Wednesday, August 3, 2011

NAPLES-ITALY

(includes Casalnuovo, Ercolano & Ischia)

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
Attanasio – 1-4 Vico Ferrovia; 011-39-081-285-675; tiny bakery; try sfogliatell, especially heavenly sfoglia riccia hot out of oven; clam-shaped pastry comes in 2 varieties (riccia and frolla); riccia more recognizable to Americans (flaky pastry shell filled with sweetened ricotta); frolla has smooth shell.
Augustus – 47 Via Toledo; 011-39-081-551-3540; desserts.
Bianco Bio – 13 Via Enrico Alvino (Vomero); 011-39-081-558-3885; biancobio.com; all-organic gelato; take funicular.
Caffe del Professore – 46 Piazza Trieste e Trento; 011-39-081-403-041; ilverobardelprofessore.com; famous for its rich hazelnut cream coffee; if here for breakfast, have coffee and then trot to La Sfogliatella Mary for pastry.
La Sfogliatella Mary – 66 Via Toledo (Centro Storico, at Galleria Umberto I); 011-39-081-402-218; never short of clambering crowd; hole-in-wall kiosk that serves some of steamiest, creamiest sfogliatelle riccia (sweet ricotta and candied-citrus-filled pastry) in town; top off your sugar fix with mini Moretto (chocolate babà filled with cocoa cream).



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Barril BereVino – 11 Via Giuseppe Fiorelli; 011-39-081-038-5483; facebook.com/pages/BereVino-WineBar/174033864767; wine bar with covered patio and stark interior.
Bourbon Street – 52-53 Via Bellini; 011-39-33-4381-8158; bourbonstreetjazzclub.com; jazz.
Caffe al Barcadero – 2 Banchina Santa Lucia (on Castel dell’Ovo Isola); 011-39-081-222-7023; hidden; Bohemian.
Enoteca Belledonne – 18 Vico Belledonne (at Chiaia); 011-39-081-403-162; enotecabelledonne.com; wine bar.
Noir – 58 Vico Acitillo (Vomero); 011-39-34-7051-2211; noirnapoli.com; jazz.
Skybar – 45 Via Cristoforo Colombo (at Romeo Hotel); 011-39-081-017-5001; romehotel.it; rooftop restaurant.
Trip – 64 Via Giuseppe Martucci; 011-39-081-1956-8994; tripnapoli.com; locale that defies labels; children’s play groups in morning; theme parties at night.



BEACHES
Sorgeto Beach – Ischia; difficult to access but worth effort; best thermal springs at beach itself.



HOTELS
Chiaia Hotel de Charme – 216 Via Chiaia; 011-39-081-415-555; hotel.chiaia.it; pensione in superb central location; former bordello approached through walled courtyard and up arched staircase; small rooms are clean.
Costantinopoli 104 – 104 Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli; 011-39-081-557-1035; costantinopoli104.it; beautiful restored villa with rooms that look over garden and pool.
Decumani Hotel de Charme – 15 Via San Giovanni Maggiore Pignatelli; 011-39-081-551-8188; decumani.com; pleasant 19th Century hotel; near city center and train station.
Fiore de Napoli – 92 Via Francesco Girardi; 011-39-081-1957-7083; in city center; on 18th Century CE building’s 3rd floor; at 20th Century CE’s beginning, Matilde Serao lived here; clean; perfectuly run; roof terrace with stunning views.
Grand Hotel Parker’s – 135 Corso Vittorio Emanuele (on Vomero’s slopes); 011-39-081-761-2474; grandhotelparkers.it; great 19th Century hotel; very large rooms with Charles X, Louis XIV, and Empire antiques; sea and volcano views; owners also will arrange private tours to their vineyard, Villa Matilde.
Grand Hotel Vesuvio – 45 Via Partenope; 011-39-081-764-0044; vesuvio.it; 1882 building damaged by WWII bombing; 1st hotel on promenade; grounds with fountains and trees; rooms have parquet floors and marble baths; some rooms have lovely balcony views; excellent rooftop restaurant; ask for 1 of 21 2nd floor suites, replete with 19th Century tapestries (most luxurious).
Hotel Excelsior – 48 Via Partenope; 011-39-081-764-0111; excelsior.it; beautiful bay views.
Mezzatorre Resort & Spa – 23 Via Mezzatorre (Forio d’Ischia); 011-39-081-986-111; mezzatorre.com; on rocky headland; in 17 acre park; 22 rooms in red building are best (many have private terraces); large pool; spa.
Hotel Micalo – 88 Riviera di Chiaia; 011-39-081-761-7131; micalo.it; slick boutique.
Hotel Palazzo Decumani – 8 Via del Grande Archivio; 011-39-081-420-1379; palazzodecumani.com; recently renovated, 20th Century town house in historic center; 28 simple, stylish rooms set around grand spiral staircase.
Palazzo Alabardieri – 38 Via Alabardieri (off Piazza dei Martiri); 011-39-081-415-278; palazzoalabardieri.it/en; on quiet street in elegant neighborhood; set behind secluded courtyard; classical and simple rooms.
Riviera di Chiaia – 281 Riviera di Chiaia; 011-39-081-669-748; riviera281.it (only 3 rooms).
Romeo Hotel – 45 Via Cristoforo Colombo; 011-39-081-017-5001; romehotel.it; waterfront hotel near ferry docks; all taxi drivers know where it is (important); rooftop restaurant, guest rooms decorated in earth tones with Tabu wood floors; open-space lobby with Francesco Clemente mural; music lounge; sushi bar; huge spa; and 22 suites with dramatic views of Capri and Mt. Vesuvius; also, impressive art collection.
San Francesco al Monte – 328 Corso Vittorio Emanuele (Vomero); 011-39-081-423-9111; sanfrancescoalmonte.it; best city views; except for swimming pool, lush, terraced grounds haven’t changed much since 16th Century; 45 rooms but #45 is best (plush and private); from sweeping balcony, can see city, sea, and volcano.
Hotel Terme Manzi – 4 Piazza Bagni (Ischia); 011-39-081-994-722; termimanzihotel.com.



RESTAURANTS
Antica Cantina del Gallo – 21 Via Alessandro Telesino (Rione Sanita); 011-39-081-544-1521; cantinadelgallo.com; in area outside old city walls; open since 1898; everything handmade; notable for pizza, seafood, and tripe.
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele – 1 Via Cesare Sersale; 011-39-081-553-9204; damichele.net; perhaps Naples’ most famous pizza.
Brandi – 2 Salita Sant’Anna di Palazzo; 011-39-081-416-928; brandi.it; pizza since 1780.
La Cantina di Via Sapienza – 40-41 Via Sapienza; 011-39-081-459-078; cantinadiviasapienza.it; for polpette al sugo (meatballs) in red sauce.
Il Comandante – 45 Via Cristoforo Colombo (at Romeo Hotel); 011-39-081-017-5008/9; romehotel.it; rooftop restaurant.
A Cucina ‘E Mamma – 101 Via Foria; 011-39-81 449022; paginegialle.it/acucinemamma; restaurant for locals almost exclusively.
A Cucina Ra Casa Mia – 14 Via Carlo de Cesare; 011-39-081-497-6297; acucinaracasamia.it; fantastic and cozy restaurant near Palazzo Reale; all staff kind and pasta carbonara 5 stars; best price/quality restaurant.
Dora – 30 Via Ferdinando Palasciano; 011-39-081-680-519; tucked away on deserted street; fresh seafood; looks like another run-of-mill trattoria, with bright lighting, old paintings, and blue-and-white checkered tiles; try catch of day, gently roasted with olive oil, salt and lemon, and served with potatoes; spaghetti alle vongole offers delicious contrast of tender clams and al dente pasta; pair seafood with crisp falanghina.
L’Europeo dei Mattozi – 4 Via Marchese Campodisola; 011-39-081-552-1323; europeomattozzi.it; pizza.
George’s Restaurant – 135 Corso Vittorio Emanuele (at Grand Hotel Parker’s); 011-39-081-761-2474; grandhotelparkers.it; outdoor seating.
Gran Caffe Gambrinus – 1-2 Via Chiaia; 011-39-081-417-582; caffegambrinus.com; marbled cafe from late 19th Century that hosts rich and famous (once including Oscar Wilde); sit outdoors to view Piazza del Plebiscito, among most impressive squares in Italy, as well as well-dressed Neapolitans going about their day; come here after opera.
Jap-One – 30 Via Santa Maria a Cappella Vecchia (Piazza dei Martiri); 011-39-081-764-6667; japonegroup.com; sushi; at end of winding back street & walk alone is worth trip.
Kukai Nibu – 52 Via Carlo de Cesare; 011-39-081-425-888; kukai.it; slightly cramped but high design interior; good sushi and people-watching.
Locanda N’Tretella – 25 Salita Sant’Anna del Palazzo; 011-39-081-427-783; typically Neapolitan; show up early or reserve.
Lombardi a Santa Chiara – 59 Via Benedetto Croce; 011-39-081-552-0780; from J-Lo lookalikes to cantankerous nonni, Neapolitans clamber to get into this faded favorite; for classic pizza, hearty pasta, and seafood; vegetarians are spoilt for choice; queues are long, so book ahead.
Di Matteo – 94 Via dei Tribunali; 011-39-081-455-262; pizza fritta (fried dough stuffed with cheese and ham) is world famous; but must try arancini (fried rice balls with meat and cheese), and crochette di patate (fried mashed potato).
Da Michele – 1 Via Sersale; 011-39-081-553-9204; damichele.net; legendary pizza.
Mimi Alla Ferrovia – 21 Via Alfonso D'Aragona (on Piazza Garibaldi); 011-39-081-553-8525; mimiallaferrovia.it; patrons have included Fellini & Totò; serves fine versions of everything from pasta e fagioli (with beans) to sea bass al presidente, baked in pastry crust; owner’s son, Salvatore, is new chef, working wonders in kitchen; not so much see-&-be-seen place as common ground for famous & unknown to mingle, feast, and be of good cheer; given fairly seedy neighborhood, travel here & back by taxi, especially at night.
Osteria della Mattonella – 13 Via Giovanni Nicotera; 011-39-081-416-541; famous for its polpette (meatballs) in tomato sauce.
Palazzo Petrucci – 4 Piazza San Domenico Maggiore (Piazza San Domenico Maggiore); 011-39-081-552-4068; palazzopetrucci.it; exquisite.
Il Pizzaiolo del Presidente – 120-121 Via dei Tribunali; 011-39-081-210-903; ilpizzaiolodelpresidente.it; pizza fritta, arancini, and crochette di patate; renamed after President Bill Clinton visited.
Pizzeria di Matteo – 94 Via dei Tribunali; 011-39-081-455-262; amoitaly.com/napoli/di_matteo.html; among city’s most popular pizzerias.
Pizzeria La Notizia – 53-55 Via Michelangelo da Caravaggio; 011-39-081-714-2155; take funicular to Vomero then cab; best pizza.
Pizzeria Starita – 27-28 Via Materdei; 011-39-081-557-3682 or 011-39-081-544-1485; pizzeriastarita.it; the Neapolitan pizza place; standard by which all pizza measured; try rachetta.
Ristorante da Dora – 28 Via Ferdinando Palasciano; 011-39-081-680-519; dadora.it; famous for seafood.
Ristorante Mattozzi Europeo – 4 Via Marchese Campodisola; 011-39-081-552-1323; great seafood.
Pizzeria Sorbillo – 32 Via Tribuanli; 011-39-081-446-643; sorbillo.it; not pretty but great, thin-crust pizza; there is another Sorbillo pizzeria on this street that is not bad but this is place to wait for.
Squisitezze – 100 Via Costantinopoli; 011-39-081-401-578; lastanzadelgusto.com; cheese bar and covivial osteria; serves some of most innovative food in city; order arancino di mare and birramisu, re-imagined version of dessert.
La Stanza del Gusto – 100 Via Costantinopoli; 011-39-081-401-578; lastanzadelgusto.com; more formal counterpart to Squisitezze.
Tender – 5 Via Santa Maria a Cappella Vecchia (Piazza dei Martiri); 011-39-081-764-3143; japonegroup.com/tender-sushi-bar; sushi; less manic than Jap-One.
La Trattoria Il Focolare – Via Cretaio al Crocefisso (Barano, Ischia); 011-39-081-902-944; trattoriafocolare.it; rustic dining in hills between Casamicciola and Barano; famous for rabbit stew.
Trattoria Nennella – 105 Vicolo Lungo Teatro Nuovo; 011-39-081-414-338; digilander.libero.it/trattorianennella/nennella.htm; must visit; traditional Neapolitan food, excellent prices and quality; nutty waitstaff.
Trianon da Ciro – 42-46 Via Pietro Colletta; 011-39-081-553-9426; pizza and beer with great piazza view.
Umberto – 30 Via Alabardieri; 011-39-081-418-555; umberto.it; simple, elegant, playful; Slow Food movement effort; should not be missed; try E tubettoni d’ ’o treddeta; also, good pizza.
Zero Sushi Bar – 45 Via Cristoforo Colombo (at Romeo Hotel); 011-39-081-017-5001; romehotel.it.
Zi’ Teresa – 1 Borgo Marinaro; 011-39-081-764-2565; on port in center-city harbor (Borgo Marinaro); open since 1944; elegantly decorated with airy Mediterranean tiles; large terrace opening onto small harbor, with tables draped in linen tablecloths and silver cutlery; book ahead to make sure you get place as close to seafront as possible and enjoy unspectacular but perfectly prepared seafood pastas and grilled fish.



SERVICES
Arte Card – artecard.it; official, Naples-region, arts & culture pass for both admission to certain sights and transportation thereto.
Silvia Braggio – silvia@silviaguide.it or silviaguide.it; licensed archaeological guide with degree in English.
Tirrenian Charter – 191 Via Arenaccia; 011-39-081-599-3068; tirreniancharter.com; charter private boat to Capri or Ischia.



SHOPPING
Antichita’ Costantinopoli – 100 Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli; 011-39-081-447-004; Baroque and Rococo antiques, including books and monogrammed silver, picture frames.
Ascione – 19 Piazzetta Matilde Serao; 011-39-081-421-111 (must call for appointment); ascione.it; high-end jeweler on Galleria Umberto’s 2nd floor, across from Teatro San Carlo; lustrous rings, pearlescent bracelets, and other baubles all made from coral, in nearby Torre del Greco; museum next door (cameos and other coral jewelry from 1805-present).
Isaia – 44 Via Roma (Casalnuovo); 011-39-081-521; originally fabric manufacturer; in 1957, Enrico Isaia decided to extend to producing custom-made suits; brand has grown considerably, but remains true to tradition; Gianluca Isaia now cultivates.
Luigi Borelli – 68 Via Gaetano Filangieri; 011-39-081-423-8273; luigiborelli.com; bespoke tailor.
Livio De Simone – 15 Via Domenico; 011-39-081-764-3827; liviodesimone.com; hand-painted summer dresses.
Anna Mattuozo – 26 Viale Gramsci; 011-39-081-663-874; annamattuozo.it; shirts; some contend finest shirt source in world; array of distinctive fabrics; owner sews shirt flawlessly fit to form.
Antonio Panico – 29 Via Carducci; 011-39-081-415-804; sartoriapanico.it; suits; 2nd fittings required, as are appointments.
Esprit Nouveau – 20 Via Calabritto; 011-39-081-215-3793; vintage fabrics and out-of-production furniture.
Marinella – 287 Riviera di Chiaia; 011-39-081-764-4214; marinellanapoli.it; silk products (scarves, shirts, and ties) and some leather goods; since 1914; beautiful.
Anna Matuozzo – 26 Viale Gramsci; 011-39-081-663-874; annamatuozzo.it; custom-fitted shirts for men and women.
Eddy Monetti – 45 Via dei Mille; 011-39-081-407-064; eddymonetti.it; for men’s hats.
Eddy Monetti – 8 Piazza Santa Caterina; 011-39-081-403-229; eddymonetti.it; for women’s hats.
Mariano Rubinacci – 26 Gaetano Filangieri; 011-39-081-415-793; marianorubinacci.net; bespoke tailor.
Pasticceria Volpe – 225 Viale Colli Arminei; 011-39-081-741-9657; pasticceriavolpe.it; worth special visit although in less than aesthetic environment; near National Museum of Capidomonte; order syrupy babas, mini-sfogliatelle, mignon moderna (mini-mousse cakes).
Raro – 52 Via Giuseppe Martucci; 011-39-081-761-8461; raro-design.com; contemporary housewares.
Sartoria Solito – 256 Via Toledo; 011-39-081-414-095; sartoriasolito.it; tailor.
Studio Trisorio – 215 Riviera di Chiaia; 011-39-081-414-306; studiotrisorio.com; art gallery.
Talarico – 4B Vico due Porte a Toledo; 011-39-081-407-723; mariotalarico.it; handcrafted umbrellas since 1860 with exotic wood handles.
Ulturale – 115 Via Carlo Poerio; 011-39-081-248-1151; ulturalecravatte.it; ties (just 5 cut from each bolt).



SIGHTS & SITES
Castel dell’Ovo – tiny island where Naples said to have begun.
Castel Sant’Elmo – 20 Via Tito Angelini (atop Vomero Hill, near Certosa di San Martino); 011-39-081-229-4401; star-shaped structure with 6 points and several moats; built by Angevins in 1329 (called Belforte); remade into present fortress by Viceroy Pedro Toledo in 16th Century; used as prison during Masaniello revolution in 1799; great bay and city views.
Catacombe di San Gaudioso – 124 Via della Sanita; 011-39-081-544-1305; santamariadellasanita.it; daily tours (9:30-12:30).
Catacombe di San Gennaro – 16 Via Capodimonte; 011-39-081-741-1071; Tue-Sun (9-12) for guided tours.
Centro Storico – historic city center.
Chiesa San Lorenzo Maggiore – Piazza San Gaetano (off Via dei Tribunali, 3 blocks west of Via Duomo); 011-081-39-290-580 or 011-39-081-211-0860 (excavations); sanlorenzomaggiorenapoli.it; Naples’ most beautiful medieval church; famous for literary past (Giovanni Boccaccio met Fiammetta here in 1334, attached convent hosted Francesco Petrarca, Ann Radcliffe’s Italian set in part here); 6th Century basilica, rebuilt in 1270 by Carlo I d’Angiò and successor in Gothic style; innumerable artworks within, including 13th and 14th Century frescoes, as well as beautiful altars and monumental tombs; Chapter Hall and monastery refectory, built in 13th Century; from 14th Century cloister, enter Greek and Roman excavations (from Roman Macellum, 1st Century city market, complete with merchant stalls, to paleochristian basilica, to medieval building to, finally, existing buildings).
Chiesa Santa Maria delle Anime dell Purgatorio – 39 Via Tribunali (Spaccanapoli); 011-39-081-292-622; incontrinapoletani.it; representative Baroque church built in 17th Century; façade with funerary decorations, skulls and bronze-crossed shin-bones, probably designed by architect Cosimo Fanzago; portal by sculptor Giuseppe de Marino; interior has ornamental friezes and colored marbles behind altar (by Dionisio Lazzari); excellent art works include San Alessio Moribondo (Luca Giordano), Madonna e le Anime Purganti (Massimo Stanzione), and Monumento Sepolcrale di Giulio Mastrilli (Andrea Vaccaro).
Cimetero di Santa Maria del Pianto – Via Santa Maria del Pianto (Poggioreale); 011-39-081-795-7509; significantcemeteries.org; includes Church of Santa Maria del Pianto (“Wailing”); by architect Antonio Picchiatti Francis; originally built to contain plague dead from 1656.
Galleria di Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano – 185 Via Toledo; 011-39-081-781-1656; palazzozevallos.com; note, see Caravaggio’s Martyrdom of Saint Ursula (1610, last known work).
Herculaneum & Pompeii – separate sights but both worth visiting, despite tourist crowds.
Mercato di Pugliano – Via Pugliano (Ercolano); Italy’s largest vintage clothing market.
La Mortella – 39 Via F. Calise (Ischia); 011-39-081-986-220; Ischia.it/mortella; tropical paradise-like garden.
Mount Vesuvius – Ercolano Scavi; buses run to top or can take 30-minute walk.
Museo de Arte Donna Regina (MADRe) – 79 Via Settembrini; 011-39-081-562-4561; museomadre.it; modern art museum; among country’s best contemporary art museums.
Museo Archeologico Nazionale – 19 Piazza Museo; 011-39-081-442-2149; marketplace.it/museo.nazionale; includes gigantic replica of Pompeii that brings buried civilization to life, along with artifact trove (medical scalpels, coins, and etched horn dice).
Museo Cappella Sansevero – 19 Via F. De Sanctis; 011-39-081-551-8470; museosansevero.it; marble veiled Christ statue (Il Disinganno) is spellbinding.
Museo Nazionale di Capidomonte – 2 Via di Milano; 011-39-84-880-0288; museo-capodimonte.it; Farnese collections, inherited from Bourbons and accrued down years, form galleries’ nucleus; essentially chronological presentational layout allows visitors to trace major movements in Italian art history and contextualize them against foreign examples; among treasures are Titian’s Danaë and Paul III with His Nephews, Masaccio’s Crucifixion, Bellini’s Transfiguration, Breughel’s Parable of Blind, Raphael’s Holy Family & Caravaggio’s Flagellation of Christ (1607); gardens worth visit in and of themselves.
Museum & Historical Archives of Teatro di San Carlo – Palazzo Reale; 011-39-06-3996-7050; memus.org; filled with operatic history ephemera (antique costumes, etc.).
Naples Cathedral (Duomo di Napoli, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assent or Cattedrale di San Gennaro) – Piazzetta Guglia del Duomo (147 Via del Duomo); 011-39-081-449-097; thecatholictravelguide.com/NaplesCathedral.htmlor museosangennaro.it/en; Naples founded in 4th Century on Greek temple (dedicated to Apollo) site; only baptistery (5th Century) survives from this early period; present building built in French Gothic style in 1294-1323, begun by Charles I & completed under Robert Wise; several reconstructions & renovations since; in 1407, west facade rebuilt by Antonio Baboccio after earthquake destruction; remaining building rebuilt after another earthquake in 1456; west facade renovated in Neo-Gothic style (1877-1905) by Enrico Alvino; only portal survives from medieval facade; large nave has 16 piers that incorporate more than 100 classical granite columns from Africa & East; decoration is mostly Baroque (side walls bear portraits of 46 saints painted by Luca Giordano (d. 1705) & ornate ceiling by Fabrizio Santafede in 1621); over nave central doorway are several important Angevin tombs: Charles I of Anjou (d. 1285); Charles Martel (d. 1296); & his wife Clementina of Habsburg (monuments by Domenico Fontana in 1599); north transept contains tomb of Innocent IV (d. 1254), Cosmatesque work of 1315, & tomb of Andrew of Hungary, who married Joan I & murdered by strangling, possibly on her orders, in 1345; extending from nave left side is Basilica di Santa Restitute (Capella di Santa Restitute); oldest church in Naples & cathedral original site; 27 columns may be from ancient Greek temple & Early Christian mosaic floor fragments have been revealed (visitors can tour some ancient features, including Greco-Roman mosaic floor, in excavations beneath chapel; on apse right side (in Santa Restitute) is ancient baptistery, known as Chapel of San Giovanni in Fonte; dating from 5th Century, it has square plan & square dome; Byzantine mosaics (also 5th Century) preserved in dome, centering on golden Chi-Rho with Alpha & Omega on blue background with stars; narrative mosaics lower down, some of which are quite fragmentary; off nave right aisle is Chapel of St. Januarius (Capella di San Gennaro), built by Francesco Grimaldi in 1608-37 in fulfillment of vow made by Naples citizens; chapel also functions as cathedral treasury (Tesoro) & is elaborately decorated with Baroque art; there are no less than 7 altars, 4 of which have paintings by Domenichino; tabernacle behind main altar enshrines silver reliquary bust (1305) containing head of St. Januarius; large gilt-bronze grille separates chapel from nave; other notable side chapels include 5th & 7th on left, with 13th Century bas reliefs, & 6th on left, with Byzantine-style mosaic of Virgin Enthroned by Lello da Roma (1322); cathedral patron saint, St. Januarius (San Gennaro) was Italian bishop martyred in Pozzuoli under Diocletian around 305 CE; his body was transported to Naples Cathedral around 400 CE; very little known about his life or specifics of his death; most accounts date from several centuries later; Capella di San Gennaro is home to both reliquary bust (containing his head) & crypt altar containing 2 vials of his blood, which famously liquefies several times each year; make sure to see Museum of Treasury of San Gennaro while there; .
Palazzo delle Arti Napoli (PAN) – 60 Via dei Mille; 011-39-081-795-8604; palazzoartinapoli.net; pink 17th Century palazzo houses modern art exhibits.
Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano – 185 Via Toledo; 011-39-081-781-1656; palazzozevallos.com; elegant; 2nd floor gallery displays Caravaggio’s Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, recently restored.
Pio Monte della Misericordia – 253 Via dei Tribunali; 011-39-081-446-944; piomontedellamisericordia.it; Caravaggio’s masterpiece, Seven Works of Mercy (1607); for best view, take elevator upstairs to picture gallery.
San Martino Museum – 1 Largo San Martino (Sant’Elmo, on Vomero); 011-39-081-578-1769; museosanmartino.campaniabeniculturali.it; since 1866, monastery complex Certosa di San Martino (St. Martin’s Charterhouse) has housed National Museum of San Martino; includes church, charterhouse, beautiful monastery yards, and terraced garden, from which breathtaking Naples Gulf views; monastery building began under Charles of Anjou (Duke of Calabria) and finished in 1368; numerous frescoes, marble paneling, woodcarvings, and floor mosaics; church, Chiesa delle Donne, decorated with Lanfranco frescoes; museum located in former monks’ living quarters; displays exhibits from different Neapolitan eras; also folk art section, marine-, and Vesuvius section, and famous Neapolitan nativity scene collection, including Presepe Cuciniello (“Cuciniello’s crib,” 162 people, 80 animals, 28 angels, and about 450 miniature items, among finest nativity scenes); includes “must-see” paintings such as Micco Spadaro’s Lazzaretto at Largo Mercatello.
Santa Chiara Cloister – 49 Via Santa Chiara (Centro Storico western end, just off Piazza del Gesù); 011-39-081-797-1224; monasterodisantachiara.com; 14th Century frescoes alone worth special visit; among most beautiful and beloved churches in Naples; set in walled, citadel-like complex; rare example of city’s austere Gothic history (Angevin Dynasty, 1266-1442); early 14th Century project of King Robert Wise and his wife Queen Sancha Majorca; best viewed from above, from vantage point such as Piazzale San Martino; restyled in 18th Century, work of Neapolitan painter, sculptor and architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro; nearly completely destroyed by Allied air raids on August 4, 1943; Majolica Tiled Cloister redesigned as part of Domenico Antonio Vaccaro’s remodel and adorned in hand-painted Neapolitan ceramic tiles by Donato and Giuseppe Massa is located behind church; from there can reach Museum of Works (documents restoration and houses fine collection of sculpture, pottery, reliquaries and decorative art that survived WWII bombings); outside is 1st Century Roman Thermal Bath Complex that emerged after air raids; also, 18-19th Century Neapolitan Presepe (nativity) collection in small room just off cloister.
Spaccanapoli – city’s modern thoroughfare, walk through backstreets.
Stromboli – accessible by boat; steep trail takes about 2.5 hours; wise to hire guide; try to find energy to least reach L’Osservatorio, restaurant with eruption views (45-minute walk).
Subway System – metro.na.it; over past decade, city has been upgrading subway system sections; currently, on lines 1 and 6, there are 11 different “Art Stations,” housing 180 works by 90 internationally-renowned artists; and, the stations don’t just house art – they are art; Milanese furniture designer Alessandro Mendini designed 2 stations, starting with Salvator Rosa (Vomero Hill); Gae Aulenti (Paris’ Musee d’Orsay) created 2 others, including Dante (glass and metal station that is 4-level escalator maze); Monte St. Angelo subway station, designed by Anish Kapoor, in Traiano district, resembles descent into underworld (2 different entrances, rust-colored steel mass or aluminum tube).
Teatro di San Carlo – 98 Via San Carlo; 011-39-081-797-2111; teatrosancarlo.it; Europe’s longest-running opera house and UNESCO World Heritage Site; never closed, even during WWII.
Via San Gregorio Armeno – street notable for nativity scene shops.
Via Toledo – home to excellent shops.
Villa Campolieto – Corso Resina (Ercolano); 011-011-39-081-732-2134; villevesuviane.net; trompe l’oeil wall paintings distinguish this villa built in 1775 for Prince Luzio di Sangro.
Villa Comunale Park – near Chiaia Riviera; stroll on Sunday.

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