We’re just finishing up a four-day stay in Naples, but this was not nearly enough. Twenty-five centuries of treasures are hidden beneath the messy surface of this place. Everywhere you turn are more monuments, in varying degrees of repair/decay, to recall the city built by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Swabians, Normans, Angevins, French, Spanish, Italians. Around every corner is some kind of a surprise, sometimes monumental, sometimes kitschy, and sometimes just intensely and uniquely Italian.
Mt. Vesuvius rises over the bay of Naples and a city teeming with life and color
Monuments everywhere
The imposing Castel Nuovo, built by the Angevins and rebuilt by the Spanish
Just outside the historic center are some posher digs for the affluent
You cannot walk a half a block without seeing one or more elaborate shrines
In the Mercato di Porta Nolana you can buy fish…
…or many, many varieties of clams…
…or perhaps a saddle?
The essentials of a Naples courtyard: motor scooters, laundry, and a neon lit shrine to the Virgin Mary