“Naples is stunning and wonderful everywhere”
(J.W. Goethe)
The Campanian capital, Naples, sits in a charming location. It is situated on the coast, at the centre of the Bay of Naples, enclosed by Sorrento and the hill of Posillipo, facing the glowing and infinite sea, with the nearby islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida, and it spreads over hills covered with Mediterranean vegetation. Its beauty is breath taking. Strolling by its maze of alleys leaves you astonished and bewildered: its Greek remains – Naples was founded by Greek colonists in Cumae, in the 8th century BC – its contemporary art, easily and freely accessible by visiting any of the stops of its underground lines, its myth of Christian devotion, from the core to the surface, you can enjoy plenty of Angevin churches, medieval castles, lavish buildings from the 17th century, and Modern Style villas. Former capital city, Naples was visited by Petrarca, Boccaccio, Giotto, Caravaggio, Ribera, Goethe, Canova, Leopardi, Wharol, to name but a few. This city is busy, bustling, multi-coloured, hospitable, cheerful, ingenious, old and modern, catholic and superstitious, Greek and Roman, Spanish and French, conservative and plebeian. Home to a medieval conservatory and to the oldest opera house, the Teatro di San Carlo, Neapolitan musical tradition is famous all over the world, as well as its gastronomic tradition. If Goethe, in the aftermath of his stay in Naples, wrote: “Now I can forgive anyone for going off his head about Naples…he could never be really unhappy because his thoughts could always return to Naples”, it means you should really pay a visit to this city.