ITALY : NAPLES
The city of Naples is situated in the region of Campania in
Southern Italy, about 2-hours south of Rome. It sits on the coast on the
northern edge of the Bay of Naples, and its harbour is the most
important port in Southern Italy.
). It is located just halfway between the Vesuvius volcano and a
separate volcanic area, the Campi Flegrei, all part of the Campanian
volcanic arc.
Naples is the main city in the south of Italy, the capital of its home
region of Campania, and the third biggest town in Italy. It's an
overcrowded and sprawling metropolis holding around a million souls,
with a further two million Neopolitans populating the suburbs. The
seaport has large shipyards and thriving industries including iron and
steel, petroleum, and porcelain.
La Villa Comunale (formerly a royal park) has been refurbished and
stretches along the seafront in the smarter western end of the city. It
contains an aquarium which is possibly Europe's oldest and is favoured
by the locals for family walks on Sunday mornings.
The Museo Archeologico Nazionale Napoli contains a large collection of
Roman artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the Farnese
Marbles, some of the greatest surviving Roman statues, an amazing
numismatical collection; The Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte contains art
collections including works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli and
Caravaggio. Naples is the home of the Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest
active opera house in Europe, which opened its doors on November 4,
1737.
Naples is a major airport hub, and has three train stations, along
with an extensive bus and ferry system. A "Giranapoli" ticket lets you
use the bus, subway system, tram, and funicular for an unlimited time in
the period you purchase.
