Napoli, or Naples, is the capital of Campania and one of the largest cities in Southern Italy. It doesn't have the iconic reputation of some of its northern cousins, which is a mistake we're going to fix here! Naples is located within the Campanian Volcanic Arc, which centers around the Bay of Naples, and is a great base if you're interested in visiting the historic ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum (the cities famously destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD).
Now, Naples has an incredible history. And it's been hugely influential. What we generally think of as Italian language and cuisine largely originated in Naples. And Neopolitans have also made significant contributions to shaping Italian arts and theatre.
There's an incredible amount of riches to see in the city-- the museums, the architecture. The old town center is a good place to start. It's the biggest in Europe and you can begin to explore the hundreds of monumental churches, and palaces. Piazza Plebiscito, where you'll find the Royal Palace, is a great place to people watch. It's where the locals hang out. And if you want to act like a local, you can join them for a walk along the Caracciolo seafront and Via Partenope.
When you're done above ground, there's a whole city under the city. You can take a guided tour through the underground cisterns that date back to the Greek-Roman period when Naples was the only city in Europe to have drinking water in its homes. You can also visit an underground Greek-Roman theatre and the San Gennaro catacombs, with frescoes dating back to the 10th century. Now, let's talk food: Neapolitans are credited with the creation of the most famous of Italian inventions: the Pizza! Although it started its life in the late 1700's as a focaccia, the first pizzeria serving what we now think of as pizza opened in 1830. The Pizza Margherita, which is traditionally made with mozzarella cheese, tomato, and basil (representing the colours of the Italian flag) was so named after being served to Italy's Queen Margherita when she was visiting the city. Other local gastronomic creations include Melanzane alla Parmigiana aka Eggplant Parmesan and Spaghetti with Ragu. Traditional desserts include the Baba, a soft pastry soaked in a rum-based syrup, and the Sfogliatella, with a ricotta-based filling, semolina, candied fruit, vanilla and citron. And some say that Naples has the best cup of espresso in all of Italy---but I'd say the world!
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