Naples withMount Vesuvius in the background.FlagCoat of arms
Naples is a southernItalian city with a port. It faces theMediterranean Sea and is nearMount Vesuvius. Its name inItalian isNapoli which came from itsGreek nameNeapolis, meaningnew city. It has a population of about 1 million.[1] About 3 million live in the area around Naples (including Naples itself).
Ancient Greeks settled Naples in the 6th Century B.C. There were so many Greeks there, the Romans called itMagna Graecia, which means "Greater Greece."[2] Later the Romans conquered southern Italy and took Naples. When the Roman Empire fell to invaders in the west, Naples came under the rule of theByzantine Empire, the Greek-speaking Eastern Roman Empire.
Naples became independent later and but was combined with the Kingdom of Sicily during the Middle Ages. By 1500 it was ruled byAragón, which was a kingdom in eastern Spain. Later Naples became part of Spain when Aragon and the other kingdom in Spain called Castile became one country. Naples was part of this Kingdom of Spain until theAustrian Empire got it in theWar of the Spanish Succession in 1714.
In the 19th century it was the capital of theKingdom of the Two Sicilies. TheDuchy of Savoy, or kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, conquered Naples in 1861. That kingdom became the Kingdom of Italy. Naples was heavily bombed when Italy fought in World War Two and British/American armies tried to capture it.
Today Naples is the capital ofCampania and the largest city in southern Italy.
The average temperature in thesummer is 24°C. In thewinter, the average can be as low as 8°C. There is usually around 1000 mm (40 inches) of rain in the city every year.
Naples is Italy's fourth-largest economy, with a 2011GDP of US$83.6 billion.[4] ThePort of Naples is one of the most important and busy ports in the Mediterranean. The city, however, still has a lot oforganized crime and political corruption, but it is also famous for its musical, theatrical and cinematographic culture.
Naples is a popular city for tourists. It was rated the 166th-most-visited city in the world in 2008.[5]
TheLast Supper by Leonardo da Vinci in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan Venice Spanish Steps, Rome Royal Palace of Caserta Arab-Norman Palermo, Palatine Chapel Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo
