Naples Favorites

Favorite thing: Piazza Dante has one of Naples busy subway stations, and it is also abuzz with traffic from Via Toledo, streaming up and down and choked with auto, bus, bike, motorcycle, and foot traffic. The poet Dante stands somewhat amused in the midst of all this hub and bub.

Favorite thing: Guiseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) is the man who is more responsible than any other for Naples becoming part of a unified Italian State in the 1860s. In 1859-60, with only 1000 volunteers (the Red Shirts) and his own dashing courage, he defeated the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and willingly presented his conquest to King Victor Emmanuel of Savoy-Sardinia.

Interestingly, Garibaldi was not a southern Italian himself. He was actually born in Nice.

Favorite thing: The Neapolitan waterfront was heavily bombarded during the Second World War. Now it's a mish-mash of hectic streets, waterfront warehouses, derelict factories, tatty advertizing, and the assorted medieval remnant. In other words, it is perfectly analagous to the city of Naples itself. And hovering behind it all is the behemoth of Vesuvius.

Favorite thing: This is a pleasantly palmed piazza at the western end of Via Tribunali. This area marked the edge of the ancient city of "Neapolis," and excavations in the heart of the piazza reveal the foundations of the old city wall - from the fourth century B.C.

Piazza Bellini is named after the composer Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835). Bellini was originally from Sicily, but studied music at the Conservatory of Naples which is just around the corner. Bellini left Naples for Milan in 1827, which is where he composed the opera for which is most remembered, the melodious "Norma." That's his statue in the center of the square.

Favorite thing: The Order of the Oratorians (Girolamini, in Itailian) was founded by St. Philip Neri in 1561. This large-scale Church, dedicated to the operations of the Girolamini, was consecrated in 1619. (Unfortunately, it is not at present open to the public.) The facade was rebuilt by Ferdinando Fuga in the 1780s.

Some of the Girolamini's structures are open, including an excellent Art Gallery that contains masterpieces of the Neapolitan Baroque, by painters such as Guido Reni, Battistello Carracciolo, and Giuseppe de Ribera.

Favorite thing: Continuing westward on Via Tribunali you will shortly come to another small piazza where stands a Romanesque Bell Tower. (This dates from around the year 1000 - alas I do not have a picture of it.) The Bell Tower belongs to Santa Maria Maggiore, whose entrance is somewhat hidden across the square. Santa Maria Maggiore has had a chequered history - it was "decommissioned" as a church in 1823 and was for many years used by the Neapolitan fire department! Most of the interior of the church dates from the 17th century, but in this most archaelogical of cities, it's not surprising to find out that some of the decorations in the crypt are thought to date back to the third century B.C.E.

Favorite thing: San Gaetano - who he?

San Gaetano is also known as St. Cajetan. He was born near Vicenza in 1480, and lived both in northern Italy and in Naples. He formed the Theatine Order, which successfully campaigned against the infiltration of protestant into the Italian church. Gaetano died here in Naples in 1547.

This bronze statue celebrating Gaetano's work was unveiled in 1737.

Favorite thing: Continuing westward along Via Tribunali, the next "square" one comes to is the Piazza San Gaetano, where Via San Gregorio Armeno intersects the road. Dominating the Piazza, however, is the Church of San Paulo Maggiore.