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Tourist Infos -
NAPLES- tourism and culture
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NAPLES- tourism and culture
Some useful and interesting informations about Napoli: history, art, events, nature, gastronomy.
Most part of the region?s territory is hilly and mountainous, but Naples stands in the flat coastal area near the Vesuvius, which is 1279 mt high. In the Gulf of Naples we find the beautiful islands that characterize this territory: Capri, Ischia and Procida.
Vesuvius? slopes are abundantly cultivated because of the fertility of their soil, which create a really special landscape, with typical scents, too given by the presence of orchards and citrus orchards, in particular.
If you want to reach Naples by plane, the biggest airport is Capodichino (Naples), that allows you to reach easily the regional capital and, from there, to travel to the most important islands.
Ferries and hydrofoils leave from Pozzuoli and allow you to reach Ischia and Capri, where you can also stay for some days.
Otherwise, if you use the car, leaving from the North or from the South, the right motorway is, of course, the A1 that allows you to reach Neaples and, from there, all the other destinations (including the ports with the ferry service).
The railway line follows the motorway and leads you to the coastal and inland places through the main roads. Moreover, there are other railway lines in the city, as the circumvesuviana station, the Phlegraean Fields station and the Mergellina one. There is also the underground, with its two lines and the Seaside Metrò, that takes you to different seaside resorts.
ART
Naples has got many artistic and architectural works of great value, as the ones present in Plebiscito Square, for example: St Francis di Paola?s Church (1816), that was inspired by the Roman Pantheon and Salerno Palace, built in the 18th century.
Another important monument is Palazzo Reale, built in the 17th century by Fontana, which is today the seat of the National Library and preserves numerous works of art. We recommend you to visit the seat of the University too, wanted by Frederick II in the 13th century, which is seat of the Museums of Zoology, Paleontology, Mineralogy and Petrography.
If you like walking in the city, you can also visit the marvellous St Augustine della Zecca?s Church (1300), with its majestic façade and the beautiful bell tower.
From Quadrivio del Capo you can enjoy beautiful walks to the enchanting Posillipo and reach Marechiaro, which is a small fishing village.
From the top of the built-up area you can see the ruins of the Fortuna Temple and then you can reach, travelling by sea, the ruins of a Roman building called the Spirits Palace.
Do not forget Pompei and Ercolano, which are a few Km from Naples, at the foot of Vesuvius and preserve their ancient and precious ruins, including the Thermal Baths, too.
These towns were completely destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 B.C. and today they are very important and wonderful archeological centres.
In Naples you can also find many museums that prove the artistic richness of this town, as the National Museum, the Capodimonte Museum and the Capodimonte National Gallery and the Museum of Palazzo Reale.
NATURE
The Posillipo Park is absolutely worth visiting. It overlooks the Gulfs of Naples and Pozzuoli and its entrance welcomes you, embellished by enormous amphoras. From here you can reach the Belvedere, that offers an incomparable view of the gulf.
From the park you can reach the Seiano Grotto and then the Coroglio sandy shore.
You can find some unique views also in the Amalfi seaside resorts, which are 62 Km from Naples or in Positano, with its narrow streets with stairs and the characteristic houses with the hip roofs.
Then Ravello, that is rich in green areas and is situated in a raised place among the Dragone Valleys, along the Amalfi coast.
Obviously, you cannot forget the islands: Capri, with its Faraglioni (stacks) and the famous Blue Grotto, the elegant Ischia and then also Procida, of volcanic origin.
Then also some information about the Vesuvius, a 230 mt deep volcano.
On its slopes there are some intensely cultivated areas, since the soil is very fertile here, in spite of the numerous threats of destruction caused by the volcano?s eruptions.
There are also many different orchards with citrus trees, cherry trees, plum-trees, walnut-trees and apricot trees. Moreover, together with the cultivations, there are many wood scrubs (pinewoods, chestnut trees, false acacias) and brooms, that characterize the landscape.
EVENTS
Of course in Naples and in its environs you can find any kind of cultural, musical or gastronomic celebrations and fairs, especially in summer, but also all year round.
In fact, we cannot forget that Naples is famous for its numerous traditions, which are typical of the town and create special events that are known all over the world.
The tarantella is a manifest example, since it is considered, in every respect, a form of joyful popular dance which is the subject of many celebrations.
Another popular tradition is the Christmas crib, that has got its origin in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Finally we want to mention, in particular, the beautiful Neapolitan music, that has got very deep historical roots.
So many important events and exclusive shows are organized in Naples about this peculiar kind of music.
GASTRONOMY
The gastronomy of Campania offers a lot of good food for the gourmands who love the good Mediterranean cooking.
You can start from the numerous kinds of pasta: spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams), zuppa di pesce (fish soup), polpi affogati (octopus with a special sauce), frutti di mare crudi (raw shell-fish), frittura di pesce (fish-fry), mozzarella di bufala, the numerous kinds of pizza (that was born in1500 and then became famous in 1889, thanks to the visit of Queen Margaret in Naples), the taralli (ring-shaped biscuits that can be salty or sweet) and, among the sweets, the babà (soft sweets which are aromatized with a liqueur)
and the sfogliatelle (made with puff pastry).
Then there are some dishes which are taditionally bound to a certain period of the year.
Typical of Christmas time are: the minestra maritata, a soup with vegetables and pork meat, many kinds of sweets, as the cassata (a cake based on ricotta and marzipan), the pasta reale (a special kind of marzipan) the struffoli (fried sweets, served with honey and candied fruits), the raffaioli (made with glacé sponge cake),
the susamielli (sweets based on almonds and candied fruits). Typical of Easter time are the casatiello rustico (a salty ring shaped cake with salami, cheese and eggs).
Among the sweets, the famous pastiera (a cake made with ricotta, chocolate and wheat) and the quaresimali (homemade biscuits).
All this is, of course, accompanied by many kinds of red and white wine, produced above all in the Vesuvius area and in the nearby islands: the Falerno, the Gragnano, the Lacryma Christi, the Aspino, the Solopaca, the Greco di Tufo and the Biancolella.
At the end of your meal, or in any other moment of the day, you cannot miss sipping the famous ?tazzulella e? cafè? (the little cup of coffee), which is object of a special care, in Naples.
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