There’s more to Naples than great pizza
As the birthplace of one of Italy’s most loved dishes, Naples is famous for great pizza, along with its very own take on coffee – the caffè alla napoletana. But there are more delights to one of Italy’s oldest cities than culinary ones.
With the incredible backdrop of Mt.Vesuvius, one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes, and the shimmering blue waters of the Bay of Naples, the city is a showstopper from the moment you arrive. Being such an old city, there are plenty of great monuments and testimonies to civilizations past. But rather than collect all its historic treasures in museums and galleries, they have been left out on the streets of Naples for all to enjoy. The result can turn even the shortest of strolls through the city into a cultural excursion.
Even narrow streets that may seem insignificant have a story to tell. Many Neapolitans are superstitious and afraid of a spirit known as Munaciello, thought to bring bad fortune. By walking the narrow side streets, instead of the main ones, it’s thought he can be avoided and good luck stay with you.
Florence may be home to renaissance art, but it doesn’t have the monopoly on influential Italian culture. Great Roman poets Virgil, and more recently, Giacomo Leopardi, were both heavily influenced by Neapolitan life and are buried in the city. And when it comes to music, it’s hard to beat the Neapolitan song, immortalizing traditional songs sung in Neapolitan Italian and helping some of the world’s best loved opera singers, such as tenor Enrico Caruso, rise to fame. So you see, in Naples there’s much more to get your teeth into than great pizza.
With the incredible backdrop of Mt.Vesuvius, one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes, and the shimmering blue waters of the Bay of Naples, the city is a showstopper from the moment you arrive. Being such an old city, there are plenty of great monuments and testimonies to civilizations past. But rather than collect all its historic treasures in museums and galleries, they have been left out on the streets of Naples for all to enjoy. The result can turn even the shortest of strolls through the city into a cultural excursion.
Even narrow streets that may seem insignificant have a story to tell. Many Neapolitans are superstitious and afraid of a spirit known as Munaciello, thought to bring bad fortune. By walking the narrow side streets, instead of the main ones, it’s thought he can be avoided and good luck stay with you.
Florence may be home to renaissance art, but it doesn’t have the monopoly on influential Italian culture. Great Roman poets Virgil, and more recently, Giacomo Leopardi, were both heavily influenced by Neapolitan life and are buried in the city. And when it comes to music, it’s hard to beat the Neapolitan song, immortalizing traditional songs sung in Neapolitan Italian and helping some of the world’s best loved opera singers, such as tenor Enrico Caruso, rise to fame. So you see, in Naples there’s much more to get your teeth into than great pizza.