Archeological Museum and other Naples, Italy Things to Do Tips

Entry fee: 5 euro.
This museum is, without doubt, one of the most important archeological museums in Europe. My favorite area was the Pompei section, which included beautiful mosaics taken from the ruins.

It houses principally the precious collection which Charles of Bourbon inherited from the Farnese family that ruled the Duchy of Forma. The collection includes bronze statues, marble mosaics, paintings, furnishings and other items uncovered from the excavations of Herculaneum and Pompei, destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Nearly every important movable item from those excavations can be found here. The museum also contains finds from Coma and other ancient sites in Campania. It also houses the so-called Borgia Collection of Etruscan and Egyptian relics, and the Santangelo Collection of antique coins.

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Phone: tel. 440-166.
Address: Located at Piazza Museo, near Piazza Cavour,
Directions: To get there: take the Metropolitana from Bagnoli to Piazza Cavour. Turn right as you exit the station; the museum is about a block away on the right.
Other Contact: Open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon-Sat, 9 a.

It is a beautiful church on the outskirts of the city center up on a hill. From the church you can see quite a bit of the city. The day I went here there was a wedding taking place. It was pretty good timing. The picture is of a statue out on the portico of the church.

And yes, if the name sounds familiar it's because the fine porcelan figures also come from this area.

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The Duomo is fantastic, and is really a huge tribute to San Gennaro, the saint who is said to have saved the city from a cholera epidemic. It is a very big church, and no photography is allowed whatsoever. Well, I did take quite a few pictures, but I'd recommend being discreet if you choose to.

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Address: On Via Duomo
Directions: Located on Via Duomo. To get there: Metropolitana to Piazza Cavour, turn left out of station, go to next main intersection, which is Via Duomo; the cathedral is about two blocks south.

When in downtown Naples, don't pass up a chance to get inside one or two of the banks. They are some of the most beautiful building in Naples. The guards won't let you take photographs for security reasons, and I recommend you don't try to sneak one, as they won't just kick you out, they may take your camera or arrest you.

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Address: Via Toledo in Centro Storico

A beautfil Galleria next to Piazza Pleblicito. Many expensive stores inside and a few cafes.

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Address: Corse Umberto

Royal Palace: Located in Piazza Plebiscito, tel. 413-888. Open Mon-Sat, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sun & holidays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Entry fee: 5,000 euro. To get there: Bus 102 or 501, trolley 1, or Metropolitana to Montesanto and walk. The magnificently decorated halls and rooms contain the original Bourbon furniture, paintings, statues and porcelain. The Palace also houses the National Library (tel. 402-842) which has several collections, including approximately 2,000 papyri uncovered at Herculaneum.

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Piazza Pleblicito and Chiesa Francesco di Paola
Beautiful Piazza in the heart of Naples. It's located close to the bay and includes the Royal Palace and Teatro San Carlo, where operas are performed, as well

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Address: downtown

First you must choose which tour to go on. They offer tours in Italian, German and English. Then you decend down 138 steps into the heart of the city where the guide takes you on an 1.5 hour tour of the "caverns" There you learn about the way it was built, the way it was used during WWII for a shelter, and why it was stopped being used because of the Cholera epidemic. It is truly an architectural masterpiece given the time it was built.

Just on top of the underground lies the enormous body of the Basilica di San Paolo Maggiore, which was constructed in the place on which the Roman Temple of Dioscuri once stood. The Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore has the deambulatorio that crosses the dome and makes it one of the most important examples of gothic style in Italy, giving a religious presence to the commercial urban center, which was once a piazza (Agorà) in the Greek Neapolis.

Immediatlely after the enormous bell that emerges from the side, lies Via di San Gregorio Armeno, which was known as Via Degli Augustali in Roman times. Now days has the name of “Via dei Pastori,” which means “Street of the Shepards”, because of the numerous artisan shops that build biblical dioramas on this street. Returning to the piazza, we cross Via Dei Tribunali which was once a major street of Greek-Roman Naples.

This street runs into a smaller street with a close end, that takes us to the fascinating world of underground Naples.

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Address: Via Tribunali
Directions: Just south of Via Duomo, located on the western side of the street. Keep your eyes peeled, it's easy to miss. But it's right next to the San Paolo Maggiore Church.

Santa Chiara was a nun who devoted herself to a life of poverty. The church, and gardens are located in the Centro Storico downtown. Her tomb is very plain, and in fact is a simple chapel and a single altar with a plant on top. She wanted it that way. The adjacent garden is fabulous, and is full of painted tiles, and there is a museum in the complex as well. Some ancient roman baths also occupy the grounds

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Address: In the Spaccanapoli district
Directions: Located in Piazza Del Gesu on Via B. Croce

Go inside the Francesco Di Paola church. I was married to Mariangela there. It is a beautiful church and the ceiling is a copy of the Pantheon in Rome. Click on the photo for a spectacular view. The picture was taken during our ceremony.
The inside is very peaceful, and relaxing. Many people come inside to pray, worship, or just get out of the hot sun.

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Address: Piazza Pleblicito