Historical center. “Spaccanapoli” is the heart of the old city. Along the way there are so many palaces, churches, monuments to see. Let yourself be guided by curiosity. From the Church of the Gesù Nuovo, to the Monastery of Santa Chiara: wherever you set foot, it will be a surprise.
The “Veiled Christ” by Giuseppe Sammartino. This sculpture, according to many art critics, is the most beautiful ever made, and it is located inside Sansevero Chapel, behind Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, in Via Francesco De Sanctis.
Not far away, in Piazza San Gaetano, there is the entrance of “Naples Underground” (in Italian: Napoli Sotterranea), the most famous (not the only) route of the Naples subsoil. A guided tour (available in Italian and English) in the bowels of the city to discover the Greek influences, the Roman ones and, above all, to relive the tragic days of the Second World War, when about 40,000 Neapolitans took refuge underground to escape the allied bombings and German reprisal.
In the neighbourhood there is San Gregorio Armeno, the road of the shepherds with its endless shops dedicated to the Christmas Nativity tradition famous all over the world. This street and its shops can be visited at any time of the year. The large part of the artisan workshops are always open with handicraft products on display (though in a smaller quantity than what you can see during Christmastime).
Then stop and eat a pizza, the best one is: Gino Sorbillo, alternatives: Di Matteo or Da Michele a Forcella.
Archaeological Museum and the Duomo, the home of San Gennaro. To understand the visceral bond between the Neapolitans and their patron saint, the ideal would be to witness the “miracle of San Gennaro”, the liquefaction of the Saint’s blood kept inside an ampoule. The event, to which the Neapolitans have always attributed meaningful meaning, is repeated three times a year: the first Sunday of May, September 19th and finally December 16th.
Piazza Del Plebiscito and Palazzo Reale. Piazza del Plebiscito is one of the symbolic places of Naples. It is located at the end of via Toledo and with its 25.000sqm it is the largest in the city. Behind the square, the colonnade of the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola; opposite, the Royal Palace, one of the four residences near Naples used by the House of Bourbon. Nearby the Galleria Umberto I located directly across from the San Carlo opera house and the Caffè Gambrinus a historic, private cafe furnished in Liberty style.
Castel dell’Ovo and Via Caracciolo: visit the oldest castle and its village after a walk in via Caracciolo. Today the castle is best known as a sightseeing destination, a place to hold events and a romantic background for newlyweds taking photographs.
The Castel Nuovo or Maschio Angioino Castle: is a medieval castle located in front of Piazza Municipio and one of the main architectural landmarks of the city.
