Welcome to Napoli

About the City

Napoli, the capital of Campania, is the country's third largest city (after Rome and Milan) in terms of population and is considered, for historical importance, tradition and nobility, the capital of Southern Italy.
The beauties and surprises of Naples are well known all over the world.

The lovely bay, with its horizon bounded by Posillipo, the islands, the Sorrento Peninsula and lofty Vesuvius, is one of the most beautiful in the world. Its fame has also been enhanced by the area's attractive climate and the special atmosphere evoked by the street-life. Neapolitans have always shown a great love of music, be it for "opera" or for "popular music" sometime accompanied by a guitar or a mandolin.

The city's commercial and cultural history has always been strictly connected with the importance of its port. Strategically located Naples has been coveted ever since it was established as a Greek colony around 600 BC, named "Neapolis" (New City). Conquered by the Romans in 327 BC, it became a favorite residence of emperors and literary personages, including Virgil and Nero. A Byzantine dukedom in the 7th century and later subject to Norman Sicily, Naples reached the zenith of its medieval prosperity when Charles I of Anjou made it his capital in 1266. Along with his Angevin and Aragonese successors, Charles enlarged the city and embellished it with palaces and churches. The Spanish Habsburgs (1502 - 1704) were followed by the Bourbons, Bonapartes and finally the Savoys, when Campania became part of the unified Italian nation in 1860.

You could easily spend up to three nights getting a taste of Naples although it can be seen on day trips if you're staying elsewhere on the Sorrento Peninsula. For most people no trip to Naples would be complete without a trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum or without sampling a "Margherita" pizza. Also nearby are the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida.
Naples is 105 mi./185 km southeast of Rome.