What to see on a walk through the Historic Centre of Naples.
A mini-documentary by Deanna Allison.
Italy’s Rai5 tv features footage from this film in their new documentary:
Italia, poeti e navigatori – Napoli, l’indescrivibile.
Narration:
Naples is Italy’s 3rd largest city and sits on the Bay of Naples, in the south of the country.
It lies within sight of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD.
Naples is easy to reach by air, train or bus but be aware that the roads can get very busy.
We arrived by local train from Sorrento.
We only had a few hours to explore the city, so we decided to do a walking tour through its Centro Storico, or the Historic Centre, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
From the railway station it’s just a short walk to the Porta Nolana, or Nolana Gate, which used to guard the ancient port entrance to Naples.
Inside the Gate, the streets of the historic centre follow the street plan of ancient Neapolis.
We were struck by the hustle and bustle of the area.
It may look a bit shabby and the paintwork may be peeling, but this area is full of life and well worth a visit.
There are many narrow streets to explore and you’ll see balconies everywhere, many carrying washing lines across the street.
Just inside the Porta Nolana is the busy Mercato di Porta Nolana.
This is the best seafood market In the city.
And, if you don’t mind crowds, chaos and confusion, this market should not be missed.
This is where locals go in search of ingredients for their daily meals which are so rich in seafood.
And by seafood I mean, clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp, squid, octopus, sea bass and sword fish, anchovies and sardines and more, all plucked fresh out of the sea.
Of course, seafood isn’t the only produce.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, breads and desserts, and grocery items round out the market’s offerings.
Moving on from the market, we headed for the Duomo, or Cathedral
passing the Church of Girolamini on the way.
The Late Baroque façade of this church dates from 1780.
The Cathedral is known as the Cattedrale di San Gennaro, in honour of the patron saint of Naples.
The Cathedral dates from the 14th century
and was was built by the Angevins.
though this neo-Gothic facade was only added in the late 19th century.
The large nave of the cathedral has 16 piers that incorporate more than 100 classical granite columns from the East and Africa.
The decoration is mostly Baroque: the side walls bear portraits of 46 saints and an ornate painted ceiling.
Off the right aisle, is the Chapel of the Treasury), completed in 1637.
The most sought-after artists of the period worked on the chapel, creating one of Naples’ greatest baroque legacies.
Highlights here include Giovanni Lanfranco’s dizzying dome fresco.
Hidden away in a strongbox behind the altar is a 14th-century silver bust in which sit the skull of San Gennaro and the two phials that hold his miraculously liquefying blood.
Before leaving the cathedral, we took some time to admire this 14th century medieval fresco.
And outside, we looked at a modern, giant mural of San Gennaro which lies just a short walk from the Cathedral itself.
Next, we headed for Via San Gregorio Armeno which is also known as the Christmas Alley.
This narrow street is famous across Italy for its nativity crib figurines.
Its clutter of shops and workshops sell a bewildering variety of objects, ranging from traditional biblical characters to kitsch celebrity figurines
and even miniature fruit and vegetables.
And, of course, you can buy miniature nativity houses to display your figurines.
The market is a traditional destination before Christmas but can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
Our next stop was the Church of San Domenico Maggiore.
The interior of this church is one of the most complex and rich among the city churches in Naples and includes a splendid nave plus side-chapels.
You may also spot another nativity scene as you explore.
At the Piazzeta Nilo we stopped to admire the ancient marble Statua del dio Nilo, or statue of the Nile River god
which dates back to Roman times although the bearded head is a more recent 18th century addition.
At the end of our walk, we arrived at the Piazza del Gesù Nuovo.
For hundreds of years this was the principal western entrance to the city.
The bell tower of the Basilica di Santa Chiara is a prominent feature here.
This beautiful square is a favourite late-night hang-out for students and features the Libreria Dante e Descartes which houses a rich collection of second-hand books.
Before leaving Naples, we took a moment to look back at the Guglia dell’Immacolata, which overlooks the square.
This rococo obelisk was built between 1747 and 1750 and the gilded copper statue of the Virgin Mary was added in 1753.
Filmed in Campania, Italy in April 2016.
Film and Narration by Deanna Allison.
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