HISTORY AND GUIDE OF NAPLES, ITALY Naples is the main city in the south of Italy, the capital
of its home region of Campania, and the third biggest town
in Italy. It’s an overcrowded and sprawling metropolis holding
around a million souls, with a further two million Neopolitans
populating the suburbs. It’s a major seaport, with shipyards,
and thriving industries including iron and steel, petroleum,
and porcelain … Naples combines great riches with some grinding
poverty.
Yet the bald statistics don’t start to describe this
extraordinary, chaotic, exciting and resolutely southern city - Naples
isn’t like the rest of Italy.
Of course Italy is a country of
regions, of former city states and fierce local loyalties and
rivalries. Modern Italy broadly divides itself
into north and south (the Mezzogiorno) with Naples sitting
proudly as the Mezzogiorno’s capital. Staunchly Catholic, Naples
is rich in historical, artistic and cultural traditions and
with its own distinct cuisine. The pizza originated here and
is eaten, like so many other delicious local foods, out on
the street.
In fact the street is where Naples happens. Life
is lived here in all its chaotic glory. It’s bustling, noisy
and rather dirty; there is sometimes shocking poverty on display,
and it pays to keep your wallet
in an inside pocket. Cars and scooters weave frantically around
each other and the baffling road system - we’d suggest you
leave the car at home and walk. Meanwhile, Neapolitan is a
language in its own right and you’ll hear the harsh dialect
bellowed at volume. And this adds up to? One of the most exciting
places you’ll ever visit. It also has some beautiful architecture,
a thriving port area, and frequent ferries out to the lovely
islands of Capri and Ischia; and the ancient world lies just
out of town in the shape of Pompeii, Herculaneum and their
ruins.
The city of Naples was probably founded by the Greeks
around the eighth century BC, just kilometres from the older
town of Partenope; this ‘new
town’ or ‘Neapolis’ has been absorbing the influences of its
settlers and invaders ever since. Romulus Augustulus, last
emperor of the Roman Empire, was imprisoned here after being
overthrown in 476. In the sixth century, Naples was conquered
by the Byzantines, and it was one of the last duchies to fall
to the all-conquering Normans in 1039, as they founded the
Kingdom of Sicily. In 1266 Naples and the kingdom of Sicily
were given by Pope Clement IV to Charles of Anjou, who moved
the capital from Palermo to Naples. In 1284 the kingdom was
split in two, and stayed that way till 1816, when they would
form the kingdom of Two Sicilies. In between, Naples had been
under the rule of Spain, Austria, and the Bourbons, and had
(briefly) been a Jacobin republic. Finally, in October 1860,
it became part of the new Italy.
Castello Nuovo
New Castle
Andre Bocell Shares Laughter As Pulcinella Strums The Mandolin. One of the best-known Italian masks is the one that represents Naples, Pulcinella. He is generally presented as a hunchback (remember that male hunchbacks are considered lucky in Naples!); he is dressed in a large, white smock and soft white hat, and wears a black half-mask characterized by a hook-nose. His character type is that of the jolly bungler, always poor and hungry, yet always able to get by, singing songs and playing the mandolin. In his stereotypical ineptness, however, there always remains the touch of the true court jester, the "fool," who delights in snubbing his nose at the powers that be, without their ever really catching on to how much wisdom is hidden behind the mask. It is that anti–establishment part of Pulcinella's personality, the total disrespect of authority that seems to be not so hidden in much modern-day Neapolitan behavior. That's the reason—say some—that Neapolitans drive they way they do. The state put that traffic light on the corner, telling you when to go and when to stop. A free citizen is almost honor–bound to ignore it.
The
Coliseum
If you're going to Italy, you simply must visit the Roman Coliseum.
This magnificent structure (also known as the Flavius ampitheatre) was
first constructed around 80 AD by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavia
family and his son Titus.
The ceremony held for the Coliseum's opening lasted a whopping 100
days and showcased many bloody fights between gladiators and even
animals. Although all Roman citizens were given free entry to the
Coliseum, seating was based on social standing. The closer you were to
the front, the higher your status. There was room for seventy thousand
people to sit comfortably. In its heyday, the Coliseum even had a linen
covering over the top to protect spectators from the hot sun.
In the middle ages, after the time of the gladiators, the Coliseum
was used as a stone quarry that was used for the construction of St.
Peter's, Piazza Venezia and the Barberini Palace.
These days, the Roman Coliseum is in ruins, far from its original
splendor. However, it's still one of the premier tourist destinations
for anyone visiting Italy. You can still see the holes where the metals
were extracted.
When you first reach the entrance of the Coliseum, you will see men
dressed in traditional Roman guard costumes to welcome you to the site.
On your tour, you'll not only see the main part of the Coliseum but
also the place where animals like lions and tigers were held. You can
purchase a wide variety of souvenirs like postcards, guidebooks and
more from Roman street vendors.
Ponte
Vecchio
Old Bridge
Ponte Vecchio, the oldest of Florence's six
bridges, is one of the city's best known images. Probably going back to
Roman times with its stone pillars and wooden planks; it was built in
stone but then newly destroyed by a flood in 1333. It was built again
twelve years later, perhaps by Neri da Fioravante (or Taddeo Gaddi, according to Giorgio Vasari).
The
five arches became three and the main part was widened. The shops,
housed under the porticos, first belonged to the Commune which then
rented them out. But later on, towards the 15th century, they were sold
to private owners and began to change through subsequent additions,
raised parts and external terraces, extending towards the river and
altering the original architecture in an anarchical, suggestive way.
St. Peters
Basilica
Rome
Italy
The current location of St. Peter's Basilica is the site of the Circus of Nero in the first century AD. After Emperor Constantine
officially recognized Christianity he started construction (in 324) of
a great basilica in this exact spot, which had previously been a
cemetery for pagans as well as Christians.
In the mid-15th century it was decided that the old basilica should
be rebuilt. Pope Nicholas V asked architect Bernardo Rossellino to
start adding to the old church. This was abandoned after a short while,
but in the late 15th century Pope Sixtus IV had the Sistine Chapel started nearby.
Construction on the current building began under Pope Julius II in 1506 and was completed in 1615 under Pope Paul V. Donato Bramante
was to be the first chief architect. Many famous artists worked on the
"Fabbrica di San Pietro" (as the complex of building operations were
officially called). Michelangelo, who served as main architect for a while, designed the dome, and Bernini designed the great St. Peter's Square.
