Visit Naples

Welkom to the website of VisitNaples. We have captured a lot of information about Naples. Naples is a perfect city to spend a weekend or a holiday. Most of the time the weather is sunny. And you can also visit the beach of Naples. So, go trough the our website and see what to do in a weekend or holiday at Naples.

Naples is a city in Italy; it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples. Known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music, and gastronomy, Naples has played an important role in the Italian peninsula and beyond for much of its existence, which began more than 2,800 years ago. Situated on the west coast of Italy by the Gulf of Naples, the city is located halfway between two volcanic areas, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields.
Founded in the 9th-8th century BC as a Greek colony, which was originally named Παρθενόπη Parthenope and later Νεάπολις Neápolis (New City), Naples is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was among the foremost cities of Magna Graecia, playing a key role in the transmission of Greek culture to Roman society. Naples eventually became part of the Roman Republic as a major cultural center; the premiere Latin poet, Virgil, received part of his education there and later resided in its environs. As a microcosm of European history, Naples has seen several civilizations come and go, each leaving traces in its art and architecture. The most prominent forms of architecture now visible derive from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.
The historic city centre of Naples is the largest in Europe (1,700 hectares), and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Over its rich history Naples has been the capital of duchies, kingdoms, and one Empire, as well as a major cultural center (especially during the period of Renaissance humanism and in the 17th through 19th centuries). The city has profoundly influenced many areas of Europe and beyond. In the immediate vicinity of Naples are various sites (e.g., the Palace of Caserta, Pompeii, andHerculaneum) that are strongly related to the city for historical, artistic, architectural reasons.
Naples was preeminently the capital city of a kingdom that bore its name from 1282 until 1816: the Kingdom of Naples. Then, in union with Sicily, it became the capital of the Two Sicilies until the unification of Italy in 1861. Through the Neapolitan War, Naples strongly promoted Italian unification.
Within its administrative limits, Naples has a population of around 1 million people, but according to different sources its metropolitan area is either the second (after the Milan metropolitan area, with 4,434,136 inhabitants according to Svimez Data or 4,996,084 according to Censis institute) or third (3.1 million inhabitants according to OECD) most populated metropolitan area in Italy. In addition, it is the most densely populated major city in Italy.
For economic strength, Naples is ranked fourth in Italy, after Milan, Rome and Turin. It is the world's 91st richest city by purchasing power, with a GDP of $43 billion, surpassing the economies of Budapest and Zurich. The port of Naples is one of the most important in Europe (the second in the world after the port of Hong Kong for passenger flow). Even though the city has experienced remarkable economic growth in recent times, and unemployment levels in the city and surrounding Campania have decreased since 1999, Naples is still characterized by political and economic corruption and a thriving black market empire. Italian mega-companies, such as MSC, are headquartered in the city. Since 1958, the city hosts the Center Rai of Naples (media), while in the Bagnoli district there is a big NATO base. The city hosts the SRM institution for economic research and the OPE company and study center. Naples is a full member of the Eurocities network of European cities. The city was selected to become the headquarters of the European institution Acp/Ue and as a City of Literature by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. In the Posillipo district there is Villa Rosebery, one of three official residence of thePresident of Italy.
Naples was the most bombed Italian city of World War II. In the 20th century, first under Fascism and reconstruction following the Second World War built much of the periphery. In recent decades, Naples has adopted a business district (the Centro Direzionale) with skyscrapers and infrastructure such as the TGV in Rome or in a subway expansion: it will include half of the region. The metropolis will host the IAC 2012 and the Universal Forum of Cultures 2013.
The city is also synonymous with pizza, which originated in the city firstly, with the first pizzas originally fried and later on baked in the oven. A strong part of Neapolitan culture which has had wide reaching effects is music, including the invention of the romantic guitar and the mandolin as well as strong contributions to opera and folk standards. There are popular characters and figures who have come to symbolise Naples; these include the patron saint of the city Januarius, Pulcinella, and the Sirens from the epic Greek poem the Odyssey.