Naples, Italy — Attractions
Museo Archeologico Nazionale
This world-class museum houses the Farnese collection of antiquities from Lazio and Campania and the incredible treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Notable among these collections are the Farnese Hercules and the Farnese Bull, the largest known ancient sculpture. On the mezzanine level is the Alexander Mosaic and at the furthest end of the mezzanine floor is the Secret Room (Gabinetto Segreto). The fascinating collection contained here showcases the erotic material found in the brothels, baths, houses and taverns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The top section of the museum houses the Campanian wall paintings, well preserved creations attesting to a mysterious past world. These are supported by a range of artifacts in the form of glass, silver, ceramics, rope and even foodstuffs surviving from the Campanian cities.
- Region/City Name
- Naples
- Address
- Piazza Museo Nazionale 18-19
- Phone Number
- +39 081 292 823
- Website
- http://museoarcheologiconazionale.campaniabeniculturali.it
- Transport
- Metro line one to the Museum stop or line two to Cavour Square stop.
- Hours
- 9am to 7.30pm. Closed on Tuesdays and on New Year's Day, 1 May and Christmas Day.
- Admission
- EUR6.50, concessions available
Duomo San Gennaro
The Chapel of San Gennaro is accessed from the south aisle of the Cathedral of Naples. This 13th-century Gothic building is dedicated to the patron saint of the city. Tradition tells the story of how two phials of San Gennaro's blood liquefied in the bishop's hand after his martyred body was transported to the church. Legend has it that disaster will strike if the blood fails to liquefy on specific festival days - the first Saturday in May, on September 19 and December 16. The liquefaction ceremony takes place during a special Mass in full view of the congregation. The first chapel on the right on entry into the cathedral is dedicated to San Gennaro and holds the famous phials of blood and a silver reliquary containing his skull. Beneath the Duomo are the excavations of well-preserved Greek and Roman roads that stretch beneath the modern city. Special tours of the excavations can be arranged.
- Region/City Name
- Naples
- Address
- Via del Duomo 147
- Phone Number
- +39 081 449 097
- Website
- www.duomodinapoli.it
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday between 8am and 12.30pm and 4.30pm to 7pm; Sundays 8.00am to 1.30pm and 5.00pm to 7.30pm. The archeological area is open on weekdays from 9.00am to 12.00pm and 4.30pm to 7.00pm. On festivals and the days before festivals the site is open from 9.00am to 12.30pm.
- Admission
- Cathedral: free; archaeological site: EUR3
Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte
The museum occupies a restored 18th century palace perched on the city's hills and its artworks are arranged by collections and not chronology. The Farnese and Bourbon rulers amassed impressive collections of Renaissance paintings and Flemish masterpieces that can be viewed along with other great works. Notable amongst these are Masaccio's Crucifixion, Filipino Lippi's Annunciation and Saints, Raphael's Leo X, Bellini's Transfiguration, Michelangelo's Three Soldiersand Breughel's The Allegory of the Blind.
- Region/City Name
- Naples
- Address
- Via Milano 2, Capodimonte Park
- Phone Number
- +39 081 749 9111
- Website
- www.polomusealenapoli.beniculturali.it
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sundays 8.30am to 7.30pm
- Admission
- EUR7.50
Pompeii
Mount Vesuvius' fiery temper erupted in the volcanic lava that buried the Roman city of Pompeii. The most evocative testimony to its victims is the 'frozen people', plaster casts of the victims' whose anguished contortions and facial expressions reveal the horror of their untimely deaths. Excavation of Pompeii is an ongoing process and every decade has brought to light new finds that provide insight into daily Roman life. A comprehensive tour of Pompeii's attractions will take approximately five hours. Guided tours are available but are pricier alternatives to doing it alone. There is an informative 'How to Visit Pompeii' guidebook for sale outside all the site entrances.
- Region/City Name
- Naples
- Email Address
- ssba-na@beniculturali.it
- Website
- www.pompeiisites.org
- Transport
- SITA bus to Piazza Esedra in Pompeii, or Circumvesuviana train line from Central Station to Pompeii Scavi station
- Hours
- Daily 8.30am to 7.30pm (April to October), 8.30am to 5pm (November to March)
- Admission
- EUR11, access to five sites in one day is EUR20, concessions available.
Paestum
The well-preserved Greek temples of Paestum are the best of their kind in the world, rivaling those of Sicily and Athens. The city was founded by its Greek colonists in the 7th century BC and later fell under Roman rule until it was no longer commercially viable and its inhabitants finally left for greener pastures. The north-south axis of the city is marked by the paved Via Sacra and most guided tours begin at its southern end. A guide to the excavations and Archaeological Museum can be bought at any of the roadside shops. Notable amongst the remains are three Doric temples, the best preserved in the world. Built without the use of cement or mortar these remarkable structures comprise the basilica, Temple of Poseidon and Temple of Ceres. Heading north along Via Sacra will take one to the Roman Forum gymnasium and amphitheater. Paestum's museum contains a fascinating collection of pottery and paintings found in the tombs of the area.
- Region/City Name
- Naples
- Address
- Campania region, southern Italy
- Website
- www.culturacampania.rai.it
- Transport
- Train from Naples, 40km south of Salerno.
- Hours
- Museum daily 9am to 7pm (closed first and third Monday each month)
- Admission
- Museum EUR4 (EUR6.50 including the site)
Capri
Capri's beauty captured the imagination of the Roman Emperor Augustus in 29 BC and continues to draw admiring crowds to its picturesque banks. Ferries and hydrofoils transport travelers from Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Naples to its embarkation point at Marina Grande. From here a funicular runs to the town's Piazza Umberto. The island's main attraction is the Blue Grotto. The cave is illuminated by a fantastic neon blue, created through the interplay of light and water. The ruins of Villa Tiberiocan be explored through a 45-minute trek up the hill. Legend has it that Tiberius tossed those unfortunate enough to anger him off the precipice; walking down is luckily an option nowadays. On the descent along the path one can take a short detour to the Arco Naturale. The weathered stone arch on the island's eastern cliffs provides the perfect perspective from which to contemplate the vista that stretches to Paestum. Another interesting villa to explore is the Villa San Michele(in Anacapri), the magnum opus of Swedish author and physician Axel Munthe. Henry James described it as 'the most fantastic beauty, poetry, and inutility that I have ever seen clustered together.' It is open in summer between 9am and 6pm, and winter 10am to 3pm. Still in Anacapri, take the 12-minute chairlift to the summit of Monte Solaroto experience the breathtaking views stretching to the distant Apennines and Calabria mountains.
- Region/City Name
- Naples
- Phone Number
- +39 081 837 5308.
- Email Address
- information@capri.it
- Website
- www.capritourism.com
- Transport
- Ferries (80 minutes) and hydrofoils (40 minutes) depart from the port of Mergellina or Molo Beverello; Molo Beverello has more frequent departures
