south of Salerno, 15 min from Agropoli, SW Italian coast, Campania, Italy Hours: Site: daily 9am-1 hr before sunset;
    Museum: daily 8:45am-7pm, closed 1st & 3rd Mon. Cost: €4 for site or museum; €6.50 for both
  • From the motorway A3 SA-RC, exit Battipaglia or Eboli,
    then procede along the SS18 in direction Paestum.

    Capri Island Guide
    Rich in history, the island welcomes to its famous Piazzetta Umberto I, those who love luxury and a worldly lifestyle, and has a first rate range of hotels, all of them luxurious and immersed in enchanting scenery where you live life on the edge at cliff amidst Roman ruins. Capri's most colourful square is Piazza Umberto, where you can watch the many rich, famous and "beautiful" people passing by to access the transit options on the car-free island. Shop for jewelry or designer fashion on the Via Vittorio Emanuele or gaze out at the stunning view of the sea over a steaming plate of Ravioli Caprese.
    It’s CAH-pree, not Ca-PREE

    Affectionately known as "the Blue Island" all around the coast of Capri you will find hidden bays, almost totally immersed in semi tropical vegetation, some of which can only be reached by boat, superb rocky terraces carved out of the cliff face, tiny sheltered pebble beaches, and sun soaked platforms, all just a stone’s throw away from the Faraglioni rocks, the Blue Grotto or the Punta Carena lighthouse.

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    Blue Grotto

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    Villa San Michele in Anacapri
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    August's Garden & Faraglioni rocks

    The Blue Grotto is a partially submerged rock cave where refracted sunlight turns the water and walls a luminous blue. The cave was formed naturally, but Romans carved out a small landing stage and nymphaeum at the back of the cave. You enter through an opening that can be impossible in rough seas in a small row boat. In theory, you can swim in, but the fearsome rowboat operators don't look kindly on this, and it's only really advisable when they're not around, before 9:30 a.m. or just before sunset.

    Gardens of Augustus Ten minutes distance from the celebrated Piazza there is a wonderful panoramic view of the island, where you can admire the Marina Piccola Bay and the Faraglioni Rocks. It was constructed at the start of the 1900 by the german steel magnate Alfred Krupp.

    From Anacapri take the Chairlift  for a ten minute ride where you will arrive at the top the mountain Solaro for a marvelous panoramic view

    In Roman times, Capri was the preferred home of the emperors Augustus and Tiberius, for whom its isolation offered a measure of protection from would-be assassins. Tiberius' magnificent villa can be visited today, its sheer scale and evident luxury never ceasing to amaze the modern visitor

    The glamour island of Capri off Italy's west coast in the Tyrrrhenian Sea is accessed from the mainland town of Sorrento. Budget travellers should make the crossing on the slower but cheaper and more scenic ferry instead of the Capri hydrofoil. The island is just six kilometres long. Cars are not allowed, only porter buggies, taxis and buses and the ever present scooters.

    capri.com Restaurants in Capri ||Shopping ||Anacapri ||Meeting services ||Packages ||Ferries and Hydrofoils  ||Capri Tours ||Capri Villas ||Excursions in Capri
    capri.net  
     

    Villa Rentals http://www.capriimmobiliare.it  www.trialtravel.com

    Ischia Island Guide

    the "Green Island"

    Ischia is large at  47 sq.kms. and a relatively sparse population of 50,000 inhabitants. Its territory is divided into six municipalities: among them the main one is the town of Ischia,
    therapeutic mud
    The Italian Ministry of Health produces a document that has updates on which waters and muds are suitable for therapeutic treatments and illness and diseases which can be treated. According to this document, disease which can be treated are: rheumatic diseases such as arthrosis; respiratory diseases; dermatological diseases such as psoriasis, atopical dermatitis, eczema (except for exudative bladdery forms), chronic seborrhea; gynecological diseases such as pelvis tissue sclerosis; diseases of the gastroenteric apparatus such as gastroenteric or bilious dyspepsia, and intestinal disorders associated with constipation.

    Ischia  is the largest island in the Golfo di Napoli. For more than 2000 years people have been heading there to take advantage of its therapeutic, mineral-rich volcanic springs. The hot waters contain high levels of mineral salt, sulphur and magnesium, and are said to cure arthritis, asthma, infertility and a host of other ailments.

    The town of Ischia,  has two different centers: Ischia Porto and Ischia Ponte. Ischia Porto is the commercial center of the island and is named after the main port. Ischia Ponte ("ponte" meaning "bridge" in Italian) is named for the area surrounding and including the footbridge that was constructed to connect the Castello Aragonese with the island.

    The harbour of Ischia was inaugurated on September 17th, 1854 by the King of Naples Ferdinand II of Bourbon, who also built a small natural lake with an old volcanic crater. They drained a marsh and built a thriving fish-breeding enterprise. The king built a large villa and began entertaining guests featuring the healing treatments of the geothermal springs. In the 20th century, the island became favored for building weekend getaway homes for the middle classes.

    The main harbour features the church of Santa Maria di Porto Salvo (Our Lady of Safe Harbour), also built by Ferdinand the Bourbon. Not far from the port is a tram or Funicular leading to the top of the hill called Montagnone (Big Mountain) where is a lookout terrace from which you can look over the whole centre of Ischia Porto, with Procida and the Phlaegrean Fields in the background. Mount Epomeo  is the island’s highest mountain. It was once an active volcano, you can now do the 3km hike to its top.

    The spa town of Casamicciola retains its Art Nouveau architecture. Sink into a spa in bubbly Ischia with its geothermal springs: 67 fumaroles, 103 springs and 29 thermal spas that can help to cure illnesses, tone up your body and spirit or simply help you relax.

    Popular among German tourists in particular. The island is a 45 minute ferry ride from Naples.
    Pozzuoli The Cumana railline operates from Montesanto in Naples and follows the coastline for approximately 20 km before ending in Torregaveta (Bacoli). To reach the Pozzuoli harbour you get off at the stop for Pozzuoli. The harbour is five minute walk away.

  • Barano  || Casamicciola   || Forio  || Ischia Ponte  || Ischia Porto  || Lacco Ameno  || Serrara-Fontana
    people from Euboea, Greece colonised Ischia, probably in the eighth century BC, and from there nearby Cumae, the earliest Greek site on the mainland.
    lamortella.it/  
    Getting there ||History and culture ||Churches, Museums and Monuments ||Places and charm ||Shopping ||Events || La Dolce Vita ||A tour around the island villages ||Ischia's best beaches

     

  • Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei)
    The Naples area is one of continuing intense volcanic activity. Campi Flegrei is a volcanic area of intense geological instability. Due to the bradyeyism (the slow upward and downward movement of the earth's crust) in the whole area, many Roman ruins are under water. It is the site of a mega volcano. A huge ancient caldera is made up with approximately 40 ancient volcanoes, some of which are now filled with lakes such as Lake Avernus. Ancient people thought this volcanic lake was the entrance to the underworld, or Hades (Lago di Averno, according to Homer and Virgil). Of these ancient volcanoes, the Solfatara of Pozzuoli is without doubt the most interesting with its bubbling mud pools and steam vent fumaroles. In many places the ground is still hot. It is this, which gives this area its Latin name, meaning the "Burning Fields".

    Since Imperial times, the ancient Romans already knew of Solfatara. It is said that the The Phlegraean Fields' long history of dramatic ground movements is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. Since Roman times, the ground level of the caldera floor has varied by more than 12 meters. The floor rose by at least 4-5 metres, in the 48 hours before the most recent eruption in 1538 (Monte Nuovo).

    Procida Island Guide
    Procida is the smallest and locally most loved island of the three in the Bay of Naples.

    The Avalos Palace, also named the Castle, is the first landmark you see coming to Procida from Naples by ship. It rises on the edge on the steep cliff of tufa, apparently isolated but it hides on its back the whole old centre of Terra Murata. The Avalos, noble and powerful family from Spain, had the feudal domain over Procida since the early years of 16th century and ruled the island up to the Bourbons came in 1734. Up to 1500, the whole population of Procida was concentrated in the old city centre of Terra Murata. Under the Spanish reign of the Avalos an era of peace and prosperity resulted in a population increase. Corricella, was settled as a  fishing village.  Sancio Cattolico on North side grew up around the harbor.

     www.infoischiaprocida.it .

    Sorrento Guide

    Terraced gardens, mountains with elegant steep cliffs and amazingDownload villas has been attracting visitors from all over the world for many centuries if not millennia. From the Mediaeval Period to modern times, it has been conquered by the Normans, Angevins, Aragonese and Spanish. Visible signs of these cultural invasions are still evident in the religious Downloadand civil architecture of the town. Later in the 1800s, tourism, inlaid woodwork and embroidery were to become the new economic activities.

    Sorrento sits atop cliffs directly across the bay from Naples. Although only a 90-minute ride away on the Circumvesuviana train route circling the bay, Sorrento is a world apart from Naple’s hustle and bustle. The town’s center of cobbledDownload streets stretches for a kilometer westward and a half-kilometer northward from Piazza Tasso with its ring of terrace caffes. The lively main thoroughfare, Corso Italia, has a large selection of restaurants and small shops displaying Sorrento’s leather goods and signature multi-pieced wood engravings. Aromatic lemons cultivated in fragrant gardens grow to a considerable size due to the mild climate and there is a charming orchard in the center of town whose future likely includes city sponsored development as it evolves away from its role as a major package-holiday destination.

    In the network of lanes around its small old town area, you can look in on studios engaged in the local, traditional art of intarsia, or inlaid woodwork; visit the lovely 13th-century cloisters of the church of St Francis (open daily 8am-1pm and 2pm-7pm; free); and, on Via San Cesareo, pause by an open-sided frescoed cupola, known as the Sedile Dominova, which now functions as a flamboyant working-man's club but was originally the meeting point of the local nobility.

    Sorrento overlooks the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields all in view. This beautiful town of sunsets and gardens can easily captivate you with the thought that there may be nothing finer in this world than enjoying a drink with loved ones from an elegant hotel terrace as the sun goes down in Sorrento.

    sorrentotourism.com Local tourist offices at Sant'Agata Sui Due Golfi, Massa Lubrense and Sorrento (00 39 081 807 4033; will supply free maps.
    sorrentotour.it  ||Museums || Monuments ||Restaurants ||Shopping ||Nightlife ||Activities

    History of Naples
    The history of the city can be traced back to the 7th century BC when inhabitants of nearby Greek colony Cumae founded a city called Parthenope, Cumae itself had been founded by people from Euboea, Greece.[ The exact reasons for doing so are not known for certain, but the Cumaeans built Neapolis (meaning New City) next to the old Parthenope, around this time they had held off invasion attempts from the Etruscans.[5] The new city grew thanks to the influence of powerful Greek city-state Siracusa and at some point the new and old cities on the Gulf of Naples merged together to become one.

    The city became an ally of the Roman Republic against Carthage, the strong walls surrounding Neapolis stopped invader Hannibal from entering. During the Samnite Wars, the city now a bustling centre of trade, was captured by the Samnites, however the Romans soon took it off them and made Neapolis a Roman colony.The city was greatly respected by the Romans as a place of Hellenistic culture, the people maintained their Greek language and customs. Elegant villas, aqueducts, public baths, an odeon, a theatre and the Temple of Dioscures were built, many powerful emperors and Senators chose to holiday on the Bay.  Scipio the African, Silla, Tiberius, Caligola, Claudius, Nero, Brutus and Lucullus found respite while Cicero, Horace, Pliny the Elder and Virgil found inspiration. The Romans respected and encourage the continuation of the genius of Greek synthesis of Mediterranean culture into a what was becoming the cornerstone of Western civilization.

     It was during this period that Christianity came to Naples; apostles St. Peter and St. Paul are said to have preached in the city, also St. Januarius who would become Naples' patron saint was martyred there

     
    Fast Facts
     In Caserta, you may want to take a gander at the 18th Century Bourbon palace and gardens that some say are on par with Versailles.  Caserta is also famous for silk mills.

    Avellino wineries can be visited, as well as Montevirgine, a church that houses a painting of the Holy Mother said to have curative powers. There is also an ancient Lombard castle there.
    Volcano of Vesuvius
    Journey and Ascent:
    By car: From Naples with the A3, take the Torre del Greco or Ercolano exit.
    By Circumvesuviana (train) : Get off in Ercolano and drive by bus to the car park. A road leads you up through beautiful vineyards, lava fields and the valleys Valle del Gigante and Valle dell'Inferno. One can smell the typical smell of broom bushes between May and August.
    By bus:
     Buses run to this departure point from outside Ercolano Scavi station, with tickets costing €7.60 (£5.80) for the 35-minute trip, or from Piazza Anfiteatro in modern Pompeii (just outside the archaeological zone) for €8.60 (£6.60) for the 90-minute journey ( www.vesuvianamobilita.it ).
    On foot the ascent leads you from the 1000m high parking spot with its Souvenir and refreshment stands over a gravel road to the top. When the weather is fine visitors can enjoy a fantastic panoramic view.
    The ascent takes about half an hour, with admission to the path costing €6.50 (£5) from the Parco Nazionale de Vesuvio ticket office ( www.vesuviopark.it/grancono ; open 9am-5.30pm and until 6.30pm during the summer). The price includes the services of a (mandatory) guide.
     
    Sightseeing:
    The ascent to the edge of the crater costs ca. 6 Euro. It closes between 15 and 18 hours depending on the season. It is recommendable to visit the Vesuvius on working days, as locals like to visit it on weekends and this can lead to traffic jams.
    Churches
    Near Piazza del Gesù and Piazza S.Domenico Maggiore is the New Jesuite Church is among the most extravagant Baroque churches in the world! Across the street you will find the Santa Chiara Monastery [santachiara.info]. It is worth a visit for its beautiful garden decorated with frescos and coulorful columns.
    If you continue towards S. Domenico Square you will pass by the St Angelo on the Nile Church with its Donatello's altar. The Sansevero Chapel nearby is also well known for its marble sculptures of veiled figures.
    Under Naples
    Beneath the lovely French Gothic church of San Lorenzo Maggiore, at Via dei Tribunali 316, several ancient streets have been excavated and, complete with the discernible remains of a bakery, winery and laundry, are open to the public (Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm; Sun 9.30am-1.30pm; ).
    Museums
    Naples National Archaeological Museum, It contains an unprecedented collection of Roman-Greco antiquities from Pompeii, Stabiae, Herculaneum and other archaeological sites located in and around the region of Campania. Other collections of interest are the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, the Temple of Isis in Pompeii and the Egyptian collection.

     

    The Farnese Collection donated by Charles of Bourbon contains many wonderful sculptures and gems found at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.

    National Archaeological Museum of Naples
    Piazza Museo 19, 80135 Napoli
    Tel. 0814422149 - Fax 081440013
    www.archeona.arti.beniculturali.it
    Every day from 9 am to 7.30 pm
    Closed on Tuesdays

     

    Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte
    The museum is located in the Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte, which sits in an idyllic park on a hill overlooking Napoli. It contains one of Italy’s finest painting collections.
    Capodimonte Palace, built  in the 18th-century in the time of Charles III .

    Via Miano,2 - Parco di Capodimonte
    Tel. 0817499111
    Every day from 8.30 am to 7.30 pm
    Closed on Wednesdays
     
    Museum of San Martino
    The Museum is in the large monastery complex St. Martin's Charterhouse, that includes a church, a charterhouse, beautiful monastery yards and a terraced garden, from which the visitor has a breathtaking view on the Gulf of Napoli. Remarkable to see is the Presepe Cuciniello, one of the finest nativity scenes in the world.
    Piazzale San Martino, 5
    Tel. 0815788418
    Every day from 8 am to 2 pm
    Closed on Wednesdays
    Royal Palace
    The eight statues on the façade are of Neapolitan kings. Located in the heart of the city, the square on which the palace stands is one of Naples's most architecturally interesting, with a long colonnade and a church, San Francesco di Paolo, that evokes the style of the Pantheon in Rome. Visit the royal apartments. Charles de Bourbon, son of Philip IV of Spain, became king of Naples in 1734 and was a great patraon of the arts and science
    Piazza del Plebiscito, 1
    Tel. 081400547
    Every day 9 am - 7 pm
    Closed on Wednesdays
    Carthusian Monastery of San Martino (Certosa di San Martino) & National Museum of San Martino (Museo Nazionale di San Martino
    Magnificently situated on the grounds of the Castel Sant'Elmo, this museum was founded in the 14th century as a Carthusian monastery. Now a museum for the city of Naples, the church displays two stately carriages, historic documents, ships' replicas, china and porcelain, silver, Campagna paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries, military costumes

    Sant'Elmo Castle
    Via Tito Angelini, 20
    Tel. 0815784030
    Every day 9 am - 7 pm
    Closed on Wednesdays

    Castel dell'Ovo

    This 2,000-year-old fortress overlooks the Gulf of Naples. It's said that Virgil built it on an enchanted egg of mystical powers submerged on the floor of the ocean. Legend has it that if the egg breaks, Naples will collapse.By the 5th century, the villa had become the home in exile for the last of the western Roman emperors, Romulus Augustulus.
    GETTING THERE:
    Porto Santa Lucia (follow Via Console along the seafront from Piazza del Plebiscito to Porto Santa Lucia; Castel dell'Ovo is at the end of the promontory)

    Borgo Marinari
    Tel. 0812400055
    Mondays - Saturdays 8.30 am - 5 pm. Sundays 8.30 am - 2 pm
    Closed on Wednesdays

     
    City Museum of Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino)
    Piazza Municipio - Napoli
    Tel. 0817955877
    Every day from 9 am to 7 pm - ticket office closes at 6 pm
    Closed on Sundays



    Museum Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes
    Riviera di Chiaia, 200
    Tel. 0817612356
    Every day from 8 am to 1.30 pm
    Closed on Wednesdays

    Industrial and Arts Museum
    Piazzetta Salazar, 6
    Tel. 0817647471
    By booking only
    Closed on Sundays

    Arts Museum Donna Regina (Madre)
    Via Settembrini, 79
    Tel. 0815624672
    Open on Saturdays and Sundays only, from noon to 8 pm

    Museum of San Gennaro's Treasure
    Via Duomo, 149
    Tel. 081294980
    Weekdays 9.30 am - 8.30 pm. Sundays and holidays 10 am - 7 pm
    Closed on Mondays

    Sea Museum
    Via Pozzuoli, 5
    Tel. 0816173794
    Every day 9 am -1 pm / 3 pm - 7 pm
    Closed on Sundays

    Santa Chiara Museum
    Via Santa Chiara, 49
    Tel. 0815521597
    Mondays - Saturdays 9.30 am - 5.30 pm. Sundays 9.30 am - 1.30 pm



    Pan - Palazzo delle Arti Napoli (Arts Palazzo of Naples)
    Palazzo Roccella,Via dei Mille ,60
    Tel. 0817958605 - 7410067
    Weekdays 9.30 am - 7 pm. Sundays and holidays 9.30 am - 2 pm
    Closed on Tuesdays

    San Severo Chapel
    Via Francesco De Sanctis, 19
    Tel. 0815518470
    Mondays - Saturdays 10.30 am - 5.30 pm. Sundays and holidays 10 am - 1 pm
    Closed on Tuesdays
    in Sorrento
    MUSEO CORREALE DI TERRANOVA
    SORRENTO - Tel. 0818781846
    Monday - Sunday: 9 - 14
    Closed on Tuesday

    MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO GEORGES VALLET
    PIANO DI SORRENTO Tel. 0815341050
    Tuesday - Sunday: 9-13 e 16-19
    Closed on Monday

    MUSEUUM WORKSHOP OF WOODEN TARSIA
    SORRENTO Tel. 0818771942
    Tuesday - Sunday: 9.30/13 - 17/20
    Closed on Monday

    MINERALOGICAL MUSEUUM

    VICOEQUENSE - Tel. 0818015668
    Tuesday - Saturday: 9 - 13 e 17 - 20
    Holidays: 9 - 13 - Closed on Monday

     

    Royal Palace at Caserta
    For many years, and especially under the Bourbon kings, Naples was one of the great capital cities of Europe. It reached its cultural zenith during the reign of Charles IV, who later became Charles III of Spain. He built Caserta to rival Versailles. A 45-minute train ride from Naples Central station. The palace was the last great building of the Italian baroque, with 1200 extravagant and exquisite. rooms. The majestic main staircase, whose 116 steps were all carved from one gigantic block of ston.

     We also owe to Charles we owe the magnificent Teatro San Carlo, Italy's largest opera house, which you should visit on a morning tour; during his reign Herculaneum and Pompeii were discovered, the palaces of Portici and Capodimonte were built and the Archeological Museum was founded.

    Pizza
    The Neapolitans take their pizza very seriously.
    Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Marinara.  Purists, like the famous pizzeria “Da Michele” in Via C.Sersale (founded: 1870)  consider there to be only two true pizzas – the “Marinara” and the “Margherita” and that is all they serve. The Marinara is the oldest and has a topping of tomato, oregano, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and usually basil. It was named “Marinara” not, as many believe, because it has seafood on it (it doesn't) but because it was the food the fishermen ate when they returned home from fishing trips in the Bay of Naples.
    Mt. Vesuvius
    . It can be visited quite easily; the road approaches to within about 200 metres of the summit, leaving only about 30 minutes walk on a good track to reach the crater rim. The barren landscape at the summit contrasts with the lush vegetation on the lower slopes, where some of the most ancient vines in Italy flourish in the rich volcanic soil. Steam emanating from fissures in the rocks provides the only clue to the immense energy that lurks beneath the surface. A surreal environment that demands to be experienced.

     

     Safety:
    Central Train
     
     
     

    Emma Hamilton, an icon of fashion, the wife of an ambassador, and the mistress  Lord Nelson (1758-1805) - hero of Trafalgar everything changes when Lord Horatio Nelson steams into Naples harbor fresh from his triumph at the Battle of the Nile and literally falls into Emma’s adoring arms. Their all-consuming romance–conducted amid the bloody tumult of the Napoleonic Wars–makes Emma an international celebrity, especially when she returns to England pregnant with Nelson’s baby.

    Leonardo_da_Vinci_Airport replaced the small Rome Ciampino Airport which remained in service for domestic and charter operations. 2008 - Opening of terminal 5 The airport is served by the Leonardo Express train operated by Trenitalia, available at the airport terminal.
    Rome Fiumicino is now the sole hub for Alitalia. the problematic main airline for Italy
    Termini Station is the main train station of Rome. It is named after the ancient Baths of Diocletian (in Latin, thermae), which lie across the street from the main entrance.

    The station has regular train services to all major Italian cities as well as daily international services to Paris, Munich and Basel. With its 29 platforms and over 150 million passengers each year, Roma Termini is one of the largest train stations in Europe.

    Termini is also the main hub for public transport inside Rome. Both current Rome Metro lines (A and B) intersect at Termini, and a major bus station is located at Piazza Cinquecento, the square in front of the station. However, the main tram lines of the city cross at Porta Maggiore, some 500 metres east of the station.

    Roma Tiburtina railway station is the second largest station in Rome.t is being redeveloped as a hub for the Italian high speed rail services, which won't pass through Termini,  Roma Tiburtina station is served by Line B of the Rome metro. The station also features a large and important bus station.
     
      New cable-car station!

    The Academy of Fine Arts

  • Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (English)
  • Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (Italian)
  •  
    trialtravel.com
    "Trial Travel" has been operating in Naples since 1976. Group tour specialist

    Aeroporto Internazionale di Napoli - collegamenti aerei
    www.gesac.it

    Aeroporti di Roma - collegamenti aerei
    www.adr.it

    Mappe stradali - European route planner

    shellgeostar.com
     

    Transit Information:
     The region includes: Provinz Avellino, Provinz Benevent, Provinz Caserta, Provinz Neapel and Provinz Salerno.
    The islands Ischia, Procida and Capri are part of the Province of Naples too.

     
    Portale Campania Trasporti   
    Web: .campaniatrasporti.it   and   .acam-campania.it      
    Region Campania : Information about the public transport in the region.
      
    Consorzio Unico Campania   
    Web: .unicocampania.it       
    Region Campania : Tariff association information.
      
    FS Trenitalia (FS)   
    Web: .ferroviedellostato.it       
    Subway Naples. Italian state railways. Serves numerous railway connections with regional and long distance services .
      
    Aziendà Mobilita Trasporti Sannio S.p.A. (AMTS)   
    Web: .amts.bn.it       
    Town bus routes Benevento.
      
    L' Azienda Napoletana Mobilità SpA (ANM)  Tram O-Bus 
    Web: .anm.it       
    Serves routes in town transport Naples with tram, trolleybus and bus services. Regional trolleybus service to San Giorgio a Cremano, Portici, Ercolano and Torre del Greco. Regional bus services.
      
    Metronapoli S.p.A.  U-Bahn 
    Web: .metro.na.it       
    Subway Naples and cliff (funicular) railways.
      
    C.S.T.P. Azienda della Mobilita di Salerno e Provincia SPA   
    Web: .cstp.it       
    Town bus routes Salerno and regional bus services.
      
    Circumvesuviana S.r.l.  Eisenbahn
    Web: .vesuviana.it       
    Town bus routes Sorrento. Regional railway services. Narrow gauge railway. Regional bus services.
      
    C.T.P. Compagnia Trasporti Pubblici SPA   
    Web: .ctpn.it       
    Serves routes in town transport Naples with bus services. Regional bus services.
      
     

     

    It's always been a sought-after region, first named by the Romans, who tagged it the campania felix , or "happy land" (to distinguish it from the rather dull campagna further north), and settled down here in villas and palatial estates that stretched right around the bay.

    The city of Naples has likely reigned longer as a melting pot of different religions and races than any other City on the planet. It is fair to then say it has been a cradle of cults and popular traditions adopted wide and far.

    As the 21st century opened Naples was well on its way to establishing itself as a major tourist destination after having lost its crown as the final stop on the Grand Tour early in the 20th century after a nice run as a pinnacle of Baroque achievement. In the 18th century the rich and famous coined a phrase about Naples "vedi Napoli e poi muori" (see Naples and then die) for the feeling was what more remained in life?

    Since Pompeii was discovered under the great Bourbon King Charles III Naples has  been the gateway to Italy's largest visitor attraction. Naples has been rising since the 1990s as it rids itself of the criminal element and further invests in one of Italy's best transit systems. These days it is worth planning a few days here or even more if you are young or young at heart.

    The train and bus stations are in the huge Piazza Garibaldi, on the eastern side of Naples. Naples has an airport, Aeroporto Capodichino, with flights to other parts of Italy and to Europe. A bus connects the airport with Piazza Garibaldi. Ferries and hydrofoils run from Naple's Molo Beverello to the islands of Capri, Ischia, Procida, and Sardinia.
     

    RSS Feed : Naples Travel
     
    NAP -Naples Airport Guide -Getting There
    Naples Airport Capodichino (NAP), 8 km (5 mi) north of Naples, serves the Campania region. It handles domestic and international flights, including several flights daily between Naples and Rome (flight time 45 minutes).
    aeroportodinapoli.it

    The major gateways to Italy include Rome’s Airport Leonardo da Vinci (FCO) (35 km/20 mi southeast of Rome, Phone: 06 65953640), better known as Fiumicino, and Milan’s Airport Malpensa 2000 (MXP) (45 km/28 mi north of Milan, 800964693 (toll free number).
     

    Naples (Capodichino) International Airport (IATA: NAP, ICAO: LIRN) is the airport serving Naples, Italy. It is located in the Capodichino district of Naples. The airport has 2 terminals, however, terminal 2 is located away from the airfield and is only used for charter operations. Terminal 1 is the terminal building for departing travellers. The airport is operated by the British airport company BAA.

    Address: Via del Riposo 95, 80144 Naples, Italy
    Airport Code: NAP
    Country Code: 39
    Telephone: 081 789 6111 or 789 6259
    Fax: 081 789 6557 or 789 6278
    E-mail: info@gesac.it or customer_service@gesac.it
    Website: www.gesac.it or www.naples-airport.com
    Number of Terminals: 2
    Time Zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October)
    Location: The airport is situated 8km (5 miles) northeast of Naples.

     

    Public Transport
    Road: Bus: ANM buses run to Napoli Centrale railway station, arriving at the port of Naples (Piazza Municipio). Alibus shuttle buses also run to Napoli Centrale railway station and then to Piazza Municipio in the centre of Naples. CLP (Consorzio Linee Provinciali), a private bus service, leaves Capodichino about every hour with stops at Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Muncipio and costs about €1.55.
    Taxi: Taxis are available from outside the Arrivals area.
    by bus:
    Curreri From the Arrival Area, daily buses for the sorrentine peninsula.
    (Phone: +39 081 8015420)

    Information and Help Desks
    The customer service desk (tel: 081 789 6259) is located on the ground floor of the Arrivals area;


    Airport Hotels
    The Charming International Hotel (tel: 081 231 1004) is located very close to the airport and can be reached on foot or with the hotel shuttle. The three-star Millennium Hotel (tel: 081 595 5406) is also located very close to the airport, on viale Maddalena, and can be reached on foot or by bus. The four-star Holiday Inn Napoli (tel: 081 225 0111) is located 2km (1 mile) from the airport and can be reached using the complimentary shuttle bus provided by the hotel.


    Taxis are quite expensive and can get snarled in traffic leading to sticker shock.

    Napoli Centrale: Central Train & Bus Station Guide

    [Garibaldi railway station]

     Rome is  just two-and-a-half hours by train away. The nearest Intercontinental Airport is Rome's Fiumicino (FCO), with the possibility of getting to Naples by air besides the train.

    Two rail systems operate in Campania, the standard Ferrovia dello Stato, the state's rail system. The one most visitor's seek is located downstairs past the mermaid fountain. Look for Circumvesuviana or streaming passengers. The Circumvisuviana line runs from Naples to Sorrento, passing through Herculaneum (Ercolano) and Pompeii. Fares are quite reasonable. The full Naples-Sorrento journey takes 70 minutes and costs just €3.30 (£2.50).There's a left luggage office here (open 24hr). Some trains also pull in to Stazione Mergellina, on the opposite side of the city centre, which is connected with Piazza Garibaldi by the underground metropolitana .


    BUSSES: The Central Station is located in the Piazza Garibaldi, just east of the city center. Local busses are a great way to get around the city, to avoid hills and expensive taxis. Nearly all the busses stop at the Piazza Garibaldi at some point along their route. Get ANM bus information at the west end of the piazza. Bus tickets can be bought at a "tabacchi" or tobacco shop or at some newsstands.
    You can rent a car at Napoli Centrale, as well as get tourist information.

    Naples Funicular (tram) routes: Three funiculars travel up the hill of Vómero. A nice neighborhood of fantastic views
    The Metropolitana - Naples Metro: There are is a lot ofDownload underground construction and many impressive new stations. This is a far along major project which will eventually extend and interconnect all the main transit lines into an efficient integrated system.  The main line runs from Gianturco, just east of Stazione Centrale, all the way to Pozzuoli.

    The Naples transit expansion is the most important public transport project in Italy. Phase 1 expanded the network and upgraded existing suburban lines into metro lines creating a metro network of 53 km with 68 stations (23 of which are newly built).  Phase 2 will includes a total of 20 lines and will hopefully be complete by 2012.

     

     

    By car:
     Those coming from Rome or from the North should follow highway A1 up to Naples. If you are instead coming from the South, travel the entire length of A3 up to Naples. From Bari and Puglia take A16 up to destination.
    Ferries on the Bay of Naples Guide

    Molo Beverello in Naples is the main ferry station with the largestand most frequent selection of hydrofoils. The other port is Calata Porta di Massa (only ferries) 

    Ferries-Napoli-map.jpg
    The Castel Nuovo ("New Castle") was renovated and chosen as his palace by Charles I of Anjou. The entrance is decorated by a Renaissance Arch of Triumph celebrating the entrance in the city of the Aragonese king Alfonso I (15th century)
    This landmark  Castle makes it easy to find the nearby main ferry station Molo Beverello
    The Castel Nuovo ("New Castle") was renovated and chosen as his palace by Charles I of Anjou. The entrance is decorated by a Renaissance Arch of Triumph celebrating the entrance in the city of the Aragonese king Alfonso I (15th century)

    To Capri: From Naples, the ferry takes about 80 minutes and costs about 9,00 EUR . The hydrofoil to Capri takes about 40 minutes and costs 16,00 EUR. From Sorrento to Capri the ferry takes about 40 minutes and costs about 9,00 EUR, while the hydrofoil takes about 20 minutes and costs about 12,00 EUR.

    Ferry Services

    • Alilauro - travel between Naples, Ischia, Capri, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Salerno.
    • Caremar - Pozzuoli - Procida - Ischia; Naples - Procida - Ischia; Naples - Ischia (direct); Naples - Capri; Capri - Sorrento. They operate slow and fast ferries (traghetto and traghetto veloce) as well as a faster hydrofoil service (unità Veloce).
    • SNAV - Naples - Procida - Ischia; Naples - Capri.
    • MedMar - longer distance ferries from Naples; to Sicily, Sardinia, the Aeolian Islands and Ponza as well as Ischia.

     

    Click the icon to for all the google map features
    To Sorrento Guide
    Getting There:

    Trains
    This is the most popular way to get to and from Sorrento or
    Pompeii. The local train, the Circumvesuviana,  runs from Naples to Sorrento. It makes many stops along the way and takes approximately 1 1/2 hours to get from Naples to Sorrento.Catch it at the Central or Garibaldi Station

    By Bus

    Curreri bus transports depart from the "ARRIVAL" zone in Capodichino Airport, running daily to Sorrento. The ticket costs about 6 Euros and the journey lasts around 1 hour and 15 minutes. From the Tiburtina Station in Rome, Marozzi buses run daily to Sorrento. There is also a bus service that connects city of Assisi to Sorrento.

    By Boat
    Hydrofoils and ferry-boats sail to Sorrento from Beverello quay in Naples (near Municipio Square). The journey is about 40 minutes, and costs about 9,00 Euro. The berth is in Sorrento docks, 500 m from the city centre. A shuttle service runs every 10 minutes to the main square Torquato Tasso.

    Ferries
    A hydrofoil ferry service runs from Sorrento to several points:
    Sorrento to Capri, every 30 minutes in the morning and evening, once an hour mid-day
    Sorrento to Naples, every two hours or so
    Sorrento to Ischia, one direct run in the morning, returning late afternoon
    Sorrento to Amalfi, once a day direct at odd times
    Sorrento to Positano, twice a day direct at odd times

     

    To Pompeii Guide
    GETTING THERE: Pompeii lies roughly 20km south of Naples and is serviced by frequent buses and trains.
    • By Train On the Circumvesuviana Napoli-Sorrento line it takes 30 to 40 minutes to get to Pompeii from either Naples or Sorrento. When going to visit the ruins of Pompeii, get off the train at the Pompei Scavio stop.  The entrance is approximately 50m from the station. Pompeii Scavi station is 40 minutes from Naples.  .
    • By Bus SITA runs buses from Naples. The cost is the same as the train. Buses run generally pretty efficiently, but can become full and a bit uncomfortable. Tickets are part of the Unico Campania system, which must be bought in advance. Once exception is the AliBus, which travels from the airport to the centre of town, where you can buy the tickets on the bus.

      Along the Amalfi coastline, buses are the only option, with the exception of ferries. The roads are narrow and winding, but the drivers are exceptionally skilled, only usually being slowed down by the less experienced tour bus drivers.

      By car The Amalfi-Sorrento-Salerno road is narrow and full of hairpin turns. Cars passes fast and close. Take care.

    The Pompeii site (00 39 081 857 53 47; www.pompeiisites.org ) is open daily 8.30am-7.30pm with last entry 6pm; admission €11 (£8.50)
    • Herculaneum's Ercolano Scavi station is 20 minutes by train from Naples. From there it's about a 500m walk to the archaeological site, which is open daily 8.30am-7.30pm with last entry 6pm; adults €11 (£8.50) (00 39 081 777 7008; www.pompeiisites.org ).
    • Torre Annunziata, to the north-west, looks an unappealing suburban development, but it is set on top of the Roman seafront resort of Oplontis. Here, Villa Poppea is open to the public. It is a magnificently grand house with especially glorious frescoes in the dining room.
    • Two other excavated Roman villas lie about 5km south of Pompeii at Castellammare di Stabia, a third town destroyed by Vesuvius. Villa San Marco is one of the largest Roman residences ever to have been unearthed; Villa Arianna contains fine wall paintings and mosaics.
    • About 2km north of Pompeii, Boscoreale was a Roman suburb notable for its country houses. Today, Villa Regina, complete with a reconstructed vineyard, is open to the public; the nearby Antiquarium of Boscoreale is a museum telling the story of Pompeii and the area.
    pompeii
    sites.org
    Get a ticket for all three sites – Oplontis, Stabia and Boscoreale – for visits over one day . Alternatively, a three-day ticket giving access to these excavations plus Pompeii and Herculaneum
    too-to-train.it/ discover the beautiful surroundings of Vesuvius from the historical Circumvesuviana railway.
    POMPEII -WHEN THERE:
    Walk. Note that the old roman stone roads can be quite exhausting to walk, especially in the heat of summer with loads of fellow tourists about. Make sure to take plenty of water and watch your step as the old roads have grooves in them where the carts ran. It is advisable to wear good footwear  
    • Visit also the National Museum in Naples where most of the best preserved mosaics and found items from Pompeii are kept.
    • Visit also the sister site Herculaneum, which also on the Circumvesuviana  and suffered a similar fate to Pompeii. Herculaneum was a wealthy enclave with about 5000 inhabitants.Though it is a smaller site it was covered by a pyroclastic surge (instead of the ash and lapilli that covered Pompeii). This allowed some second stories to survive.
    • Ask one of the Archaeologists working on one of the many sites "Hasn't it all been dug?" (there is still 1/3 of the site unexcavated... and there is always more under the floor!)
    • Walk outside the City Gates to the Villa of the Mysteries, one of the greatest houses to come down to us from the ancient world. Even on a very hot day, it is worth the walk.
    Assistance:
    • The official ticker booth has an excellent map you may have to ask for.
    • The hand-held audio tour done at your own pace is reasonably priced and will greatly enrich your experience. but be aware that you'll need to leave some ID such as a passport as surety when you rent the equipment
    • There are many multi-lingual tour guides who could be just the thing for your once in a lifetime trip to this other world that captured much of the best of what the Roman empire had to offer the Mediterranean region it ruled for many more centuries.

     

     Rome's Leonardo da Vinci  Fiumicino Airport [FCO]
    Rome Fiumicino Airport has three Terminals and is  26km (16 miles) from the city of Rome 35 kilometres (22 miles) by car from Rome's historic city centre. The airport is well served by the 6-lane motorway A91 Roma-Fiumicino and numerous buses and taxis.
    To Train Station:
    There is a direct non-stop train service from Fuimicino Airport Station to Roma Termini station.Trains run every half hour during the day, from 06:37 to 23:37.
    Leonardo Express train trip) takes 32 minutes. Alternatively, local trains leave once every 15 minutes, stopping at all train stations. You may have to change at Trastevere, Ostiense (Metro Piramide) or Tuscolana
    • Fare: EUR€8.80.  (costing about US$11)

    Rome's crowded central Termini railway station is within walking distance of much of the city's accommodation. However, the Termini is noisy and has some seedy nearby areas.

    The Metropolitan FM1 train service to Roma Tiburtina station runs from 05.57 then every 15 minutes from 06:27 to 21:27, then half hourly until 23.27. Journey time is around 42 minutes.

    • Fare: EUR€2.27.
      There is Bus Service To Roma Tiburtina rail station Bus night service via Rome Termini from 01:15 to 05:00.
    • Fare: EUR€5.

    TAXI
    Yellow and white licensed taxis are available on the terminal forecourt. Journey time to central Rome is around 45 minutes.

    Rome <-> Naples by Train
    Italy

    Italy's train service can be a little confusing if you arrive at a station without first investigating the eight different train services operated by Italian State Railways.

     

    "sometimes, the Board changes platforms just a few minutes before the train arrives. If you leave the Board before your train arrives, like we did, you might miss it. You might have to buy new tickets" Taking the Train to: Naples - Rome, Italy @bootsnall.com

    The ES* Italia is a new system of premiere trains operating on routes connecting Italy’s main cities and towns.
    Italia Rail logoitaliarail.com serving North American Customers!

    City-to-City tickets www.italiarail.com  makes it simple to understand Trenitalia services, plan and purchase train travel prior to your arrival

    by car
    Naples is directly connected with Rome by the A1 highway, and the trip takes generally less than 2 hours. Due to traffic jam and parking shortage in city center, it's advisable to leave your car in a parking lot near the motorway exit or your accommodation, and to use public transportation to get around the city.

    by bus
    Many national and international private bus services operate in Naples, generally stopping at Piazza Garibaldi or Piazza Municipio.

    Places To Stay
     
    http://en.venere.com/hotels_naples/?ref=120665
    100 hotels in Naples

    more accommodation: 89 Bed and Breakfasts  25 Self Catering Apartments  11 Town House Suites  4 Serviced Apartments  2 Other accommodation  

    Our favorite way to book on the internet and travel cheap. Know what your going to get in advance from many fresh edited and tabulated reviews. Powerful fast database shows all options on 1 screen. Good descriptions updated with many fotos by inn-keepers. A google location map to determine exactly how "centrally convenient" the location.  Sort by price per person or rating. Just do it!
     Naples || Capri Island||
     
    Sorrento ( 2km from Piano di Sorrento ), 
     Piano di Sorrento ||

    Penisola Sorrentina ( 1km from Piano di Sorrento ), 
    Meta di Sorrento ( 1km from Piano di Sorrento ), 
     
    Vico Equense ( 11km from Pompei ), 
    Agerola ( 12km from Pompei ), 
    Positano ( 13km from Pompei ), 
    Penisola Sorrentina ( 13km from Pompei )
    Pompei Hostels


    Amalfi ( 15km from Pompei )
    Massa Lubrense ( 20km from Pompei )
    Salerno ( 23km from Pompei )

    Ischia Hostels ||Procida Island Hostels ||Sant'Antimo
    Top Rated Naples Places to Stay
    image La Controra Flashpackers Hostel
    La Controra - The only Flashpackers resort in Italy. At hostel prices. Shared EUR16.00 PrivateEUR 26.00
    94% overall rating-APR08
    image Hostel of the Sun
    Hostel of the sun Located in the city center of Napoli in a safe area just in front of the ferrie port to get to Capri , Ischia and procida and also next to the bus station to Pompei and the Amalfi Coast , Ideally located for all the people who want to take a day trip to all those places . Shared EUR 16.00 PrivateEUR28.00 93%
    overall ratingr-APR-08

    image Hostel and Hotel Bella Capri
    Hostel and Hotel Bella Capri The most centrally located Hostel and budget Hotel in Naples with rooms overlooking the Bay!
    Shared EUR 18.00 Private EUR23.00 91% overall rating-APR08

    image Bonapace bed and breakfast Porta Nolana
    Arrigo and Elisabetta are waiting for you at B&B Porta Nolana. We are located in front of Porta Nolana close to the Main Station and to the Historical Center.   EUR
    30.00 86%
     

    http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/italy/naples/?affiliate=carnaval

     

     

    Cruise-ship Guide
    Cruise ships dock at Stazione Marittima, a large terminal located right in the city center, near Piazza Municipio.  From the Piazza Garibaldi in front of the train station the bus R3 will take you within three blocks of the ferries at Stazione Marittima.
    • MedMar Group operates several large ferry/passenger ships that connect Naples with Sardinia (Olbia), Corsica (Porto-Vecchio), Tunisia (Tunis), and the Aeolian Islands. These trips usually leave in the late afternoon or evening and arrive at their destination the next morning.
    • Tirrenia Navigazione operates an overnight ferry service that has two separate routes, one to Sardinia (Cagliari) and the other to Sicily (Palermo).

    Between 2000 and 2005 cruise passengers visiting Naples increased 104.6%, whilst the number of cruise ships grew by 43%. ‘We were expecting 950,000 passengers this year, but we may even break the one million barrier,’ Niccola Coccia, president of Terminal Napoli, told Seatrade Insider  in Naples as 2006 drew to its conclusion. The trend for more and more passengers and ships is expected to continue. Disney Magic arrived in 2007 and bigger ships are coming for MSC and Costa.
    Combining a cruise with a round-trip flight to Rome has become increasingly popular. Flying into Rome and

    Mainstream Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International
    Premium Lines Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Mediterranean Shipping Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and Princess Cruise Line
    Luxury Lines: Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, and Silversea Cruises.
    Search discounts on Cruise Deals with the powerful search engine of our travelocity affiliate

    It is easy to see a cruise as offering the perfect vacation is to visit numerous destinations without the inconvenience of flying between cities, living out of suitcases, and hunting for the best restaurants.  After embarking, you unpack once and relax in comfort and style while your ship transports you from port to port. All meals and entertainment are included. Its easy to pick and choose what to do and to meet like-minded relaxed fellow travelers. Also in a time of uncertainty it offers greater security and price protection. What's not to love?

    Cruise-ship passengers will likely be offered a varied program of shore excursions during the daylong call, regardless of which port your vessel calls at. And for the independent-minded, it is surprisingly easy to explore on your own at a fraction of the cost of a typical shore-excursion tour.

     

     
    Image:Regione Campania 3.svg
    Download
    Take home the taste of summer from the market – olives, dried mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and ricotta, wine, salami, limoncello and candied lemon peel.
    Naples Airport to Naples historical centre: 15 mins;
    Naples Airport
    to Herculaneum excavations: 20 mins;
    Naples Airport
    to Pompeii excavations: 30 mins;
    Naples Airport
    to Sorrento: 60 mins;
    Naples Airport
    to Amalfi: 90 mins;
    Naples Airport
    to Positano: 60 mins;
    Naples Airport
    to Ravello: 80 mins;
    Naples Airport
    to
    Paestum 100 mins;

     

    Naples Emergency

    Carabineers: 112
    Police: 113 
    Anti-racketeering Police: 081 7941544
    Traffic Police: 081 5954111/081 2208311 
    Fire brigade: 115 Revenue Guard Corps: 117
    Municipal Police: 081 7513177
    Stolen cars: 081 7941435
    Coastguard: 1530

    Health
    Freephone number: 800 888880

    Asl 1: 081 2541111

    First aid station: 118

    [more by napoli.it-official]

    POLICE
    Emergency 113
    Sorrento 0818075311
    FIREMEN

    Emergency 115
    ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

    803.116
    HOSPITAL

    Sorrento - S. Agnello 0815331111
    Emergency 118
    RAILWAYS

    Circumves.na 0817722444
    800053939
    Ferr. Stato 848888088
    Travel Information 1518
     
    Naples has slum areas within which there have long been difficulties with garbage disposal. In May 2007, residents started burning their garbage in the streets, fouling the city's air with smoke and the smell of decomposing rubbish. The problem is related to locating a new garbage landfill site which  was still an issue in 2008
    MONEY: The currency in Italy is the Euro [since 2002].  Visa, American Express and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere you travel in Italy. Automatic Teller Machines (called bancomats) which accept credit or debit cards are found even in small towns. Traveler's checks are less negotiable and get a poor exchange rate unless used at banks.

    VAT Refund: Those who are not residents of the European Union who spend more than €155 while shopping in Italy can ask for a VAT refund (19%) on departure. The refund only applies to purchases made in the circuit of shops displaying the “tax free for tourists” sign in the window. You will need to fill in a form at the time of purchase and have it endorsed by Italian customs on departure. The refund can be obtained in all the main airports or credited directly onto your credit card.

    Passport: Italy now has a terrorism law requiring everybody who wants to use public internet facilities (e.g. cafes) must produce their passport for photocopying and agree to have their web movements tracked. In other words, make sure you have your passport with you if you go to an internet cafe. The same terrorism laws apply to the use of other public communication facilities such as telephone and fax.
    Electricity in Italy is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC). If you plan on using your own 110-volt appliances, you will need a voltage converter, unless your appliance is designed to also work with 220 volts electricity (dual voltage). For example, most laptops and some electric shavers are designed to work both at 110 and 220 volts.  Make sure to check your appliances before you leave and travel prepared.
     
    The territory of the region is divided into five provinces: Naples, Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, and Salerno with 551 communes.
     
    Naples is the largest Italian port,  at a nexus of railway and highways A point of embarkation for emigrants in the past, Naples now has a large traffic of merchandise (petroleum, carbon, cereals) and passengers. Among the major industries are metalworking, oil refineries, mechanics (naval and railroad), electricity and food producing. The artistic crafting of coral and tortoise shell flourishes. 
    Capri Travel Books
    Inland Campania is, by contrast, a poor, unknown region for the most part, but the nearby towns of Cápua and Caserta repay visits and are easily seen on day-trips.
    Safety:

    Trip Reports

    "By the way, the train station in Naples is particularly dangerous. An Italian friend of mine had his wallet lifted there while his hands were filled with his wife's and daughter's suitcases. Con artists will try to "help" you. I just tell them to "go away" (vye VEE-ah."
    ---
    Lacristina on July 21, 2004

    Getting stuck in traffic is very normal in Napoli. If you don't want to spend your entire day in the car, you should avoid driving right before and right after lunch. That is to say, before 13.00 and 16.00 Also in the evening avoid driving around 21/ 22. Or you won't find anywhere to park your car!
    ---
    By Calista... on October 31, 2004


    Be careful in the narrow streets of the historic centre where pavements are either too narrow or non-existent. Listen out at all times for the tell-tale roar of a scooter behind you and be prepared to step aside – although again, watching the locals, few of them seem to bother with this nicety and simply trust that the scooter will go round them. Actually, although at first I was intimidated by the traffic, especially the scooters, after a while I relaxed and became fascinated by it instead!
    ---
    By toonsarah on November 25, 2007


    Don't ever buy something from guys approaching you. (with scooters specially) They are super thieves. First they'll show you something that is in tip top condition. But if you buy it from them, they will switch what you have bought with some crap right in front of your face, without you even noticing it. And before you know it they are gone!
    ---
    By Calista... on January 18, 2008


    Traffic in Naples is nuts. It is the place where the social order breaks down and it is every man for himself (the traffic lights are usually ignored). You will find cars double and triple parked. Cars going down one way streets. Traffic around the train station is nuts. Before attempting to cross the street, observe the locals. The idea is to spot a gap in the traffic and start across and hopefully people will stop. If this fails look for a pretty girl or a mother with young kids and let them run interference for you. Good luck! ---wikitravel for Naples


    Theoretically, you can rent a car to cover the last stretch of the journey, but in all honesty it's probably better to reserve this option for second (or third) visits to the area if you are used to driving in Northern Europe or the US. The reason for this is that driving habits in this area of Italy have developed in a sort of local micro climate - most cars drift around on the motorway hovering between two or three lanes, most drivers talk and gesticulate instead of driving, and if you don't keep up with the traffic flow, you are likely to find someone tailgating you within 30 seconds or so.

    If you need any more convincing, take a look at the cars when you arrive in the area. There is a prize if you can spot one without dents. Dents and rental cars don't mix well. I rest my case. --- wikitravel for Salerno

     

    Weather in Naples
    Naples has a mild and constant climate, with average temperatures of 16° C and a serene sky for at least half the year.
     During the peak holiday season of July and August you'll be faced with more expensive hotel tariffs as Italian holiday-makers and international tourists compete for accommodation.  To avoid crowds and the hottest weather but still enjoy pleasant swim able weather  travel  from April to mid-June or in September and October.

    5-day weather forecast for Napoli

    Weather averages for Naples
    Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
    Average °C (°F) 12 (54) 12 (54) 15 (59) 17 (63) 22 (72) 26 (79) 29 (84) 29 (84) 26 (79) 21 (70) 16 (61) 13 (55) 20 (68)
    Average low °C (°F) 4 (39) 5 (41) 6 (43) 8 (46) 12 (54) 16 (61) 18 (64) 18 (64) 16 (61) 12 (54) 8 (46) 5 (41) 11 (52)
    rain mm (inch) 90 (3.5) 80 (3.1) 70 (2.8) 70 (2.8) 50 (2) 30 (1.2) 20 (0.8) 30 (1.2) 70 (2.8) 130 (5.1) 120 (4.7) 110 (4.3) 940 (37)
    Source: Weatherbase
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Music of Campania  As one moves away from Naples in almost any direction, there is prominent musical activity to be found. Music of Naples.
    Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Marinara.
    Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Marinara. [10]
    History of pizza

    Pizza became a tourist attraction as visitors to Naples ventured into the poorer areas of the city in order to try the local specialty. Pizza was largely present in the Bourbon court. King Ferdinand I experienced to cook pizza in Capodimonte's porcelain ovens.

    Until about 1830, pizza was sold from open-air stands and street vendors out of pizza bakeries. Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples is widely regarded as the world's first pizzeria.

    The innovation which gave us the particular flat bread we call “pizza” was the use of tomato as a topping. For some time after the tomato was brought to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, it was believed by many Europeans to be poisonous (as are some other fruits of the nightshade family). However, by the late 18th century it was common for the poor of the area around Naples to add tomato to their yeast-based flat bread, and so the pizza was born. The dish gained in popularity, and soon
    Tomatoes.
    Tomatoes are originatively from America and were imported in Europe by Spanish in the 16th century, but were ignored in cuisine for about two centuries. Only at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century tomatoes were common in many recipes, and their plantation spread, becoming one of the most important in Campania

    The industry of tomatoes preserves was born in Naples, exporting all over the world the famous "pelati" (peeled tomatoes) and the "concentrato" (comcentrated tomato juice). There are traditionally several methods to prepare home-made tomato preserves, from bottled tomato juice, or chopped in pieces. The famous "conserva" (sun dried concentrated juice), tomato is cooked for long time and becomes a dark red cream with velvet texture.

     
    Greek plate with fishes.
    Greek plate with fishes
    Neapolitan cuisine
    has ancient historical roots that date back to the Greco-Roman period, and enriched itself over the centuries with the influence of different subsequent cultures controlling Naples and its kingdoms, such as the Spanish and French dominations
     

    With the ragù the most traditionally used pasta are the ziti, long maccheroni, that are broken into shorter pieces by hand before cooking. The Neapolitan ragù is also used, together with fiordilatte, to dress the gnocchi alla sorrentina, then cooked in oven in a small single-portion clay pot (pignatiello).


    History_of_Naples
    Founded by the Ancient Greeks as Neapolis, meaning New City, it held an important role in Magna Graecia and then as part of the Roman Republic in the central province of the Empire. Naples was the capital city of a kingdom which bore its name from 1282 until 1816 in the form of the Kingdom of Naples, then in union with Sicily it was the capital of the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification.
    Gothic War on Vesuvius.
    Under the viceroys Naples grew from 100,000 to 300,000 inhabitants, second only to Paris in Europe. The most important of them was don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo: he introduced heavy taxation and favoured the Inquisition, but at the same time improved the conditions of Naples. He opened the main street, which still today bears his name; he paved other roads, strengthened and expanded the walls, restored old buildings, and erected new buildings and fortresses, essentially turning the city of Naples by 1560 into the largest and best fortified city in the Spanish empire. In the 16th and 17th century Naples was home to great artists such as Caravaggio, Salvator Rosa and Bernini, philosophers such as Bernardino Telesio, Giordano Bruno, Tommaso Campanella and Giambattista Vico, and writers such as Gian Battista Marino, thus confirming itself among the most important capitals of Europe
    Corna  sign Minotaur, "Hook 'em Horns Karana mudra
     
     
     
     
    Ballet in Naples
     
     

     

    Visitors seeking to find the Carnaval  in Naples beyond a nightclub theme night or small kid's parade will be disappointed without some expert assistance to guide them to the small Carnevale parades in the smaller towns around Naples in the musical Campania regions. Neapolis, which means new city, is a Carnival City year-round, as its culture asks us to actively imagine the reigning myths which shape us, to go back to the future as we move into the new age on the cusp of the third millennium.

    Naples has all the ingredients needed for a fantastic world class Carnaval, not only does it own some of the best music and culinary traditions in a culture noted for them but it sits as the caretakers above the greatest collection of Greco-Roman artifacts the world has yet to know. To escape the old myth we need a new one and deconstruction of the old. Just as the Romans and Greeks on the Bay of Naples once shaped the myths for the Roman empire giving Isis

     Living myth and magic of the planet is without peer. Carnaval time is a magic time when we seek to bring our dreams to consciousness and the dreams buried surrounding the Bay of Naples were instrumental in creating who we are today.

    The cruise ship business is booming in Naples and while these are not the most adventurous of visitors they do wonders for the health of the arts infrastructures. Both the quantity and quality of summer music festivals continues to increase in Naples.

     Visitor authorities might consider the popularity of their Halloweeen and the amazing success of Venice Carnevale which is now hailed as one of Europe's greatest annual events and supporting a gigantic industry of mask makers, Venice Carnavale has only been resurrected since 1981.

    Carnevale di Campania;

     Carnival is celebrated in many small towns
     throughout the region

    Although Naples has very few special events connected with Carnevale it remains a major holiday throughout the region and country. Italians have little issue with recognizing  something magical and surreal in the tradition of Carnival, as a mode to release  anxiety through the possibility of transgression. Through the ancient use of the mask and costume comes an occasion where feelings, instincts, desires, dreams are finally released from a personal suppression  or societal prohibition.

    Everything changes in the fast-paced world leading in the future, but not the carnival which needs little effort to connect with the rich rhythms of the past while making fun of the present through pungent satire.  The Carnevale in Italy is a real feast of satire with traditional music and a friendly party atmosphere.
    If your looking for something on a grand scale like Viareggio in Southern Italy. the closet is on the East Coast where Italy's 2nd largest Carnaval parade happens in a town near the large port city of Bari. It is not so far to travel for the great Carnival of Putignano.

    In any event you'll be among exuberant people who live life to the full.

    • Avellino is 42 km (19 mi) north-east of Naples
    • Carnevale a Baiano (AV)
    • Carnevale di Agropoli (in Salerno province, carnevalediterzigno.com/
    • Capua di Carneval the region's oldest dating back at least to  1876 and a rival to the rising ambition of the nearby Carnaval of Villa Literno in the province of Caserta
    • Carnevale di Palma  a carnival of quadrilles with groups of folklore playing typical musical instruments.
    • Moceratese
    • DownloadMontemarano with its ancient traditional " tarantella montemaranese"
    • Capaccio-Paestum near Salerno
    • Carnevale Palmese/Quadriglia a Palma Campania (NA)
    • Paternopoli in the province of Avellino is honored to Campania's largest float parade CARNEVALE PATERNESE
    • Pontelandolfo Carnival Parade and Cheese Festival
    • Carnevale a Sperone (AV)
    • Carnevale a Saviano (NA)
    • Carnevale di Villa Literno: the symbol of Terra di Lavoro "the most important carnival of Campania"
    • Torneo della Ruzzola del formaggio a Pontelandolfo (BN)

     


    Naples does indulge itself in a popular culinary tradition of preparing special Carnevale dishes prior to Ash Wednesday when the season of lent restricts richer meat dishes.  Meat, meat-filled dishes, and dairy foods are popular for carnival celebrations.  Pastries that would have been fried in lard, another forbidden meat product not to be enjoyed during Lent are also in season.

    lasagne di carnevale (carnival lasagna) is overflowing with ricotta and meat sauce, and sweet fried pastries are the order of the day.

    pizza rustica, a savory pie filled with ricotta, mozzarella, grated pecorino, eggs, sweet dried pork sausage and prosciutto. It's not a pizza topped with tomatoes like the one from a corner pizza joint, though. In Italian, pizza can mean any type of pie. Rustica, or rustic, refers to the fact that the pie has a savory rather than a sweet filling.

    The pizza Margherita was invented in 1889, when Naples chef Raffaele Esposito was called on to prepare a meal for the Italian queen, Margherita. He made a pizza with tomato sauce and mozzarella, and his wife had the idea of adding basil to honor Italy's red, white, and green flag.

    Spaghetti also became popular in Naples and today the best is with clams or mussels. Seafood is abundant and very good in Naples, too. Finish your meal with a Limoncello, a liqueur made from the highly perfumed local lemons, or a Strega liqueur produced in the regions capital, Benevento. The fertile volcanic soils in Campania mean that fresh and tasty vegetables are readily available and widely used in the regional cuisine.

    Zeppole -- Fritters for Saint Joseph's Day
    In Naples, San Guiseppe is the day for zeppole. The pastry shops and friggitorie (fried food stands) churn them out in astonishing quantity, for eating Zeppole on the 19th is another of those traditions that must be observed.  Campanian Cuisine @ italianfood.about.com/


    Naples Annual Events
    The largest parade in Naples is the Easter parade.

     Two huge religious festivals are held in September, the Festa di Piedigrotta on the 7th and the epic. Also in September, since 2006 is the Pizza Festival followed of course by the Pasta Show in October

    San Gennaro on the 19th of September The celebrations for Naples’ patron saint usually begin on September 16th and continue until the Sunday after the saint’s day, which falls on September 19th. This is an ancient ritual: the first festival is thought to have been held at the end of the fourteenth century, when the blood of San Gennaro, kept by the bishop of that era, returned to a liquid

    Naples: Spiritual Home of the Pizza Pie

    The image “http://www.sottoilvesuvio.it/images/Pulcinella_spaghetti.gif” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

    Margherita is attributed to baker Raffaele Esposito. Esposito worked at the pizzeria "Pietro... e basta così" (literally "Peter... and that's enough" which was established in 1780 and is still operating under the name "Pizzeria Brandi". In 1889, he baked three different pizzas for the visit of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy. The Queen's favorite was a pizza evoking the colors of the Italian flag – green (basil leaves), white (mozzarella), and red (tomatoes).[12] This combination was named Pizza Margherita in her honor.

    "Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana" ("True Neapolitan Pizza Association"), which was founded in 1984 and only recognizes the Marinara and Margherita versions. They have set the very specific rules that must be followed for an authentic Neapolitan pizza.
    These include that the pizza

    • must be baked in a wood-fired, domed oven at 485C for no more than 60 to 90 seconds;
    • that the base must be hand-kneaded and must not be rolled with a pin or prepared by any mechanical means and
    •  that the pizza must not exceed 35 centimetres in diameter or be more than a third of a centimetre thick at the centre.

     The association also selects Pizzerias all around the world to produce and spread the verace pizza napoletana philosophy and method. There are many famous pizzerias in Naples where these traditional pizzas can be found like Da Michele, Port'Alba, Brandi, Di Matteo, Sorbillo, Trianon and Umberto (founded: 1916) Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples is widely regarded as the world's first pizzeria. Most of them are centred on the ancient historical centre of Naples. These pizzerias will go even further than the specified rules by, for example, only using "San Marzano" tomatoes grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius and only drizzling the olive oil in a clockwise direction. Another addition to the rules is the use of basil on the pizza marinara - it's not in the "official" recipe but it is added by most Neapolitan pizzerias.

     

     state on the anniversary of the Saint’s martyrdom: September 19th. Since then, Naples commemorates the miracle with a fascinating religious procession, with rose petals and silver statues of saints and with more pagan celebrations that involve the whole city.

    Pizza Festival - September
    Naples is the spiritual home of the pizza and holds the best claim as inventor of the global favorite which stars its home-grown tomatoes and mozzarella . The streets are full of vendors selling their margheritas, calzone and quattro stagioni to passers-by, and the delicious smell of freshly cooked pizza pervades.

    Pasta Show - October
    An international event entirely dedicated to pasta, one of the symbols of Made in Italy throughout the world. This event has recently been held in the Stazione Marittima of the Port of Naples in Piazza del Municipio opposite the spectacular Maschio Angioino. 10,000 square meters of exhibition space containing historical and educational itineraries about pasta and its production processes, exhibitions, debates, shows and, of course, a chance to taste the products. Pasta must be cooked "al dente" in Naples tradition, where a soft pasta is not tolerated.

    During the summer, there are many days of music festivals as the City greets over 1,000,000 cruise ship visitors. Napoli also  has an- Open Air Cinema Festival (July to September)

     

    Music of Naples & Campania
    Naples-21.jpgMusic, also, has played a key part in the city's identity: there's long been a Naples style. As one moves away from Naples in almost any direction, there is prominent musical activity to be found. Naples is credited with the invention of the romantic guitar and the mandolin as well as strong contributions to opera and folk standards.

     

    "'O sole mio" is a globally famous Neapolitan song written in 1898. It has been performed and covered by countless artists,
    Whenever I want a smile, I watch this clip. Pavarotti is like a little boy during this performance. First he sings part of Domingo's part of the song, then he sings a LONG trill of his own. You can see Domingo and Carreras plotting their "revenge" with their own "trill" and the look of delight on Pav's face. Along with the feigned innocence and raised eyebrows, it is just a delight to watch the humor in the greatest of tenors. Will we see another in our lifetime? I think not. ---eclecticsteph
    What a wonderful thing a sunny day
    The serene air after a thunderstorm
    The fresh air, and a party is already going on…
    What a wonderful thing a sunny day.

    By the time the Spanish opened the first music conservatories in the mid-1500s in their vice-realm of Naples, the guitar was already in existence. set up schools to train young musicians on the premises of four monasteries in the city: Santa Maria di Lorento, Pietà dei Turchini, Sant'Onofrio a Capuana, and I Poveri di Gesù Cristo. By 1785 makers in Naples were building guitars specifically intended for six single strings.

    Naples has played an important and vibrant role over the centuries not just in the music of Italy, but in the general history of western European musical traditions. This influence extends from the early music conservatories in the 1500s through the music of Alessandro Scarlatti during the Baroque period and the comic operas of Pergolesi, Piccinni and, eventually, Rossini and Mozart. The vitality of Neapolitan popular music from the late 1800s has made such songs as 'O Sole mio; "Santa Lucia," "Torna a Surriento" and Funiculì Funiculà a permanent part of our musical consciousness.

    Perhaps the most well known part of Neapolitan music is the Canzone Napoletana style, essentially the traditional music of the city with a repertoire of hundreds of folk songs, some of which can be traced back to the 1200s. The songs O sole mio and Funiculì Funiculà are part of this style and are known far and wide outside of Naples.

    Most every night at the city's more traditional restaurants, expect your meal to be interrupted by a posteggiatore who is likely to perform at least one of these classics, especially if you request it.

    The Theatre of San Carlo was built during the reign of Charles I of Bourbon
    The Theatre of San Carlo
    most famous place, of course, to hear music in Naples was built during the reign of Charles I of Bourbon
    Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples
    Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples
    The largest public venue for music, parades, political rallies, installation art, New Year's celebrations, etc. is Piazza Plebiscito, the spacious open square on the west side of the Royal Palace.
    Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) was the seat of Spanish and Austrian viceroys.
    Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace)
    the seat of Spanish and Austrian viceroys

    The most famous place, of course, to hear music in Naples is the San Carlo opera house, Italy's largest, built by the great King Charles III. Lesser-known is the smaller theater in the adjacent Royal Palace, a stage often used by the Neapolitan ballet company. Besides being the home of the opera, San Carlo is the most frequent venue several times a year for large visiting orchestras. Interestingly, the nearby Teatro Mercadante, a charming old theater from the late 1790s--and along with San Carlo one of the official royal theaters of the day--has reopened after many decades of sporadic use.

    Fair Grounds: With the resurrection of the mammoth overseas fair grounds,the Mostra d'Oltremare (originally built in the 1930s) in the nearby community of Fuorigrotta, the Teatro Mediterraneo on those premises is now, as well, a frequent stage for all types of musical performances. The fair grounds site has the added advantage of containing, as well, the newly reopened outdoor amphiteater, the arena. It hosts summer performances including, grand opera.

    There is a large program of chamber music in Naples, hosted by the Alessandro Scarlatti Association, usually staged in the Teatro delle Palme off of Via dei Mille in the Chaia section of Naples.

    Other outdoor venues include the Comunal Gardens, a half-mile long park along the sea-side.

    Also, after decades of neglect, the Trianon theater has now reopened as a theater of Neapolitan Song. It has an impressive program of traditional Neapolitan plays and musicals, an art gallery, very good acoustics, and will soon have a permanent multimedia exhibit dedicated to Enrico Caruso. The theater is located, appropriately, in a traditional part of town, Piazza Calenda, at the extreme eastern edge of the old historic center of Naples

    The Flavian amphitheater in Pozzuoli, one of the greatest such structures in the ancient world, has undergone extensive restoration and is the site of outdoor summer concerts. Also, since 1985, the cloister of St. Francis in the town of Sorrento has hosted the annual Summer of Music in Sorrento, an extensive program of classical music.

    The province of Salerno includes Ravello on the Amalfi coast with the famous Ravello Festival, certainly one of the important musical and artistic affairs in Italy.


    Feste e Tamburi in Campania Campania, the area around Napoli and Salerno in the south of Italy.  Cover pictureThe general sound of the music and song is very similar to that of neighbouring Calabria, to the south,

     

    Myth & Magic on the Bay of Napoli
     The city is noted for its rich history, art, culture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,500 years old.
    Wave the horn [corna]

    The Corna

    In Naples, there is also a well–known gesture to keep bad luck away: the sign of the "corna"—the horns, made with the extended index and little finger and waggling that sign towards the ground (as if you were rooting for the U. of Texas upside–down).

    President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone replies with corna to a jeering crowd in Naples President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone replies with corna to a  crowd in Naples while guarding against cholera edpidemic

    The horn is the most famous symbol of Neapolitan superstition. This is the equivalent of "knocking on wood" to off misfortune.
    It is also used as an insult to convey  that a person, usually a man, is a cornuto, or a cuckold, such that their spouse is adulterous. Some say it references Priapus while others say it dates back to the horns on the offspring resulting from the adulterous act of the King of Crete's daughter with the Minotaur.

     

    Carnaval.com takes a particular interest in Bay of Naples role in the Isis stories and the cult of the god Mithras. Yet there is so much more, there is the so-called "talking statues, the miracles, the cult of the dead, and great mystical characters like the Prince of Sansevero,

    The mysteries surrounding the goddess Isis are some of the most important and closely-guarded secrets of Neapolis. The goddess was associated with the moon, and once you realise how powerful and involving the moon rituals organised by the alessandrini community who lived in Naples during the Roman period were, - night-time rituals linked to the waxing and waning of the moon - you understand how much the Neapolitans loved the moon and the night.
    As the story is told we learn that Isis with the help of her sister Nephthys  restores Her brother/husband to life by putting him back together. She is known as the goddess of many names including Goddess of fertility, afterlife and magic.
    When you see an upright horseshoe, you are seeing a symbol of Isis's horn, as well as a half moon. This is also an ancient image of the maternal womb.
    Mithras was well established on the Bay of Naples, besides many cavern temples in Naples including one of the largest which now serves as a parking garage there were shrines  at ancient settlmensts in Campania, Pozzuoli, Ischia, Capri, Calvi, and Santa Maria Capua Veterc.
     


    Southern Italy's Puglia region
    The Puglia region has more than 800 kilometres of coast fronting the Adriatic and Ionian seas, including the Natural Maritime Reserve of Torre Guaceto just north of Brindisi. Puglia is renowned for its stunning beaches, deep seas for diving, comparative lack of tourists, friendly locals and unique homes called the trullo - a rural abode that is basically a whitewashed tepee of limestone slabs stacked without mortar and with a cone roof topped by pagan or religious symbols dating back to the Middle Ages.
    Italy's southern landscape is not as picturesque as in the north but boasts unspoiled coastlines and some great beaches.
     
    Pulcinella, often called Punch or Punchinello in English, Polichinelle in French, is a classical character that originated in the Commedia dell'arte of the 17th century and became a stock character in Neapolitan puppetry.

    His main characteristic, from which he acquired his name, is his extremely long nose, which resembles a beak. Ever white dressed and black masked, he seeks to stand out and set the  tempo of the show. He plays the essential role of the trickster who breaks the rules, sometimes maliciously but usually, albeit unintentionally, with ultimately positive effects. Tricksters in most traditions are considered essential for contact with the sacred because laughter opens and frees from rigid preconception. The trickster is an enduring archetype that crosses many cultures and appears in a wide variety of popular media often contrasting opposites and allowing us to escape for the trap of dualistic thinking.
     
    Festivals and Events in Campania
    Image:Regione Campania 3.svg
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    Besides the Carnevale and Easter celebrations in the small towns of Campania there are these annual events
    Caserta - Festival of San Sebastian (February)
    Benevento - Festival of the Madonna of the Graces (July)
    Ischia- Vinischia - Food, Wine and Regional Crafts Festival (July)
    Foglianise - Wheat Harvest Festival (August)
    Scisciano - Walnut Festival (October)
    Fragneto Monforte - Hot Air Balloon Pageant (October)
    Valle di Maddeloni - Annurca Apple Festival (November)
    Festivals and Events  - Amalfi Coast
    Cartoons on the Bay Festival April in Positano, Italy.
    Massa Lubrense - Lemon Festival (June)
    Positano - Musica D'Estate - International chamber Music Festival (June to September, date change each year)
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    Ravello
    - Wagner Music Festival - also includes Opera, dance and cinema inspired by Wagner (July to September)
    Minori - Jazz on the Coast (July)
    Madonna delle Grazie - Montepertuso
    On 2nd July every year, Montepertuso celebrates the Madonna delle Grazie, its patron saint. The procession walks with candles through the hole in the mountains, high above Positano. It ends with a beautiful display of fireworks.

    Capri - Festival of San Costantino - the patron saint of Capri (July)
    Sorrento - Sorrento Summer of Music (July to September)
    Capri - International Folklore Festival (August)
    Positano - Sbarco dei Saraceni - re-enactment of a pirate invasion on the beach (15 August)
    Minori - Gusta Minori - celebrating local food and drink (September)
    Positano Art Festival (October) Pulcinella is also the mascot of the Pulcinella Awards, annual awards for excellence in animation, presented at the
    Sorrento - International Cinema Festival (December)
    Festivals & Events:
    Amalfi
    Amalfi - Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics (June, every fourth year)
    Festival of St. Andrew (Festa di Sant’Andrea) - Amalfi
    The Cathedral of Amalfi houses the Crypt of St. Andrew, which contains some parts of the body of St. Andrew, a disciple of Jesus. It was brought here from Constantinople at the end of the fourth crusade. Amalfi's patron saint is celebrated on two separate occasions:

    On 27th June every year, is the commemoration of the miracle that saved Amalfi from the pirate Barbarossa in 1544. St. Andrew's statue is carried to the sea, where a festival of music and fireworks awaits the procession.

    On 30th November every year, is St. Andrew's day, the birthday celebration of St. Andrew. St. Andrew's statue is taken from the Cathedral of Amalfi and carried in a procession through the streets and squares of Amalfi.

    The Historic Regatta of the Maritime Republics - Amalfi
    On the first Sunday of June every year, Amalfi celebrates its glorious past as a Maritime Republic with a historic regatta. The celebration includes perfectly recreated period costumes and sea vessels, called "galleons", which represent the four seafaring republics. Each is marked by different colours and figureheads: deep blue with a winged horse for Amalfi; white with a winged dragon for Genoa; crimson with an eagle for Pisa; and emerald green the St. Mark's lion for Venice. A different Maritime Republic hosts it every year. When hosted in Amalfi, this event starts in Cape Vettica and ends in Amalfi. This is a special event that draws tourists from home and abroad.

    Byzantine New Year's Day - Amalfi
    Around the end of August every year, Amalfi relives its most ancient history, right up to the proclamation of the Duke of Amalfi. This three day festival is an event that will allow you to step back in time and experience the environment, traditions, music and costumes of this ancient village.

    San Luca's Day - Praiano
    On the first Sunday of July and on 18th October, every year, Praiano celebrates its patron saint 'San Luca Evangelista'. The celebration includes many traditional festivities including gastronomic delights from the village and market stalls selling all kinds of local products. It is concluded with fireworks.

    Ischia Annual Events
     * Festa della Ndrezzata – April: Easter Monday - The Festa della Ndrezzata is held in the village of Buonopane, near Barano every Easter Monday. The Ndrezzata is a typical island dance. It is a kind of rhythmic, violent and picturesque fight where the dancers are dressed in traditional island costumes and fight each other with wooden swords;
    * International Festival of Classic Music - May - October Forio: The first edition of the festival International of "Classic" music: a series of concerts that were held in the churches and the basilicas of Forio;
    * Foreign Film Festival – June: A cinema festival with premieres and retrospective themes dedicated to European films, especially Italian.
    * Vinischia - July: An event that is entirely dedicated to food and wine and Campania regional crafts. It has been organized each summer since 1999 at Torre Guevara at Ischia Ponte. Shows, concerts and dances are organized around the exhibitions and the food and wine tasting;
    * Festa di Sant’Anna – 26 July; The Festa di Sant’Anna in Ischia Porto is held each year in the borough of Ischia. On that occasion, there is a sea parade of figurative boats from the island’s various boroughs and also from Procida, under the Castello Aragonese.
    * Settembre sul Sagarato – August and September; This is a festival held every year since 1988 in the village of Piazzale Battistessa, opposite the Church of San Pietro. The festival lasts for two weeks and is filled with painting exhibitions, parades of traditional costumes, wine tasting, fagiolate (bean stew tasting), concerts and shows; and
    * Ischia White Night (La notte Bianca a Forio d' Ischia) 24 December; Museums, churches, shops and restaurant stay open while the Ischia Notte Bianca stages music, dance and theater events.
    Pizza 1830
    A description of pizza in Naples around 1830 is given by the French writer and food expert Alexandre Dumas, père in his work Le Corricolo, Chapter VIII . He writes that pizza was the only food of the humble people in Naples during winter, and that "in Naples pizza is flavored with oil, lard, tallow, cheese, tomato, or anchovies".
    Authentic Neapolitan pizzas
    Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are made with local ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state (this mozzarella is protected with its own European the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of Italian flour, natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water.
    Trip Reports
    "Today is Mardi Gras. I was made aware of that yesterday when I noticed a couple of very young children parading around in pirate costumes in the middle of Piazza Plebiscito yesterday. It is strange that in a city that has taken to foreign celebrations such as Halloween, they don't go in much for a traditional Catholic holiday, here. (There are, however, smaller towns near Naples that have traditional festivities for carnevale, such as Avellino and Capua.)

    ---Around Naples in English by Jeff Matthews

     

     

     
    All video results for "Pompeii"
     
     
    Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii a 1972 Adrian Maben film featuring Pink Floyd performing six songs at the ruins of the empty ancient amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy.
    me
    About Chiara Marra a featured flickr photographer on these pages
     
     
    Duration 4:49
    From: vitantoniomacina
    Added: March 16, 2007

     

    Visitor does nice job hitting the high spots with a handheld camera and setting the footage to eerie classical music.
     
     
     

     

     

     William Blake, Woman of the Apocalypse In this painting the "woman" dressed in a red heart (not the sun) welcomes the great dragon (serpent) rather than flee from him.

     

     

     

     
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