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Naples
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We're from Naples, Paisą
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THE ABSOLUTE MUSTS
Naples is all equally beautiful - churches, palazzos, monuments...
Vistit to Naples is an expirience full of surprise. Narrow alleys, dark and crowed, suddenly open out onto quiet airy coutyards, or onto vast piazzas with churches and palazzos of stunning but never arrogant beauty. Though naturally Capodimonte and the Archeological Museum are required stops on a visit to Naples, they simply mark the beginning of a long series of marvels.
The castels, for exemple - the "Maschio Angioino" was named Castel Nuovo to distinguish it from the older Castel Dell'Ovo (a building that juts out over the sea, so that almost seems to float on the water) and Castel Capuano. The "Maschio Angioino" was erected in the 13th century under Charles of Angevin, but was entirely rebuilt by Alphonso of Aragon in the 15th century. Today its majestic, sombre bulk, to which the splendid triumphal arc at the entrance adds a refined touch, is one of the symbols of the city.
However, the real landmark harebouts is San Gennaro the spire dedicated to the saint is the oldest in the city, a votive offering from the Neapolitans to thank their patron saint for protecting them from the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631. It rises into the sky very near to Duomo which contains the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, overlooked by the spectacular vision of Paradise painted by Giovanni Lanfranco. The reliquary - a Gotic masterpiece of the goldsmith's art - is preserved here together with ampoule containing the saint's blood. Twice a year, thousands of belivers flock to the church to witness the miracle of its liquefaction - and the destiny of the city is said to depend on this event.
Naples has a great many churches, but visitors have to summon up all their reserves of passion and patience in order to find a way of getting into the churches of the Hieronymites, of Donnaregina, San Giovanni a Carbonara and Santa Maria La Nova, wich are often closed than open. More accessible but equally fascinating are the celebrated churches of Santa Chiara and the neo-Gothic San Domenico Maggiore, where Pietro Cavallini, one of the greatest artists of the 14th century and now considered Giotto's equal and even his rival as innovator, paint a magnificent cycle of frescoes.
The Baroque magnificence of the interior of San Gregorio dates from e few centuries later. By contrast, the monumental facade of the Gesł Nuovo church, despite its diamond-shaped rustication, seems almost sober. Traces of the passage of time can be found in the structure of the monumental complex of San Lorenzo Maggiore - the 18th century facade with its portal dating back to the 14th century, the Gothic interior and the Greek and Roman remains under the cloister. San Farncesco di Paola express the rational power and also the utopian return to classicism typical of the 18th century, while Santa Maria della Sanitą enchants us with its inspired and unusual raised altar approached by two curving flights of steps.
At this point a new adventure begins - the discovery of Naples' palazzos. The courtyards of the Sanfelice and Sanpaolo palazzos are framed by spectacular flights of steps desiged by the 18th century architect Fernando Sanfelice, who paid no heed to the sober, rigorous style of the Enlightenment. Another of his creations is the grand staircase of Palazzo Serra di Cassano, seat of the Istitute of philosophical studies. Another must is a visit to Palazzo Firrao and Palazzo Filomarino, where the philosopher Benedetto Croce wrote his legendary stories dedicated to Naples. Finally, in order to grasp the historycal importance of the city, visitors must cross the 17th century threshold of Palazzo Reale to admire its halls and staircase, puppet theatres, chapel, stables, and the amazing library with its extraordinary book-rests.
After a stroll through the Umberto I gallery with its imposing cast-iron and glass canopy, after climbing up to the Certosa di San Martino and Castel Sant'Elmo, after a visit to the Floridiana museum's valuable collection of majolicas, it is worth descending to the undergruond Naples that has so many surprise in store. A hidden city with tunnels, catacombs, hypogeums and cemeteries exists, hollowed out in the solid rock. A world that is the complete opposite of the one above, and yet belongs to it. And if we shudder at the sight of the skulls in the Fontanelle cemetery, all we have to do is resurface and immerse ourselves in a new, impetuous flow of vitality above ground.
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