A Day in Naples

It’s impossible to see Naples in a day, but that’s all the time our busy schedule allowed. I’d actually thought about spending a day there on my own before the Grand Circle tour started. From Sorrento it’s only a one-hour trip by train or ferry, but ultimately, I decided against it. In my mind, Naples was associated with organized crime and I was familiar with city’s unsavory reputation, whether or not it’s deserved. While I was eager to see Naples, I was willing to wait until I would be visiting with our group, in the company of an expert guide.  

 

As usual, I’d done some research at home before the trip. Naples has a long and varied history. It began as a small Greek colony in the 8^th century BCE. In fact, its original name, Neapolis, is Greek for “new city.” For several centuries, it was an important center of Greek and later Roman culture. after the fall of the western Roman Empire. It then became an independent duchy and remained independent until the 12^th century. 

 

With its strategic location, wonderful climate, fertile soil (oh, and excellent food!), Naples was obviously a desirable piece of real estate. So it’s no wonder various European powers constantly fought wars to take control of it. As a result, over the centuries, Naples had a variety of rulers, including:

 

·      Normans, rulers of NW France and parts of England, in the 12^th century – Naples became part of the Norman ruled Kingdom of Sicily.

·      Swabians, rulers of SW Germany, in the 13^th century – took over Naples via marriage; Frederick II (Holy Roman Emperor) established a university in Naples.

·      French Angevins, rulers of a large part of western, central and southwest France, from the mid-13^th century to the mid 15^th century – Naples became capital of the Kingdom of Naples and grew wealthy; “Golden Age” in the mid-14^th century when Naples was a center of early Renaissance culture (Giotto, Boccaccio)

·      Spanish Aragonese, rulers of the entire eastern third of the Iberian Peninsula, in the   second half of 15^th century – established Kingdom of Two Sicilies; Naples attracted many Renaissance artists.

·      Spanish Empire, rulers of a massive world-wide empire, from the 16^th through early 18^th century – Naples was a center for Baroque art and architecture (Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi)

·      Austrian Habsburgs, rulers of large European empire, in the early to mid-18^th century

·      Spanish Bourbons, rulers of a massive global empire, from the mid-18^th century to 1860 – Charles of Bourbon reigned as king of independent Naples for 25 years; period of cultural, architectural, economic revival 

 

Thus, it’s easy to see that there was a wide range of influences on Naples prior to 1860, when Garibaldi invaded and the city was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of Italy.

 

Once Italy was unified, Naples went into a period of decline. The new king, Victor Emmanuel II, hailed from Savoy in northwestern Italy. His government took little interest in the agrarian South. Their focus was on developing industry and infrastructure in the North. With few resources devoted to the South, poverty increased and lawlessness spread. In this environment, it was relatively easy for organized crime to take hold. Meanwhile, the people clung to their centuries-old traditions, superstitions, and distinctive Neapolitan language (which differs from Italian). Some found life so difficult that they decided to leave their homes and emigrate to the United States. 

 

Today, Naples is a city of contrasts. In addition to being the capital of the Campania region, it is Italy’s third largest city, after Rome and Milan, with a population of close to one million within the city limits and close to three million in the metro area. Its port is one of the Mediterranean’s largest and busiest commercial ports. Its rich heritage attracts tourists who contribute a significant amount of revenue to the city’s economy. However, Naples is still plagued by corruption and organized crime. 

 

Of course, it would be impossible to sample all that Naples has to offer in a single day. With its long and varied history and multiple influences, Naples has a wealth of sights to attract visitors. In fact, I came to Italy with a long list of places in Naples that I wanted to see: its many castles, its cathedral, several of its museums, the palace of Caserta (Europe’s largest 18^th century palace) 22 miles outside the city, the parks and gardens, the catacombs (not really), and of course, the main sights in the city center. 

 

I’d have to spend at least a week in Naples to get through my list, and I had mere hours. Read on to see how our day in the city transpired.  

 

Our private bus ride from Sorrento brought us along the Gulf of Naples, past jacaranda trees that were starting to bloom, and dropped us off in the San Ferdinando neighborhood. Here, in the heart of the downtown area, we met up with Viviana, our local guide and a Neapolitan native. Right away, we noticed several examples of Naples’ monumental architecture. The large long building was the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace), a residence for the Spanish viceroys and the Bourbon kings. Its construction began in 1600. 

 

Just beyond the palace, we could see the towers of the medieval castle, the Castel Nuovo, located right on the waterfront. Built in the late 13^th century and popularly known as the Maschio Angioino, it served as a defensive structure and residence for the Angevin, Aragonese, and Spanish rulers of southern Italy.

 

Viviana then directed our gaze to a hill in the distance, where the Castel Sant’Elmo, a medieval fortress stands (on the left in the photo below).

 

One long side of the Royal Palace faces the main public square of Naples, the Piazza del Plebiscito. This is a vast semi-circular space that dates back to the first half of the 19^th century. I was pleased to see that it wasn’t mobbed with tourists on this beautiful Saturday morning. 

The façade of the Royal Palace is decorated with eight marble statues portraying the rulers of Naples from eight different dynasties beginning in the 12^th century. 

Also facing the Piazza is the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, a neoclassical church built in the early 19^th century. Its dome recalls the Pantheon in Rome and its semicircular colonnade of 38 columns was inspired by the design of St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.  

After we crossed the Piazza del Plebiscito, we walked towards the Galleria Umberto I with its immense glass dome. This indoor shopping arcade was built between 1887 and 1890. Directly under the dome, the famous mosaic floor features the twelve signs of the Zodiac. 

The Teatro San Carlo is located right across from the Galleria. It opened in 1737, and is the oldest continuously active opera house in the world. After its original Late Baroque façade was destroyed by fire in 1816, the façade was restored in neoclassical style. 

We continued up Via Toledo, the city’s main shopping street that runs for a little over a kilometer. It’s a very old street (dating back to the early 1500s) that started to be enlarged in the 1600s. Viviana explained that at one time, whole buildings were occupied by very aristocratic families. Today, it’s a street of great contrasts. 

To give us an even broader view of Naples, Viviana led us into the historic Quartieri Spagnoli (literally, Spanish Quarter). These are the little streets that run perpendicular to the Via Toledo. This quarter is where soldiers lived, and of course it was the red-light district, too. In earlier times, it was filled with bars and gambling establishments. Later, working class families, many from the countryside, moved into apartment buildings that lined the cramped streets. Until recently, the district wasn’t considered safe for tourists but nowadays, it has become a popular destination. 

This is where we found many shops selling souvenirs, including cornos, the ubiquitous red ceramic horns that ranged in size from tiny to enormous. Viviana told us that the people of Naples are very superstitious about these ancient symbols of good luck and prosperity. According to tradition, you can’t buy a corno for yourself. The phallic-looking horn, which must be made of breakable material, has to be given to you. And there’s even a ritual way of presenting it. I actually bought a few to give to friends and family. 

Lunchtime was approaching, and the smell of pizza pervaded the Quartieri Spagnoli. On our way to a restaurant near the waterfront, we got a view of the Castel Nuovo from a different angle.

Of course, since we were in Naples, we had to have pizza for lunch. But first, there were typical starters of grilled vegetables, tomato bruschetta, and fried bread balls.

 

The pizzas arrived next; servers brought several varieties to our tables. These included Margarita (tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil), Neapolitan (crushed tomato sauce and basil - no cheese), and White with veggies. 

Dessert was a baba, another staple of traditional Neapolitan cuisine. And this one was not only delicious but also enormous.

 

Once we were finished with lunch, we were on our own for the rest of the afternoon. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Since we were scheduled to visit Pompeii the following day, I was going to visit the Naples National Archaeological Museum, which contains a wealth of treasures (sculptures, furniture, mosaics, frescoes, etc.) from both Pompeii and Herculaneum. It turned out that there was so much to see in the museum that it’s going to be the subject of a separate blog post, A Preview of Pompeii.   

The Amalfi Coast

A full day of our tour was devoted to an exploration of the Amalfi coast. The plan was to drive along the 50-kilometer road that hugs the coastline from just west of Positano to Vietri sul Mare in the east, taking in the dramatic views. We were hoping to take a boat ride when we reached Amalfi for a different view of the rock formations and cliffside villages.

 

Before we departed from Sorrento at 8am, I had checked the forecast for Amalfi. It mentioned rain but I was cautiously optimistic that the weather wouldn’t interfere with our plans. The autoroute brought us from Sorrento down to the southern coast of the peninsula where we picked up the winding two-lane coastal and marveled at the dramatic views out over the Gulf of Salerno.

Traffic can be a real problem when traveling between the different towns since there is only one coastal road. This road snakes constantly as it follows the contours of the narrow, steep valleys. The valleys are actually limestone canyons, carved by water over millions of years and now filled with lush vegetation. Lodo told us that private buses, like ours, are only allowed to go in one direction (east) on this road. The only bus that can travel in both directions is the public bus.  

 

I was encouraged to see that it wasn’t raining when we approached Positano and made a quick photo stop. I had made a day trip to Positano on my own the day after I arrived in Sorrento. It is one of the oldest towns on the Amalfi coast and it certainly has a picturesque setting – and way too many tourists. Most of the year, they outnumber the 1200 people live in Positano year-round. By mid-January, most of the tourists have left and many shops and restaurants close until tourists return in the spring. 

Although the vistas were beautiful, it was impossible to ignore the serious dark clouds off in the distance, especially in the direction of Amalfi. 

 

Just past Positano, I looked back at the terraced slopes of the town as we drove on to the next town, Praiano. 

We stopped briefly in Praiano to take photos of the Parish Church of San Gennaro (Saint Januarius). Its dome and the spire atop its belltower are covered with majolica tiles. According to Lodo, San Gennaro is the most important saint in the area. 

 

Our next stop on the coast was a shopping opportunity at Conca dei Marini. The huge roadside store was filled with the colorful ceramics that the Amalfi is famous for. I didn’t buy anything, and no photos were allowed in the shop but I took this photo outside. 

Finally, shortly after 11am, we found ourselves looking out over the town of Amalfi.

Amalfi began as a small fishermen’s village and eventually grew into the most important town on coast. During the Middle Ages, Amalfi was one of the four powerful maritime republics on the Italian peninsula, along with Genoa, Pisa, and Venice. From the Moors, who controlled Sicily, the citizens of Amalfi acquired a great deal of knowledge, including how to make paper. The Moorish influence can be seen in Amalfi’s architecture. In the 13th century, the magnetic compass, invented in China, arrived in Europe through Amalfi. 

 

Amalfi became a fashionable resort destination in the 1950s and 60s. Today, the town has a year-round population of 5,000 people and its economy is heavily dependent on tourism. I was looking forward to strolling through the picturesque cliffside town and looking at the architecture as well as taking the boat ride. But faced with dark rain clouds, gusty winds, and rough seas, we were forced to change our plans. In fact, no boats at all were leaving the harbor. Even the ferries were cancelled, leaving many people stranded. 

 

Our original plan called for a return to Sorrento by ferry from Amalfi. Now that this would impossible, Lodo and our driver implemented Plan B, and we drove past Amalfi without stopping.

Soon the rain was lashing against the windows of the bus.

 

Fortunately, a few minutes later, we saw blue skies again.

We stopped when we reached Maiori, a coastal town that was founded by the Etruscans and was later conquered by Rome. Maiori is known for its beach, which is the longest uninterrupted beach on the Amalfi coast. For this reason, it’s popular with Italian families who come to enjoy its relaxed atmosphere.

We began our visit to Maiori with a walk along the seaside promenade. Lodo noted that this beach is where U.S. Navy Seals arrived in September 1943 as part of Operation Avalanche, the Allied landing in Salerno. 

 

We walked into the town to visit the 17^th century Church of San Dominic, where we met with a local resident and learned about Maiori’s World War 2 history. The church was heavily damaged during the war. After the Allied landing, the convent connected to the church was turned into a field hospital for the U.S. Army Rangers, with the sacristy serving as an emergency operating room. The church has a room set up as a gallery where we spent several minutes studying black and white photographs that the document the events of 1943-1944.

After a casual al fresco lunch (pizza Ortolana – with roasted vegetables and mozzarella on plum tomato sauce with a crispy crust), I continued exploring the town. 

 

The walking was easy since the terrain was fairly level. 

I eventually returned to the seaside promenade to watch the waves crashing on the dark sand of the beach. 

The next town along the coast was Cetara. From the bus, we saw the famous majolica-tiled dome and 11th-century bell tower of the Chiesa San Pietro Apostolo. When I saw the colors gleaming so brightly in the sunshine, I sighed and thought, “If only the weather had been like this in Amalfi….” 

 

Although I was disappointed that we had missed the famous coastal resort and the boat ride, I’d gotten an excellent overview of the entire Amalfi coast and I was quite happy that we had spent some time in a much quieter town with “real” people as opposed to tourists.  

After passing Cetara, we got a glimpse of Vietri sul Mare before our bus turned onto Autostrada and headed back up north towards Sorrento. 

 

Back in Sorrento, I had dinner in reverse, i.e. I had gelato first, and then went in search of a main course. I was attracted to this particular gelato shop because of its sign.  

After I walked a while to work up a little more of an appetite, I went to Capri Blu, a casual pizzeria and trattoria a few doors down from our hotel, and ordered ravioli baccala – handmade ravioli filled with baccala (salt cod) and covered with a wonderful mixture of cherry tomatoes, olives, and capers. The combination of flavors thrilled my taste buds.

 

While the day hadn’t gone quite as expected, it had turned out fine in the end. And I was certain the next day, in Naples, would be equally satisfying.