Founded by Greeks in thefirst millennium BC, Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world. In the eighth century BC, a colony known as Parthenope (Ancient Greek:Παρθενόπη) was established on the Pizzofalcone hill. In the sixth century BC, it was refounded as Neápolis.[6] The city was an important part ofMagna Graecia, played a major role in the merging of Greek andRoman society, and has been a significant international cultural centre ever since with particular reference to the development of the arts.[7]
Naples served as the capital of theDuchy of Naples (661–1139), subsequently as the capital of theKingdom of Naples (1282–1816), and finally as the capital of theKingdom of the Two Sicilies — until theunification of Italy in 1861. Naples is also considered a capital of theBaroque, beginning with the artistCaravaggio's career in the 17th century and the artistic revolution he inspired.[8] It was also an important centre ofhumanism andEnlightenment.[9][10] The city has long been a global point of reference for classical music and opera through theNeapolitan School.[11] Between 1925 and 1936, Naples was expanded and upgraded by theFascist regime. During the later years ofWorld War II, it sustainedsevere damage from Allied bombing as they invaded the peninsula. TheFour Days of Naples (Italian: Quattro giornate di Napoli) was an uprising in Naples, Italy, against Nazi German occupation forces from 27 September to 30 September 1943, immediately prior to the arrival of Allied forces in Naples on 1 October during World War II. The city underwent extensive reconstruction work after the war.[12]
Since the late 20th century, Naples has had significant economic growth, helped by the construction of theCentro Direzionale business district and an advanced transportation network, which includes theAlta Velocità high-speed rail link to Rome andSalerno and an expandedsubway network. Naples is the third-largest urban economy in Italy by GDP, after Milan and Rome.[13] ThePort of Naples is one of the most important in Europe.
Naples's historic city centre has been designated as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. A wide range of culturally and historically significant sites are nearby, including thePalace of Caserta and the Roman ruins ofPompeii andHerculaneum. Naples is undoubtedly one of the world's cities with the highest density of cultural, artistic, and monumental resources, described by the BBC as "the Italian city with too much history to handle."[14][15]
Naples has been inhabited since theNeolithic period.[17] In the second millennium BC, a firstMycenaean settlement arose not far from the geographical position of the future city of Parthenope.[18]
Sailors from the Greek island ofRhodes established probably a small commercial port calledParthenope (Παρθενόπη, meaning "Pure Eyes", a Siren inGreek mythology) on theisland of Megaride in the ninth century BC.[19] By the eighth century BC, the settlement was expanded byCumaeans, as evidenced by the archaeological findings, to include Monte Echia.[20] In the sixth century BC the city was refounded as Neápolis (Νεάπολις), eventually becoming one of the foremost cities ofMagna Graecia.[21]
The city grew rapidly due to the influence of the powerful Greekcity-state ofSyracuse,[22] and became an ally of theRoman Republic againstCarthage. During theSamnite Wars, the city, now a bustling centre of trade, wascaptured by theSamnites;[23] however, the Romans soon captured the city from them and made it aRoman colony.[24] During thePunic Wars, the strong walls surrounding Neápolis repelled the invading forces of the Carthaginian generalHannibal.[24]
The Romans greatly respected Naples as a paragon ofHellenistic culture. During the Roman era, the people of Naples maintained theirGreek language and customs. At the same time, the city was expanded with elegant Romanvillas,aqueducts, andpublic baths. Landmarks such as theTemple of Dioscures were built, and many emperors chose to holiday in the city, includingClaudius andTiberius.[24]Virgil, the author of Rome'snational epic, theAeneid, received part of his education in the city, and later resided in its environs.
The years between 818 and 832 saw tumultuous relations with theByzantine Emperor, with numerous local pretenders feuding for possession of the ducal throne.[29]Theoctistus was appointed without imperial approval; his appointment was later revoked andTheodore II took his place. However, the disgruntled general populace chased him from the city and electedStephen III instead, a man who minted coins with his initials rather than those of the Byzantine Emperor. Naples gained complete independence by the early ninth century.[29] Naples allied with the MuslimSaracens in 836 and asked for their support to repel the siege ofLombard troops coming from the neighbouringDuchy of Benevento. However, during the 850s, Muslim generalMuhammad I Abu 'l-Abbas sackedMiseno, but only forKhums purposes (Islamic booty), without conquering the territories ofCampania.[30][31]
The duchy was under the direct control of theLombards for a brief period after the capture byPandulf IV of thePrincipality of Capua, a long-term rival of Naples; however, this regime lasted only three years before the Greco-Roman-influenced dukes were reinstated.[29] By the 11th century, Naples had begun to employNormanmercenaries to battle their rivals; DukeSergius IV hiredRainulf Drengot to wage war on Capua for him.[32]
By 1137, the Normans had attained great influence in Italy, controlling previously independent principalities and duchies such asCapua,Benevento,Salerno,Amalfi,Sorrento andGaeta; it was in this year that Naples, the last independent duchy in the southern part of the peninsula, came under Norman control. The last ruling duke of the duchy,Sergius VII, was forced to surrender toRoger II, who had been proclaimedKing of Sicily byAntipope Anacletus II seven years earlier. Naples thus joined theKingdom of Sicily, withPalermo as the capital.[33]
TheUniversity of Naples, the first university in Europe dedicated to training secular administrators,[35] was founded byFrederick II, making Naples the intellectual centre of the kingdom. Conflict between the Hohenstaufens and thePapacy led in 1266 toPope Innocent IV crowning theAngevin dukeCharles I King of Sicily:[36] Charles officially moved the capital from Palermo to Naples, where he resided at theCastel Nuovo.[37] Having a great interest in architecture, Charles I imported French architects and workmen and was personally involved in several building projects in the city.[38] Many examples ofGothic architecture sprang up around Naples, including theNaples Cathedral, which remains the city's main church.[39]
Sicily and Naples were separated since 1282, but remained dependencies ofAragon underFerdinand I.[43] The new dynasty enhanced Naples's commercial standing by establishing relations with theIberian Peninsula. Naples also became a centre of the Renaissance, with artists such asLaurana,da Messina,Sannazzaro andPoliziano arriving in the city.[44] In 1501, Naples came under direct rule fromFrance underLouis XII, with the Neapolitan kingFrederick being taken as a prisoner to France; however, this state of affairs did not last long, as Spain won Naples from the French at theBattle of Garigliano in 1503.[45]
By the 17th century, Naples had become Europe's second-largest city – second only to Paris – and the largest European Mediterranean city, with around 250,000 inhabitants.[48] The city was a major cultural centre during theBaroque era, being home to artists such asCaravaggio,Salvator Rosa andBernini, philosophers such asBernardino Telesio,Giordano Bruno,Tommaso Campanella andGiambattista Vico, and writers such asGiambattista Marino. A revolution led by the local fishermanMasaniello saw the creation of a brief independentNeapolitan Republic in 1647. However, this lasted only a few months before Spanish rule was reasserted.[45] In 1656, an outbreak ofbubonic plague killed about half of Naples's 300,000 inhabitants.[49]
In 1755, the Duke of Noja commissioned an accurate topographic map of Naples, later known as theMap of the Duke of Noja, employing rigorous surveying accuracy and becoming an essential urban planning tool for Naples.
During the time ofFerdinand IV, the effects of theFrench Revolution were felt in Naples:Horatio Nelson, an ally of the Bourbons, arrived in the city in 1798 to warn against the French republicans. Ferdinand was forced to retreat and fled toPalermo, where he was protected by aBritish fleet.[52] However, Naples'slower classlazzaroni were strongly pious and royalist, favouring the Bourbons; in themêlée that followed, they fought the Neapolitan pro-Republican aristocracy, causing a civil war.[52]
Ferdinand IV was restored as king; however, after only seven years,Napoleon conquered the kingdom and installedBonapartist kings, including installing his brotherJoseph Bonaparte.[53] With the help of theAustrian Empire and its allies, the Bonapartists were defeated in theNeapolitan War. Ferdinand IV once again regained the throne and the kingdom.[53]
Entrance ofGaribaldi into Naples on 7 September 1860
After theExpedition of the Thousand led byGiuseppe Garibaldi, which culminated in the controversialsiege of Gaeta, Naples became part of theKingdom of Italy in 1861 as part of theItalian unification, ending the era of Bourbon rule. The economy of the area formerly known as the Two Sicilies as dependant on agriculture suffered the international pressure on prices of wheat, and together with lower sea fares prices lead to an unprecedentedwave of emigration,[55] with an estimated 4 million people emigrating from the Naples area between 1876 and 1913.[56] In the forty years following unification, the population of Naples grew by only 26%, vs. 63% for Turin and 103% for Milan; however, by 1884, Naples was still the largest city in Italy with 496,499 inhabitants, or roughly 64,000 per square kilometre (more than twice the population density of Paris).[57]: 11–14, 18
Public health conditions in certain areas of the city were poor, with twelve epidemics ofcholera andtyphoid fever claiming some 48,000 people between 1834 and 1884. Adeath rate 31.84 per thousand, high even for the time, persisted in the absence of epidemics between 1878 and 1883.[57] Then inAugust 1884, Naples fell victim to a majorcholera epidemic, caused largely by the city's poorsewerage infrastructure. In response to these problems, in 1885,[58] the government prompted a radical transformation of the city calledrisanamento to improve the sewer infrastructure and replace the most clustered areas, considered the main cause ofinsalubrity, with large and airy avenues. The project proved difficult to accomplish politically and economically due to corruption, as shown in theSaredo Inquiry, land speculation and extremely long bureaucracy. This led to the project to massive delays with contrasting results. The most notable transformations made were the construction of Via Caracciolo in place of the beach along the promenade, the creation ofGalleria Umberto I andGalleria Principe and the construction of Corso Umberto.[59][60]
Naples was themost-bombed Italian city duringWorld War II.[12] Though Neapolitans did not rebel underItalian Fascism, Naples was the first Italian city torise up againstGermanmilitary occupation; for the first time in Europe, the Nazis, whose leader in this case was Colonel Scholl, negotiated a surrender in the face of insurgents. The city was already completely freed by 1 October 1943,[61] when British and American forces entered the city.[62] Departing Germansburned the library ofthe university, as well as the Italian Royal Society. They also destroyed the city archives. Time bombs planted throughout the city continued to explode into November.[63] Departing Germans also "looted all the food and fuel. They blew up the city's gas, water and sewage piping. They destroyed its port facilities ... and scuttled more than 300 ships in the harbor. They destroyed 75% of the major bridges, stole nearly 90% of the city's trucks, buses and trams, demolished railroad tracks and tunnels...."[64]The symbol of the rebirth of Naples was the rebuilding of the church ofSanta Chiara, which had been destroyed in aUnited States Army Air Corps bombing raid.[12]
Special funding from the Italian government'sFund for the South was provided from 1950 to 1984, helping the Neapolitan economy to improve somewhat, with city landmarks such as thePiazza del Plebiscito being renovated.[65] However, high unemployment continues to affect Naples.
Italian media attributed the city's recentillegal waste disposal issues to theCamorra, theorganized crime network centered in Campania.[66] Due to illegal waste dumping, as exposed byRoberto Saviano in his bookGomorrah, severe environmental contamination and increased health risks remain prevalent.[67] In 2007,Silvio Berlusconi's government held senior meetings in Naples to demonstrate their intention to solve these problems.[68] However, thelate-2000s recession had a severe impact on the city, intensifying its waste-management and unemployment problems.[69] By August 2011, the number of unemployed in the Naples area had risen to 250,000, sparking public protests against the economic situation.[70] In June 2012, allegations of blackmail, extortion, and illicit contract tendering emerged concerning the city's waste management issues.[71][72]
Naples's 2,800-year history has left it with a wealth of historical buildings and monuments, from medieval castles to classical ruins, and a wide range of culturally and historically significant sites nearby, including thePalace of Caserta and the Roman ruins ofPompeii andHerculaneum. In 2017 theBBC defined Naples as "the Italian city with too much history to handle".[75]
The most prominent forms of architecture visible in present-day Naples are theMedieval,Renaissance andBaroque styles.[76] Naples has a total of 448 historical churches (1000 in total[77]), making it one of the most Catholic cities in the world in terms of the number of places of worship.[78] In 1995, thehistoric centre of Naples was listed byUNESCO as aWorld Heritage Site, a United Nations programme which aims to catalogue and conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to thecommon heritage of mankind.
Naples is one of the most ancient cities in Europe, whose contemporary urban fabric preserves the elements of its long and eventful history. The rectangular grid layout of the ancient Greek foundation of Neapolis is still discernible. It has indeed continued to provide the layout for the present-day Historic Centre of Naples, one of the major Mediterranean port cities. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, Naples was a focal point in terms of art and architecture, expressed in its ancient forts, the royal ensembles such as the Royal Palace of 1600, and the palaces and churches sponsored by the noble families.
Naples is well known for its castles: The most ancient isCastel dell'Ovo ("Egg Castle"), which was built on the tinyislet of Megarides, where the originalCumaean colonists had founded the city. In Roman times the islet became part ofLucullus's villa, later hostingRomulus Augustulus, the exiled last western Roman emperor.[79] It had also been the prison forEmpress Constance between 1191 and 1192 after her being captured by Sicilians, andConradin andGiovanna I of Naples before their executions.
Castel Nuovo, also known asMaschioAngioino, is one of the city's top landmarks; it was built during the time ofCharles I, the firstking of Naples. Castel Nuovo has seen many notable historical events: for example, in 1294,Pope Celestine V resigned as pope in a hall of the castle, and following thisPope Boniface VIII was elected pope by the cardinalcollegium, before moving to Rome.[80]
Castel Capuano was built in the 12th century byWilliam I, the son ofRoger II of Sicily, the first monarch of theKingdom of Naples. It was expanded byFrederick II and became one of his royal palaces. The castle was the residence of many kings and queens throughout its history. In the 16th century, it became the Hall of Justice.[81]
Another Neapolitan castle isCastel Sant'Elmo, which was completed in 1329 and is built in the shape of astar. Its strategic position overlooking the entire city made it a target of various invaders. During the uprising ofMasaniello in 1647, the Spanish took refuge in Sant'Elmo to escape the revolutionaries.[82]
TheCarmine Castle, built in 1392 and highly modified in the 16th century by the Spanish, was demolished in 1906 to make room for the Via Marina, although two of the castle's towers remain as a monument. The Vigliena Fort, built in 1702, was destroyed in 1799 during the royalist war against the Parthenopean Republic and is now abandoned and in ruin.[83]
Naples is the seat of theArchdiocese of Naples; there are hundreds of churches in the city.[78] TheCathedral of Naples is the city's premier place of worship; each year on 19 September, it hosts the longstanding Miracle ofSaint Januarius, the city'spatron saint.[86] During the miracle, which thousands of Neapolitans flock to witness, the dried blood of Januarius is said to turn to liquid when brought close to holyrelics said to be of his body.[86] Below is a selective list of Naples's major churches, chapels, and monastery complexes:
Aside from the Piazza del Plebiscito, Naples has two other major public squares: thePiazza Dante and thePiazza dei Martiri. The latter originally had only a memorial to religiousmartyrs, but in 1866, after theItalian unification, four lions were added, representing the four rebellions against the Bourbons.[87]
TheSan Gennaro dei Poveri is a Renaissance-era hospital for the poor, erected by the Spanish in 1667. It was the forerunner of a much more ambitious project, theBourbon Hospice for the Poor started byCharles III. This was for the destitute and ill of the city; it also provided a self-sufficient community where the poor would live and work. Though a notable landmark, it is no longer a functioning hospital.[88]
Underneath Naples lies a series of caves and structures created by centuries of mining, and the city rests atop a majorgeothermal zone. There are also several ancientGreco-Roman reservoirs dug out from the softtufo stone on which, and from which, much of the city is built. Approximately one kilometre (0.62 miles) of the many kilometres of tunnels under the city can be visited from theNapoli Sotteranea, situated in the historic centre of the city inVia dei Tribunali. This system of tunnels and cisterns underlies most of the city and lies approximately 30 metres (98 ft) below ground level. DuringWorld War II, these tunnels were used asair-raid shelters, and there are inscriptions on the walls depicting the suffering endured by the refugees of that era.
There are largecatacombs in and around the city, and other landmarks such as thePiscina Mirabilis, the main cistern serving theBay of Naples during Roman times.
Of the variouspublic parks in Naples, the most prominent are theVilla Comunale, which was built by the Bourbon kingFerdinand IV in the 1780s;[89] the park was originally a "Royal Garden", reserved for members of the royal family, but open to the public on special holidays. The Bosco diCapodimonte, the city's largest green space, served as a royal hunting reserve. The Park has 16 additional historical buildings, including residences, lodges, churches, fountains, statues, orchards and woods.[90]
Aselmeyer Castle, built byLamont Young in the Neo-Gothic styleOne of the city's various examples ofLiberty Napoletano
Various buildings inspired by theGothic Revival are extant in Naples, due to the influence that this movement had on the Scottish-Indian architectLamont Young, one of the most active Neapolitan architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Young left a significant footprint in thecityscape and designed many urban projects, such as the city's first subway (metro).
In the first years of the 20th century, a local version of theArt Nouveau phenomenon, known as "Liberty Napoletano", developed in the city, creating many buildings which still stand today. In 1935, theRationalist architect Luigi Cosenza designed a new fish market for the city. During theBenito Mussolini era, the first structures of the city's "service center" were built, all in a Rationalist-Functionalist style, including the Palazzo delle Poste and the Pretura buildings. TheCentro Direzionale di Napoli is the only adjacent cluster of skyscrapers in southern Europe.
The thirty quarters (quartieri) of Naples are listed below. For administrative purposes, these thirty districts are grouped together into ten governmental community boards.[93]
As of 2022[update], the population of thecomune di Napoli totals around 910,000. Naples's widermetropolitan area, sometimes known as Greater Naples, has a population of approximately 4.4 million.[106] Thedemographic profile for the Neapolitan province in general is relatively young: 19% are under the age of 14, while 13% are over 65, compared to the national average of 14% and 19%, respectively.[106] Naples has a higher percentage of females (52.5%) than males (47.5%).[107] Naples currently has a higherbirth rate than other parts of Italy, with 10.46 births per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.[108]
Naples's population rose from 621,000 in 1901 to 1,226,000 in 1971, declining to 910,000 in 2022 as city dwellers moved to the suburbs. According to different sources, Naples'smetropolitan area is either thesecond-most-populated metropolitan area in Italy afterMilan (with 4,434,136 inhabitants according to Svimez Data)[109] or the third (with 3.5 million inhabitants according to theOECD).[110] In addition, Naples is Italy's most densely populated major city, with approximately 8,182 people per square kilometre;[107] however, it has seen a notable decline in population density since 2003, when the figure was over 9,000 people per square kilometre.[111]
In contrast to many northern Italian cities, there are relatively few foreign immigrants in Naples; 94.3% of the city's inhabitants are Italian nationals. In 2023, there were a total of 56,153 foreigners in the city of Naples; the majority of these are mostly fromSri Lanka, China, Ukraine, Pakistan and Romania.[112] Statistics show that, in the past, the vast majority of immigrants in Naples were female; this happened because male immigrants in Italy tended to head to the wealthier north.[106][113]
Naples is noted for its numerous higher education institutes and research centres. Naples hosts what is thought to be the oldest state university in the world, in the form of theUniversity of Naples Federico II, which was founded byFrederick II in 1224. The university is among the most prominent in Italy, with around 70,000 students and over 6,000 professors in 2022.[114] It is host to theBotanical Garden of Naples, which was opened in 1807 byJoseph Bonaparte, using plans drawn up under the Bourbon kingFerdinand IV. The garden's 15 hectares feature around 25,000 samples of over 10,000 species.[115]
Each of the 7,896comune in Italy is today represented locally by acity council headed by an elected mayor, known as asindaco and informally called the first citizen (primo cittadino). This system, or one very similar to it, has been in place since the invasion of Italy byNapoleonic forces in 1808. When theKingdom of the Two Sicilies was restored, the system was kept in place with members of the nobility filling mayoral roles. By the end of the 19th century,party politics had begun to emerge; during thefascist era, each commune was represented by apodestà. SinceWorld War II, the political landscape of Naples has been neither strongly right-wing nor left-wing – bothChristian democrats anddemocratic socialists have governed the city at different times, with roughly equal frequency. Since the early 1990s, the mayors of Naples have all belonged to left-wing or center-left political groups.
Naples, within its administrative limits, is Italy's fourth-largest economy afterMilan, Rome andTurin, and is the world's103rd-largest urban economy bypurchasing power, with an estimated 2024 GDP of €28.4 billion, equivalent to €30.804 per capita.[123][124][125] Naples is a majorcargo terminal, and theport of Naples is one of the Mediterranean's largest and busiest. The city has experienced significant economic growth sinceWorld War II, but joblessness remains a major problem,[126][127][128] and the city is characterised by high levels of political corruption andorganised crime.
Naples is a major national, and international tourist destination, one of Italy's and Europe's top tourist cities.[129] Tourists began visiting Naples in the 18th century during theGrand Tour.
In the last decades, there has been a move away from a traditional agriculture-based economy in the province of Naples to one based onservice industries.[citation needed] The service sector employs the majority of Neapolitans, although more than half of these are small enterprises with fewer than 20 workers; about 70 companies are said to be medium-sized with more than 200 workers, and about 15 have more than 500 workers.[citation needed]
Naples is, withFlorence, Rome,Venice andMilan, one of the main Italian tourist destinations. With 20,000,000 visitors in 2025,[130][131][132] the city has completely emerged from the strong tourist depression of past decades (due primarily to the unilateral destination of an industrial city but also due to the damage to the city's image caused by the Italian media,[133][134] from the1980 Irpinia earthquake and thewaste crisis, in favour of the coastal centres of itsmetropolitan area).[135] To adequately assess the phenomenon, however, it must be considered that a large slice of tourists visit Naples per year, staying in the numerous localities in its surroundings,[136] connected to the city with both private and public direct lines.[137][138] Daily visits to Naples are carried out by various Roman tour operators and by all the main tourist resorts ofCampania: as of 2019, Naples is the tenth most visitedmunicipality in Italy and the first in theSouth.[139]
The sector is constantly growing[140][141] and the prospect of reaching theart cities of its level is once again expected in a relatively short time;[142] tourism is increasingly assuming a decisive weight for the city's economy, which is why, exactly as happened for example in the case of Venice or Florence, the risk of gentrification of thehistoric centre is now high.[143][144]
The city's main railway station isNapoli Centrale, which is located in Piazza Garibaldi; other significant stations include theNapoli Campi Flegrei[150] andNapoli Mergellina.Napoli Afragola serveshigh-speed trains that do not start or finish atNapoli Centrale railway station. Naples's streets are famously narrow (it was the first city in the world to set up a pedestrian one-way street),[151] so the general public commonly use compacthatchback cars andscooters for personal transit.[152] Since 2007, trains running at 300 km/h (186 mph) have connected Naples with Rome with a journey time of under an hour,[153] and direct high speed services also operate to Florence, Bologna, Milan, Turin and Salerno. Direct sleeper 'boat train' services operate nightly to cities in Sicily.
The port of Naples runs several ferry,hydrofoil, andSWATHcatamaran lines toCapri,Ischia andSorrento,Salerno,Positano andAmalfi.[154] Services are also available toSicily, Sardinia,Ponza and theAeolian Islands.[154] The port serves over 6 million local passengers annually,[155] plus a further 1 million internationalcruise ship passengers.[156] A regional hydrofoil transport service, the "Metropolitana del Mare", runs annually from July to September, maintained by a consortium of shipowners and local administrations.[157]
The average commute with public transit in Naples on a weekday is 77 minutes. Nineteen per cent of public transit commuters ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 27 minutes, while 56% of riders wait for over 20 minutes. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 7.1 km (4.4 mi), while 11% travel for over 12 km (7.5 mi) in a single direction.[159]
The city furthermore operates theNaples Metro (Italian:metropolitana di Napoli), an undergroundrapid transitrailway system which integrates both surface railway lines and the city'smetro stations,many of which are noted for their decorative architecture andpublic art. In fact, the station of Via Toledo is often in the top spots of the rankings of the most beautiful metro stations in the world.[160]
ARomantic painting by Salvatore Fergola showing the 1839 inauguration of the Naples-Portici railway line
Naples has long been a centre of art and architecture, dotted with Medieval-, Baroque- and Renaissance-era churches, castles and palaces. A critical factor in the development of the Neapolitan school of painting was Caravaggio's arrival in Naples in 1606. In the 18th century, Naples went through a period ofneoclassicism, following the discovery of the remarkably intact Roman ruins ofHerculaneum andPompeii.
Naples is also the home of the artistic tradition ofCapodimonte porcelain. In 1743, Charles of Bourbon founded the Royal Factory of Capodimonte, many of whose artworks are now on display in theMuseum of Capodimonte. Several of Naples's mid-19th-century porcelain factories remain active today.
Naples is internationally famous for itscuisine and wine; it draws culinary influences from the numerous cultures which have inhabited it throughout its history, including theGreeks, Spanish and French. Neapolitan cuisine emerged as a distinct form in the 18th century. The ingredients are typically rich in taste while remaining affordable to the general populace.[164]
Naples is traditionally credited as the home ofpizza.[165] This originated as a meal of the poor, but underFerdinand IV it became popular among the upper classes: famously, theMargherita pizza was named after QueenMargherita of Savoy after her visit to the city.[165] Cooked traditionally in a wood-burningoven, the ingredients of Neapolitan pizza have been strictly regulated by law since 2004, and must include wheat flour type "00" with the addition of flour type "0"yeast, natural mineral water, peeled tomatoes or freshcherry tomatoes,mozzarella,sea salt and extra virginolive oil.[166]
Spaghetti is also associated with the city, and is commonly eaten with clamsvongole orlupini di mare. A popular Neapolitanfolkloric symbol is the comic figurePulcinella eating a plate of spaghetti.[167] Other dishes popular in Naples includeParmigiana di melanzane,spaghetti alle vongole andcasatiello.[168] As a coastal city, Naples is furthermore known for numerous seafood dishes, includingimpepata di cozze (pepperedmussels),purpetiello affogato (octopus poached in broth),alici marinate (marinatedanchovies),baccalà alla napoletana (saltcod) andbaccalà fritto (fried cod), a dish commonly eaten during the Christmas period.
Naples is well known for its sweet dishes, including colourfulgelato, which is similar toice cream, though more fruit-based. Popular Neapolitan pastry dishes includezeppole,babà,sfogliatelle andpastiera, the latter of which is prepared specially for Easter celebrations.[169] Another seasonal sweet isstruffoli, a sweet-tastinghoney dough decorated and eaten around Christmas.[170] Neapolitan coffee is also widely acclaimed. The traditionalNeapolitan flip coffee pot, known as thecuccuma orcuccumella, was the basis for the invention of theespresso machine, and also inspired theMoka pot.
The cultural significance of Naples is often represented through a series of festivals held in the city. The following is a list of several festivals that take place in Naples (note: some festivals are not held on an annual basis).
An 1813 depiction of the Piedigrotta festival
Festa di Piedigrotta ("Piedigrotta Festival") – A musical event typically held in September in memory of the famous Madonna of Piedigrotta. Throughout the month, a series of musical workshops, concerts, religious events and children's events are held to entertain the citizens of Naples and surrounding areas.[174]
Pizzafest – As Naples is famous for being home to pizza, the city hosts an eleven-day festival dedicated to this iconic dish. This is a key event for Neapolitans and tourists alike, as various stations are open for tasting a wide range of true Neapolitan pizza. In addition to pizza tasting, a variety of entertainment shows are displayed.[175]
Maggio dei Monumenti ("May of Monuments") – A cultural event where the city hosts a variety of special events dedicated to the birth of King Charles of Bourbon. It festival features art and music of the 18th century, and many buildings which may normally be closed throughout the year are opened for visitors to view.[176]
Il Ritorno della festa di San Gennaro ("The Return of theFeast of San Gennaro") – An annual celebration and feast of faith held over three days, commemorating SaintGennaro. Throughout the festival, parades, religious processions and musical entertainment are featured. An annual celebration is also held in "Little Italy" in Manhattan.[177][178]
TheNeapolitan language, considered to be a distinct language and mainly spoken in the city, is also found in the region ofCampania and has been diffused into other areas ofSouthern Italy by Neapolitan migrants, and in many different places in the world. On 14 October 2008, a regional law was enacted by Campania which has the effect that the use of the Neapolitan language is protected.[179]
The term "Neapolitan language" is often used to describe the language of all ofCampania (exceptCilento), and is sometimes applied to the entireSouth Italian language;Ethnologue refers to the latter asNapoletano-Calabrese.[180] This linguistic group is spoken throughout most of southern continental Italy, including theGaeta andSora district of southernLazio, the southern part ofMarche andAbruzzo, Molise,Basilicata, northernCalabria, and northern and centralApulia. In 1976, there were an estimated 7,047,399native speakers of this group of dialects.[180]
Naples is one of the leading centres ofItalian literature. The history of the Neapolitan language was deeply entwined with that of theTuscan dialect, which then became the current Italian language. The first written testimonies of the Italian language are thePlaciti Cassinensi legal documents, dated 960 A.D., preserved in theMonte Cassino Abbey, which are, in fact, evidence of a language spoken in a southern dialect. The Tuscan poetBoccaccio lived for many years at the court of KingRobert the Wise and his successorJoanna of Naples, using Naples as a setting for a number of his later novels. His works contain some words that are taken from Neapolitan instead of the corresponding Italian, e.g. "testo" (neap.: "testa"), which in Naples indicates a largeterracotta jar used to cultivate shrubs and little trees. KingAlfonso V of Aragon stated in 1442 that the Neapolitan language was to be used instead ofLatin in official documents.
Later Neapolitan was replaced by Italian in the first half of the 16th century,[181][182] during Spanish domination. In 1458 theAccademia Pontaniana, one of the first academies in Italy, was established in Naples as a free initiative by men of letters, science and literature. In 1480 the writer and poetJacopo Sannazzaro wrote the first pastoral romance,Arcadia, which influenced Italian literature. In 1634Giambattista Basile collectedLo Cunto de li Cunti five books of ancient tales written in the Neapolitan dialect rather than Italian. PhilosopherGiordano Bruno, who theorised the existence of infinite solar systems and the infinity of the entire universe, completed his studies at the University of Naples. Due to philosophers such asGiambattista Vico, Naples became one of the centres of the Italian peninsula for historical andphilosophy of history studies.
Jurisprudence studies were enhanced in Naples thanks to eminent personalities of jurists likeBernardo Tanucci,Gaetano Filangieri andAntonio Genovesi. In the 18th century Naples, together withMilan, became one of the most important sites from which theEnlightenment penetrated Italy. Poet and philosopherGiacomo Leopardi visited the city in 1837 and died there. His works influencedFrancesco de Sanctis, who studied in Naples and eventually became Minister of Instruction during the Italian kingdom. De Sanctis was one of the first literary critics to discover, study and diffuse the poems and literary works of the great poet fromRecanati.
Writer and journalistMatilde Serao co-founded the newspaperIl Mattino with her husbandEdoardo Scarfoglio in 1892. Serao was an acclaimed novelist and writer during her day. PoetSalvatore Di Giacomo was one of the most famous writers in the Neapolitan dialect, and many of his poems were adapted to music, becoming famous Neapolitan songs. In the 20th century, philosophers likeBenedetto Croce pursued the long tradition of philosophy studies in Naples, and personalities like jurists and lawyerEnrico De Nicola pursued legal and constitutional studies. De Nicola later helped to draft the modernConstitution of the Italian Republic and was eventually elected to the office of President of the Italian Republic. Other noted Neapolitan writers and journalists includeAntonio De Curtis,Giancarlo Siani,Roberto Saviano andElena Ferrante.[183] In Naples'44, An Intelligence Officer in the Italian Labyrinth (London, Eland, 2002), the acclaimed British travel writer Norman Lewis records the lives of the Napolitean people following the liberation of the city from Nazi forces in 1943.
Naples was one of the centres of the peninsula from which originated the modern theatre genre as nowadays intended, evolving from 16th centurycommedia dell'arte. The masked character ofPulcinella is a worldwide famous figure either as a theatrical character orpuppetry character.
The music Opera genre ofopera buffa was created in Naples in the 18th century and then spread to Rome and northern Italy. In the period ofBelle Époque, Naples rivalled Paris for itscafé-chantants, and many famous Neapolitan songs were originally created to entertain the public in the cafès of Naples. Perhaps the most well-known song is "Ninì Tirabusciò". The history of how this song was born was dramatised in the eponymous comedy movieNinì Tirabusciò: la donna che inventò la mossa starringMonica Vitti.
The Neapolitan popular genre ofsceneggiata is an important genre of modern folk theatre worldwide, dramatising common canon themes of thwarted love stories, comedies, tearjerker stories, commonly about honest people becomingcamorra outlaws due to unfortunate events. The Sceneggiata became very popular amongst Neapolitans and eventually one of the best-known genres of Italian cinematography thanks to actors and singers likeMario Merola andNino D'Angelo. Many writers and playwrights, such asRaffaele Viviani, wrote comedies and dramas for this genre. Actors and comedians likeEduardo Scarpetta and then his sonsEduardo De Filippo,Peppino De Filippo andTitina De Filippo contributed to making the Neapolitan theatre. Eduardo's comedies and tragedies, such asFilumena Marturano andNapoli milionaria [it] (which he also filmed asSide Street Story), are well-known.
Naples has played an important role in the history of Western European art music for more than four centuries.[184] The firstmusic conservatories were established in the city under Spanish rule in the 16th century. The San Pietro a Majella music conservatory, founded in 1826 byFrancesco I of Bourbon, continues to operate today as both a prestigious centre of musical education and a musical museum.
Tarantella in Napoli, a 1903 postcardNeapolitanmandolin
The earliestsix-string guitar was created by the Neapolitan Gaetano Vinaccia in 1779; the instrument is now referred to as theromantic guitar. The Vinaccia family also developed themandolin.[188][189] Influenced by the Spanish, Neapolitans became pioneers of classical guitar music, withFerdinando Carulli andMauro Giuliani being prominent exponents.[190] Giuliani, who was actually fromApulia but lived and worked in Naples, is widely considered to be one of the greatestguitar players and composers of the 19th century, along with hisCatalan contemporaryFernando Sor.[191][192] Another Neapolitan musician of note wasopera singerEnrico Caruso, one of the most prominent operatenors of all time:[193] he was considered a man of the people in Naples, hailing from a working-class background.[194]
A popular traditional dance inSouthern Italy and Naples is theTarantella, which originated inApulia and spread throughout theKingdom of the Two Sicilies. The Neapolitan tarantella is acourtship dance performed by couples whose "rhythms, melodies, gestures, and accompanying songs are quite distinct", featuring faster, more cheerful music.
A notable element of popular Neapolitan music is theCanzone Napoletana style, essentially thetraditional music of the city, with a repertoire of hundreds offolk songs, some of which can be traced back to the 13th century.[195] The genre became a formal institution in 1835, after the introduction of the annual Festival ofPiedigrotta songwriting competition.[195] Some of the best-known recording artists in this field includeRoberto Murolo,Sergio Bruni andRenato Carosone.[196] There are furthermore various forms of music popular in Naples but not well known outside it, such ascantautore ("singer-songwriter") andsceneggiata, which has been described as a musical soap opera; the most well-known exponent of this style isMario Merola.[197]
Naples has had a significant influence onItalian cinema. Because of the city's relevance, many films and television shows are set (entirely or partially) in Naples. In addition to serving as the backdrop for several movies and shows, many talented celebrities (actors, actresses, directors, and producers) are originally from Naples.
Naples was the location for several early Italian cinema masterpieces.Assunta Spina (1915) was a silent film adapted from a theatrical drama by Neapolitan writerSalvatore Di Giacomo. The film was directed by NeapolitanGustavo Serena. Serena also starred in the 1912 filmRomeo and Juliet.[198][199][200]
A list of some well-known films that take place (fully or partially) in Naples includes:[201]
Naples is home to one of the first Italian colour films,Toto in Color (1952), starringTotò (Antonio de Curtis), a famous comedic actor born in Naples.[202]
Several episodes of the animated seriesTom and Jerry also have references/influences from Naples. The song "Santa Lucia" played by Tom Cat inCat and Dupli-cat has its origins in Naples. "Neapolitan Mouse" takes place in the same city.
Neapolitan tailoring was born as an attempt to loosen up the stiffness of English tailoring, which did not suit the Neapolitan lifestyle.[203] The Neapolitan jacket is shorter, lighter, quarter-lined or unlined, and has no shoulder padding.
Some of the city's smaller clubs includeSporting Neapolis andInternapoli, which play at theStadio Arturo Collana. The city also has teams in a variety of other sports:Eldo Napoli represents the city in basketball'sSerie A and plays in the city ofBagnoli. The city co-hosted theEuroBasket 1969. Partenope Rugby is the city's best-knownrugby union side: the team has won the rugby unionSerie A twice. Other popular local sports includefutsal,water polo,horse racing, sailing, fencing,boxing and martial arts. The Accademia Nazionale di Scherma (National Academy and Fencing School of Naples) is the only place in Italy where the titles "Master of Sword" and "Master ofKendo" can be obtained.[207]
^Hilmar C. Krueger. "The Italian Cities and the Arabs before 1095" inA History of the Crusades: The First Hundred Years, Vol.I. Kenneth Meyer Setton, Marshall W. Baldwin (eds., 1955). University of Pennsylvania Press. p.48.
^Bruzelius, Caroline (1991). ""ad modum franciae": Charles of Anjou and Gothic Architecture in the Kingdom of Sicily".Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians.50 (4). University of California Press:402–420.doi:10.2307/990664.JSTOR990664.
^Gargano, Mauro; Olostro Cirella, Emilia; Della Valle, Massimo (2012).Il tempio di Urania : progetti per una specola astronomica a Napoli. Napoli: INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte.ISBN9788890729409.
^Grassi, Paolo (14 March 2018)."Napoli, è record di disoccupati".Corriere del Mezzogiorno (in Italian).Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved5 October 2019.
^姉妹・友好・兄弟都市 [Sister, friendship or Twin cities].Kagoshima International Affairs Division (in Japanese). Archived fromthe original on 8 January 2013. Retrieved13 October 2016.
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