10 Reasons to Visit Naples, Italy

All photographs on this page are by the author, sockii, unless provided by Amazon.

We stayed in a lovely penthouse just behind the archeological museum, in the historic part of town, for a fraction of what a hotel room would cost along the bay.

Naples was, until more recent history, built up in layers instead of expanding outward. There is a large underground network of caves, tunnels and Roman ruins beneath the modern city, some of which can be visited through tours such as Naples Sotterranea. No matter what time period in Western European history interests you, you'll find much to discover in Naples and the surrounding area.

Also of note is the Cappella Sansevero, a "small" family chapel with incredible sculptural works, most notably the famous Veiled Christ. Pio Monte della Misericordia is another church you must seek out particularly for Caravaggio's painting "The Seven Works of Mercy", although there is also a small attached museum of art worth a visit. At Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio you can tour the "lower church" where pagan rites meet Christianity with the care and devotion to skulls of the unknown dead. Those are just a few of the notable churches you can visit in Naples...get a guide book to learn more about them and which ones you should be sure not to miss!

Naples does not have the reputation of, say, Florence or Rome when it comes to art and history museums - and that's a shame. Naples has several museums which really should be on any art or archeology lover's must-see list for their excellent and important collections: most notably the Museo di Capodimonte and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli.

The Museo di Capodimonte is located in a magnificent Bourbon palace, surrounded by a lovely park high up on the hill above the old historic town. It is the premiere and most important collection of Neapolitan paintings and decorative arts, often overlooked by the rest of the world. It also houses notable works from the 13th-18th centuries by other Italian art schools and artists including Titian, Lorenzo Lotto, Raphael and others. Grand, quiet and free of crowds, the museum is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon or early evening contemplating magnificent artwork, including Caravaggio's moving "Flagellation of Christ".

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli is in fact considered the most important Italian archeological museum today for its collection of some of the highest quality works of Greek, Roman and Renaissance times. It contains many of the finest frescoes, mosaics and other artifacts recovered from the ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia, well worth seeing before or after a visit to any of these ruins. There is also the Farnese collection of marbles including works to take your breath away in their size and artistic beauty, along with Egyptian artifacts and a "Secret Cabinet" of sexually-themed items recovered from Pompeii and Herculaneum. A visit to the museum can easily take up half to most of a day depending on your interests (and if all exhibits are open; sometimes rooms are closed due to understaffing but the major exhibits are generally always on display.)

A smaller museum still well worth a visit if you have the time is that of San Lorenzo Maggiore, a complex that actually includes excavated ruins of a Roman forum beneath the church, artifacts of Greek and Roman times, works through the 19th century and lovely frescoed rooms and ceilings.

How could I write about Naples and not mention pizza? Napoli is the birthplace of this wonderful tasty treat featuring yeast-risen bread, tomatoes and cheese baked in a high-temperature oven. Yes, there are other flatbreads throughout the world and other things you can put on your pizza...but nowhere else in the world will you taste aPizza Margherita that is as perfectly made as in Naples.

At least in my opinion. Why don't you come to Naples and decide for yourself?

But even if you don't love seafood, the region is rich with excellent vegetables grown in the volcanic soil of Vesuvius, cured meats, and delicious sweet pastries—the Neapolitans do love their desserts like no where else. Oh, and did I mention the wine? It is some of the most easy to drink and pleasant I've enjoyed in Italy, even just the simplest table wines. Neapolitan cuisine is far from the "red gravy", heavy fare you might think it to be from eating in too many bad Italian-American restaurants stateside.

A savvy traveler can spend a lot of time exploring and seeing the sites of Naples relatively inexpensively. Because it is not as popular with tourists as, say, Rome or Venice, there are many more affordable options for places to stay and eat cheaply while still enjoying plenty of amenities (and good food!) The Campania Artecardoffers free or discounted admission to many attractions in the city and surrounding area and unlimited use of public transportation for only 34 Euros for 7 days! Most of the city's best churches are completely free to enter as well, if you wish to see their wonderful art and architecture. So if you are a traveler on a budget, consider Naples as a place where you can see and do a lot in Italy without breaking the bank!

If you love Christmas arts and crafts, particularly that of the Nativity or Creche, then you simply must come to Naples. The city has developed a long tradition of producing incredibly detailed and ornate nativity art, with an entire street (Via San Gregorio Armeno) devoted nearly entirely to workshops and stores for such work!

In Naples, the nativity is an especially unique craft and tradition that reflects the heart of the city and its culture as well as religious tradition. Along with classic representations of the Holy Family, shepherds, angels and visiting kings, Neapolitan creches also reflect the "profane" life of the streets. There are butchers and bakeries, drunkards and dentists, pizza-makers and house wives washing their laundry. Some craftsmen even create figurines of popular celebrities, football players and politicans you can add to your Nativity! A visit to Via San Gregorio Armeno is a delightful exposure to this artistic craftmanship and the imagination and creativity expressed in even the tiniest figurines.