A New Look at Naples, Italy

Naples wasn’t high on my bucket list, but after my recent visit, I’m happy to report that I was captivated by her scintillating charms. I visited one enchanting sight after another and still only managed to cover a fraction of the rich history waiting to be explored in this ancient seaside city.

Certainly, there is crime and a good measure of chaos, which is what made me leery to begin with, but what major city in the world doesn’t share these problems? So abandon negativity, embrace the adventure, and enjoy this vibrant, historic, artistic city, which is clearly one of the most robust in all of Italy!

Naples has been undergoing a renaissance in building and restoration in which many of its previously abandoned or under-maintained buildings are being returned to their earlier grandeur. There are world-class museums that rival those of Rome and Florence and the most unique catacombs possibly in the world.

Lovely 4-star and 5-star hotels line famous Naples Bay, providing breathtaking harbor views, while superb restaurants abound, challenging the culinary capitals of Piedmont and Tuscany for gastronomic excellence. In fact, I didn’t have a mediocre meal the entire week I was there, and it was a struggle just to maintain my weight.

My saving grace was the very unique cuisine of Naples that consists mainly of seafood, fish, and farm-to-table local produce that’s delicious without being drowned in heavy, fattening sauces. Falangina, Campania’s own food-friendly wine, caressed my palate and added to the enjoyment of long leisurely meals surrounded by Neapolitan hospitality.

Naples claims to be the home of pizza and has arguably the best in the world (more about this later). The city may well be the best kept secret in Italy. The weather even in late June was perfect with warm and sunny days kissed by cool sea breezes and clear balmy evenings. And if the weather should turn hot, there are wonderful beach opportunities in and around the city to cool down.

There is no better sightseeing then the environs of Naples. Ror instance, a 45-minute scenic drive along the water delivers you to the historic ruins of Pompeii and/or Herculaneum. The offshore islands of Capri, Procida, and Ischia provide opportunities for day trips, as well as the Amalfi Coast and cliffside towns like Sorrento and Positano.

In Naples’ old city, you can wander for hours through the narrow winding streets where beguiling crafts are created right before your eyes, and tradition whispers to you from the ancient buildings. So varied are the opportunities for exploring in and around the city that you can experience fascinating historical, religious, cultural, artistic, and entertaining sights without fear of being overwhelmed by any one form. You certainly would never be left with nothing at all to do because you could just watch the passing scene, which never ceased to amuse me.

My love affair with Naples began in the old city at Piazza Dante, with the Gesù Nuovo or the New Jesus Church. The 15th century embossed gray stone façade does little to prepare your for the resplendent 17th century Baroque interior, which is covered in multi-colored marble and adorned with stunning paintings by the most famous artists of the 16th century.

Right across the road from the Gesù Nuovo is the amazing Santa Chiara Cloister complex. The glorious day I visited it was perfect for admiring the brightly colored Majolica tiles that decorate the garden’s benches and columns. The exterior painted walls of the Cloister were like visiting an open-air museum of endless wonder.

It was hard to depart this garden with its well-tended trees and flowers, offering a verdant counterpoint to the lavish artwork, even more so since we were being serenaded by a chorus practicing a cappella for an evening performance.

Returning to the bustling street, we made our way to the Cappella Sansevero, a unique chapel/museum that’s ostensibly the sepulcher of the Princes of Sangro di Sansevero. Although originally erected in the late 16th century by Giovan Francesco di Sangro, it was the Prince Raimondo, the 18th century alchemist and eccentric seventh Prince of Sansevero, who was responsible for the chapel/mausoleum containing both Christian and mystical Masonic symbolism.

It seems that Prince Raimondo was Grand Master of the Freemasons in the Kingdom of Naples. Among the sculptures that fill the small chapel, the most well-known is Giuseppe Sanmartino’s alabaster masterpiece of the dead Christ covered by a marble veil. But to me, the most intriguing image was that of a small gold face mask (possibly of Jesus) that was on the wall behind the High Altar.

Curiously, it wasn’t even mentioned in the floor plan, which I found odd since it was so captivating. The guard, noticing my concentration on the mask, told me that most people who discover the mask react in a similar fashion. Is this icon possibly linked to a deeper mystery of the chapel?

The old city is sometimes referred to as the Spaccanapoli, which literally means “split the city” after the straight main road of Via Tribunali that visually divides the city in two. Intersecting the main streets of Tribunali and Via San Biagio dei Librai is Via San Gregorio Armeno, which is a street replete with charming handmade crafts. This is where you’ll find the famous hand-carved Naples Nativity cribs or “presepi” religious figurines of the Christmas story borne out of the religious displays in the churches.

Representations of ordinary people are an extension of this craft. They tell in intricate detail the story of the people’s daily lives throughout history – accurate in dress and activity and honestly reproduced with maladies, warts, and all.

This ancient Neapolitan artistic expression evolved over time into an entertainment of secular pleasure for the aristocracy, whose dress and activities the ordinary people copied for their games. The scenes that were initially devout in nature developed into allegory and fantasy, incorporating religious iconography with Greek and Roman dress and architecture.

On the Via San Gregorio Armeno, you’ll also find the commedia dell’arte masks and representations of Pulcinella and the Red Horn Mascot. According to tradition, one of these must be given as a gift in order to release its good luck powers.

There were beautifully painted drums as well used for the tarantella, and one of my traveling companions, who is exceptionally well-versed in the history and traditions of Italy, shared her insights into the deep social and mythological aspects of this well-known musical expression.

According to her, the tarantella was initially a dance that exorcised madness from young women who were afflicted by the bite of the tarantula spider (thus tarantella) when working in the fields. Caught in the web of society’s making, helpless young women were coerced into marrying men not of their choosing – perhaps not even to their liking – and then forced to work for them in the fields.

Crazed by repressed desires, the misery of their lives, or actual toxins from the tarantula’s bite, the young women would begin a frenzied dance. A local shaman beat the drum in a specific rhythm to draw out the poison and exorcise the physical or emotional distress of the possessed maiden. Woven into this mythology is the Greek tale of Arachne and Athena and the Gods’ punishment for hubris. 

The story of unrequited passion to rock hard reality took us 5,000 years, 121 steps, and 40 meters down into the underground city beneath the old town. Originally excavated by the Greeks for the tufa stone with which to build the ancient city, the Romans expanded the digging to construct an aqueduct so that they could maintain a constant supply of fresh water for the growing population.

The aqueduct was used until a cholera epidemic forced its closure in 1884. During World War II, the warren of tunnels and caves were used as an air raid shelter.

Returning to the street, our next stop was a typical Neapolitan home of the 1st century. The tiny bedroom housed a small single bed that when pushed aside revealed a stairway and entrance to the Greek-Roman Theatre where Nero made his theatrical debut.

During one of Nero’s performances, the ground began to shake. Undeterred by the earthquake, he continued to sing. At the end of the show, he thanked both the audience and the gods for their applause.

Overlooking the excavated theater through interior windows, a home similar to the one we originally entered had been converted into a bed and breakfast. It was truly the most interesting accommodation we could ask for in the heart of the ancient city.

And now, more about Neapolitan Pizza…

We took a welcomed break from our exploration to check out one of the most renowned brick oven pizzerias in Naples. There were long lines to get into the two-story Gino e Toto Sorbillo Pizzeria, but trust me: it was well worth the wait.

Pizzas came flying out of the oven, and finally, it was my turn. The pizza hung over the plate and was so large that I couldn’t believe it was all for me! I had ordered the famous Margherita, named after the beloved Queen Margherita.

In 1868 at the age of 17, Margherita of Savoy married her first cousin and future King of Italy, Umberto. Knowing virtually nothing about her new land but anxious to learn, she had heard there was a savory pie called pizza and asked that one be brought to her.

The chef was overwhelmed by this monumental responsibility and reluctant to present the Queen with the common pizza. So as the story goes, he created a pie to represent the colors of the flag of Margherita’s adopted country – red sauce, with splashes of white mozzarella, and topped with green basil. It was an instant success and still one of the most frequently ordered types of pizza.

I saw many people eating just the center out of their enormous pie, but true to New York pizza etiquette, I ate the whole thing! Gino e Toto Sorbillo is located in the heart of the old city at Via Tribonali, 32. And would you believe that there is now a New York City branch of Sorbillo Pizzeria located on the Bowery at 2nd Street?

Once we were fortified, we made our last stop of the day at the National Archeological Museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale). This world-class antiquities museum has the largest and finest collection of frescoes, mosaics, and statues excavated from Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Allow several hours to explore this remarkable collection before making the short journey to the site(s) themselves. Your experience will be all the richer for having seen the original works of antiquity up close. There is an added bonus that you’re allowed to take photos (without flash) – a rare perk these days.

Be advised, however, that you must ask to view the Secret Cabinet Room of Erotic works, which is accessible only by a museum employee for obvious reasons.

During the next few days, I visited several other notable sites, including the Palazzo Reale or Royal Palace. Noteworthy is the exterior, which has been restored and is adorned with larger then life 19th century statues representing the dynasties of Naples.

The interior great halls are filled with original furniture, tapestries, paintings, and porcelain, as well as a grouping of Queen Margherita’s clothing and jewelry. Note how very tiny she was!

On weekends, the handsome, wide Piazza del Plebiscito directly in front of the Palace hosts dozens of wedding parties taking pictures and celebrating their nuptials, turning the plaza into a sea of white bouffant gowns.

And just across the plaza, you’ll find a steady stream of visitors entering Gran Caffe Gambrinus, a 150-year-old confectionery, for refreshment and an ogle. Beautifully designed and decorated by the most renowned artists of the age and serving some of the city’s tastiest gelato, it’s a well-known meeting place in Naples.

The Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte, built in 1738 by the Bourbon King Charles 111 as a hunting lodge, is now the Capodimonte Fine Art Museum. It houses a huge and stunning collection of Italian paintings by such greats as Titan, Botticelli, Perugino, Raphael, and Sebastiano del Piombo.

But without a doubt, the biggest surprise to me was the San Gennaro Catacombs, which I was initially disinclined to visit, having been in catacombs previously and found them to be distasteful. But this was distinctly different. Vaulted ceilings and wide aisles are carved out of the tufa, which dates back to the 2nd century and was the original burial place of San Gennaro.

The catacomb was not only used as a final resting place for the dead, but was also a church for the living. And it still is, which gives a totally different feeling to these underground chambers. Mosaics and frescoes adorn the burial alcoves carved out along the walls, and I found it fascinating that as additional family members were interred, the art was redone to accommodate the new additions.

So for palaces and gardens, museums and churches, pizza parlors and gelato cafes, underground cities and catacombs, dinner cruises and excavated buried cities, ancient traditions and modern mysteries, Naples offers so much to the visitor.