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You know instantly when you're docked in Naples. First of all, where else is there a Norman castle overlooking the port, a royal palace above the castle and a fortress, Castel Sant'Elmo, right on the top of the hillside overlooking them all? But beyond these historic fortifications, there is the unmistakable shape of Vesuvius. Very few volcanoes look more like those of your imagination than Vesuvius. Amazingly, suburbs climb up its flanks; if Vesuvius explodes again, 600,000 people will have to be evacuated from the city.
Over the centuries, Naples was ruled by many European families. You'll see some of them represented by statues on the facade on Palazzo Reale: Charles V of the Hapsburgs, Charles III of the Bourbons, Joseph Murat of the Bonaparte family and finally Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy who became king of Italy in 1861. Unfortunately, with the Italian capital moving to Turin, then Florence and finally Rome, Naples lost much of its importance. A civic decline set in during the 19th century, and the city has yet to recover. The historic center still has far too many boarded-up palazzos. The city is home to architectural highpoints -- the Gallerias Principe di Napoli and Umberto II, the royal palaces, churches and former convents -- but there are also some unfortunate 1970's-style apartment blocks that wreck the view up to Vesuvius or down to the sea. This is a city of broad corsos (avenues) as well as narrow alleyways. Judging by the gesticulations of those who drive around its streets, it's also a very passionate city. Naples is unmistakably less self-conscious than Rome or Florence and more real than Venice.
The port of Naples serves as a gateway to key destinations -- Pompeii, Sorrento, Ravello, Positano, Capri and Ischia -- but it is also a city to be enjoyed in its own right. Take a deep breath, plunge in and enjoy.
Cruise The World
