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Naples , is a city in Southern Italy, situated on
the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples.
Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount
Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the
capital of the region of Campania and of the
province of Naples. Naples is known internationally
for its rich history, art, culture, architecture,
music, and gastronomy, and has played an important
political and cultural role on the Italian peninsula
and beyond throughout its 2,800-year existence.
Founded in the 9th-8th century BC as a Greek colony,
Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited
cities in the world. Originally named Παρθενόπη
(Parthenope) and later Νεάπολις (Neápolis - English:
New City), it was among the foremost cities of Magna
Graecia, playing a key role in the merging of Greek
culture into Roman society. Naples eventually became
part of the Roman Republic as a major cultural
center; the prominent Latin poet, Virgil, received
part of his education in the city and later resided
in its environs. As a microcosm of European history,
the city has witnessed the rise and fall of numerous
civilizations, each leaving traces in its art and
architecture.
Although many Greek and Roman ruins are in evidence
in Naples and its surroundings, the most prominent
forms of architecture now visible derive from the
Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.
Naples' historic city centre is the largest in
Europe, covering 1,700 hectares, and is listed by
UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Over the course of
its long history, Naples has been the capital of
duchies, kingdoms, and one Empire, and has
consistently been a major cultural center with a
global sphere of influence, particularly during the
Renaissance and Enlightenment eras. In the immediate
vicinity of Naples are numerous sites of great
cultural and historical significance, including the
Palace of Caserta and the Roman ruins of Pompeii,
and Herculaneum.
Between 1282 and 1816, Naples was the capital city
of a kingdom that bore its name - the Kingdom of
Naples. Then, in union with Sicily, it became the
capital of the Two Sicilies until the unification of
Italy in 1861. During the Neapolitan War of 1815,
Naples strongly promoted Italian unification.
As of 2011, Naples has a population of around 1
million people within its administrative limits.
According to different sources, its metropolitan
area is either the second most populated
metropolitan area in Italy after Milan (with
4,434,136 inhabitants according to Svimez Data or
4,996,084 according to Censis, the Italian census
institute) or the third (with 3.1 million
inhabitants according to OECD). In addition, Naples
is Italy's most densely populated major city, with
over 8,000 people per square kilometre.
Naples is the fourth-richest city 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, and has the world's
second-highest level of passenger flow, after the
port of Hong Kong. Although the city has experienced
remarkable economic growth in recent decades, and
unemployment levels in the city and surrounding
Campania have decreased since 1999, Naples is still
characterized by political and economic
corruption[15] and a thriving black market empire.
Numerous major Italian companies, such as MSC
Cruises, are headquartered in the city, while the
Bagnoli district hosts a major NATO military base.
The city also 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. The Villa Rosebery, one of three official
residences of the President of Italy, can be found
in the city's Posillipo district.
Naples was the most-bombed Italian city during World
War II. Much of the city's 20th-century periphery
was constructed under Benito Mussolini's fascist
government, and during reconstruction efforts after
World War II. In recent decades, Naples has
constructed a large business district, the Centro
Direzionale, and has developed an advanced
infrastructure, including an Alta Velocitŕ
high-speed rail link to Rome, and an expanded subway
network, which is planned to eventually cover half
of the region. The city will host the International
Astronautical Congress in 2012 and the Universal
Forum of Cultures in 2013.
Culinarily, the city is synonymous with pizza, which
originated in the city. Neapolitan music has
furthermore been highly influential, credited with
the invention of the romantic guitar and the
mandolin, as well as notable contributions to opera
and folk standards. Popular characters and
historical figures who have come to symbolise the
city include Januarius, the patron saint of Naples,
the comic figure Pulcinella, and the Sirens from the
Greek epic poem the Odyssey.
Architecture
Naples hosts a wealth of historical buildings and
monuments spanning its 2,800-year history, including
castles, fountains, churches, and classical ruins.
The most prominent forms of architecture visible in
Naples are the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque
styles. The historic centre of Naples is listed by
UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Naples has a total
of 448 historical churches, making it one of the
most Catholic cities in the world in terms of the
number of places of worship.
Piazzas, palaces and castles
The main city square or piazza of the city is the
Piazza del Plebiscito. Its construction was begun by
the Bonapartist king Joachim Murat and finished by
the Bourbon king Ferdinand IV. The piazza bounded on
the east by the Royal Palace and on the west by the
church of San Francesco di Paola, with the
colonnades extending on both sides. Nearby is the
Teatro di San Carlo, which is the oldest and largest
opera house in Italy. Directly across from San Carlo
is Galleria Umberto, a shopping centre and social
hub. Naples is well known for its historic castles:
the ancient Castel Nuovo, also known as Maschio
Angioino, is one of the city's foremost landmarks;
it was built during the time of Charles I, the first
king of Naples. Castel Nuovo has seen many notable
historical events: for example, in 1294, Pope
Celestine V resigned as pope in a hall of the
castle, and following this Pope Boniface VIII was
elected pope by the cardinal collegium, before
moving to Rome. The castle which Nuovo replaced in
importance was the Norman-founded Castel dell'Ovo
(Egg Castle), which was built on the tiny islet of
Megarides, where the original Cumaean colonists
founded the city. The third Neapolitan castle of
note is Sant'Elmo, which was completed in 1329 and
is built in the shape of a star. During the uprising
of Masaniello, the Spanish took refuge in Sant'Elmo
to escape the revolutionaries.
Museums
Naples is widely known for its wealth of historical
museums. The Naples National Archaeological Museum
is one of the city's main museums, with one of the
most extensive collections of artifacts of the Roman
Empire in the world. It also houses many of the
antiques unearthed at Pompeii and Herculaneum, as
well as some artifacts from the Greek and
Renaissance periods.
Previously a Bourbon palace, now a museum and art
gallery, the Museo di Capodimonte is another museum
of note. The gallery features paintings from the
13th to the 18th century, including major works by
Simone Martini, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, El
Greco and many others, Neapolitan School painters
Jusepe de Ribera and Luca Giordano. The royal
apartments are furnished with antique 18th century
furniture and a collection of porcelain and majolica
from the various royal residences: the famous
Capodimonte Porcelain Factory was just adjacent to
the palace. In front of Royal Palace of Naples there
is the Galleria Umberto I, which contains the Coral
Jewellery Museum
Churches and religious structures
Naples is the seat of the Archdiocese of Naples, and
the Catholic faith is highly important to the
populace; there are hundreds of churches in the
city. The Cathedral of Naples is the city's premier
place of worship; each year on September 19, it
hosts the Miracle of Saint Januarius, the city's
patron saint. During the miracle, which thousands of
Neapolitans flock to witness, the dried blood of
Januarius is said to turn to liquid when brought
close to holy relics said to be of his body: this is
one of Naples' most important and longstanding
religious traditions.
Other features
Aside from the main piazza, Naples has two other
major public squares: the Piazza Dante and the
Piazza dei Martiri. The latter originally had only a
memorial to religious martyrs, but in 1866, after
the Italian unification, four lions were added,
representing the four rebellions against the
Bourbons.
The San Gennaro dei Poveri is a Renaissance-era
hospital for the poor, erected by the Spanish in
1667. It was the forerunner of a much more ambitious
project, the Bourbon Hospice for the Poor started by
Charles III. This was for the destitute and ill of
the city; it also provided a self-sufficient
community where the poor would live and work. Though
a notable landmark, it is no longer a functioning
hospital.
Beneath Naples
Underneath Naples lies is a series of caves and
structures created by centuries of mining, and the
city rests atop a major geothermal zone.
Subterranean Naples consists of old Greco-Roman
reservoirs dug out from the soft tufo stone on
which, and from which, the city is built.
Approximately one kilometer of the many kilometers
of tunnels under the city can be visited from the
Napoli Sotteranea, situated in the historic centre
of the city in Via dei Tribunali. There are also
large catacombs in and around the city, and other
landmarks such as the Piscina Mirabilis, the main
cistern serving the Bay of Naples during Roman
times. This system of tunnels and cisterns covers
most of the city and lies approximately thirty
meters below ground level. Moisture levels are
around 70%. During World War II, these tunnels were
used as air-raid shelters, and there are
inscriptions in the walls depicting the suffering
endured by the refugees of that era.
Parks, gardens and villas
Of the various public parks in Naples, the most
prominent is the Villa Comunale, previously known as
the Royal Garden, as its creation was ordered by
Bourbon king Ferdinand IV in the 1780s.[70] Another
important park is Parco Virgiliano, which looks
towards the tiny volcanic islet of Nisida; beyond
Nisida lie Procida and Ischia. Parco Virgiliano was
named after Virgil, the classical Roman poet who is
thought to be entombed nearby. Naples is noted for
its numerous stately villas, such as the
Neoclassical Villa Floridiana, built in 1816.
The wider Naples area
The islands of Procida (which was used as the set
for much of the film Il Postino), Capri and Ischia
can all be reached from Naples by hydrofoils and
ferries. Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast are situated
south of the city, while the Roman ruins of Pompeii,
Herculaneum and Stabiae, which were destroyed in the
79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, are also nearby.
Naples lies near the volcanic area known as the
Campi Flegrei and the port towns of Pozzuoli and
Baia, which were part of a vast Roman naval
facility, Portus Julius.
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