Naples: Piazze, Sapori e Segreti

Suggested time: 1 h

What do Gabriele D'Annunzio, Hemingway, Princess Sissi and Jean-Paul Sartre have in common? All of them, together with many other intellectuals and prominent figures of their time, were enchanted b…

Start your Naples story here, at Caffè Gambrinus. Order a caffè standing at the bar — it's cheaper and more Neapolitan — and read the walls: every fresco, every gilded mirror has a tale to tell.

Suggested time: 1 h

It took on its present conformation only from the late eighteenth century onward, with the construction of the Doric order.Salerno Palace (late eighteenth century), the Prefecture Palace (1815), an…

Step outside and let the scale of Piazza del Plebiscito hit you. Walk the full perimeter, notice how the colonnade of San Francesco di Paola embraces the space. The locals cut across on Vespas — that contrast is Naples in one image.

Suggested time: 1 h

The Royal Pontifical Basilica of San Francesco di Paola is a basilica located in Naples in Piazza del Plebiscito, in the historical centre. The basilica is considered one of the most important exam…

The Basilica of San Francesco di Paola is Naples' answer to the Pantheon, and most visitors walk past it. Step inside for the cool silence and the neoclassical perfection that feels almost out of place in this exuberant city.

Suggested time: 1 h

In the heart of Naples, the Artichoke Fountain offers a unique glimpse into the city's artistic and cultural fabric. Built in 1955, this modern monument was inaugurated on April 29, 1956, by then-m…

The Artichoke Fountain is tucked beside the Royal Palace — easy to miss, worth finding. A small baroque flourish that rewards curiosity.

Suggested time: 2 h

The San Carlo, which won a place in National Geographic's ranking a couple of years ago, surpassing La Scala in Milan and many other world-renowned theaters, also takes first place in Best5.it's ra…

San Carlo is the wow of today — and one of the great opera houses in the world. Even without a performance, the interior tour is breathtaking: red velvet, gold leaf, and 250 years of musical history. Book ahead.

Suggested time: 1 h

Nestled in the heart of Napoli, the Memus - Historical Archive of the Teatro di San Carlo is a treasure trove of Italy's rich musical heritage. Established to preserve the legacy of one of the worl…

Right beside San Carlo, MEMUS holds the emotional memory of the theatre — costumes, scores, photographs. A quiet hour here deepens everything you just saw in the main hall.

Suggested time: 1 h

Nestled within the vibrant heart of Naples, the Parisio photographic archive stands as a testament to the city’s rich history and cultural tapestry. This hidden gem is not just a repository of imag…

End the day with the Parisio photographic archive — a collection of images that show Naples as it was. History becomes intimate when you see real faces from another century.

Suggested time: 1 h

Nestled on the picturesque island of Megaride, Castle dell'Ovo stands as a testament to Naples' rich history and vibrant culture. Its name, meaning 'Egg Castle,' is steeped in legend, tracing back …

Begin with the legend of Castel dell'Ovo — the egg hidden by Virgil that, if broken, would destroy Naples. The story is medieval fantasy, but the view from the rock at this hour is entirely real.

Suggested time: 1 h 30 min

On the ancient Islet of Megaride rises imposingly the Castel dell'Ovo. One of the most fanciful Neapolitan legends would trace its name to the egg that Virgil is said to have hidden inside a cage i…

This is the wow of the day: Castel dell'Ovo itself. Walk through the Norman rooms, climb to the battlements, and look back at the city. The bay of Naples from here, with Vesuvius behind, is one of those views that stays with you.

Suggested time: 1 h

The promenade measures 3 km long and runs along the bay from Mergellina to the end of Via Partenope. It is closed to car traffic, so you can safely walk and ride on roller skates or bicycles. Resta…

Stroll the Lungomare — the seafront boardwalk. This is where Neapolitans walk on Sunday mornings, where grandparents sit on benches, where the city exhales. Let yourself do the same.

Suggested time: 1 h

Nestled in the heart of Chiaia, Napoli, the Palazzo Mannajuolo stands as a beacon of Art Nouveau architecture, a testament to the city’s rich artistic heritage. Constructed between 1909 and 1911 by…

Walk up into Chiaia and find Palazzo Mannajuolo — a Liberty-style building whose spiral staircase is one of the most photographed interiors in Naples. The building is residential; be respectful and discreet when you enter.

Suggested time: 1 h

A one-way third-class ticket and all the savings saved up in a suitcase. So begins in the late 1800s the journey to Naples of then 20-year-old Isidoro Odin, a young chocolatier from Alba. But what …

Gay Odin is Naples' historic artisan chocolate maker, and this is your afternoon pleasure. Try the 'forestiero' — the wild chocolate log — and bring some home. This is food history in a paper bag.

Suggested time: 1 h

Nestled in the vibrant heart of Naples, Casa Zevola is not just a residence but a living canvas of creativity and history. The home of Giuseppe Zevola, a celebrated Neapolitan painter, poet, and ph…

Casa Zevola is one of Naples' lesser-known artistic gems — a private palazzo whose Liberty-era interiors are quietly extraordinary. Check current visiting conditions and consider it your secret find of the trip.

Suggested time: 1 h

It never stops collecting awards, quotations, honorable mentions; and it never stops seducing rivers of passers-by and travellers. The Toledo station of the Naples Metro, designed by the Catalan ar…

Before taking the train, read the story of Toledo metro station — the concept, the artists, the vision. Then ride it. The descent feels like entering another world.

Suggested time: 2 h

It never stops collecting awards, citations, honorable mentions; and it never stops seducing streams of passersby and travelers. The Toledo station of the Naples Metro, designed by Catalan architec…

Toledo Station is the wow of the day — and one of the most visually arresting public spaces in Europe. The mosaic light wells, the deep blue tiles, the sense of being inside a cathedral of movement. Take it slowly; it rewards attention.

Suggested time: 1 h

The church of Sant'Anna dei Lombardi is a monumental church in Naples located in Piazza Monteoliveto. The works inside by Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano, Antonio Rossellino and Giorgio Vasari mak…

Sant'Anna dei Lombardi is one of Naples' most undervisited Renaissance churches, with extraordinary sculptural works that belong in any art history book. A calm, uncrowded stop before the climb.

Suggested time: 1 h 30 min

The devil's palace is in Naples: here is its legend " It was built by Antonio Penne, secretary to the King of Naples Ladislaus, in 1409. Legend has it that Penne, as soon as he arrived in the city,…

Palazzo Penne — the Palace of the Devil — earned its nickname from a legend about its 16th-century owner and a pact with darker forces. The architecture is striking; the story is irresistible. Classic Naples: history wrapped in mystery.

Suggested time: 1 h 30 min

The first act in the history of this building was the purchase in the early years of the 16th century by Don Ferrante Orsini, Duke of Gravina, of two plots of land belonging to the nuns of the near…

The Orsini Palace of Gravina is a magnificent Renaissance building, now home to the Faculty of Architecture. Walk the courtyard and imagine it as it was — one of the most powerful noble seats in the Kingdom of Naples.

Suggested time: 2 h

In 1325 the Certosa di San Martino was founded and the Sienese architect and sculptor Tino di Camaino was called to build it. Of the original structure, the grandiose Gothic basement remains, an im…

End here, at the Charterhouse of San Martino. The Certosa sits above the city like a crown — its cloister is perfection, its museum holds the presepe tradition of Naples, and the panoramic terrace gives you the whole bay, the whole Vesuvius, the whole story. Stay until the light changes. This is your farewell to Naples.