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Interesting Facts
- Naples is often referred to as the "Parthenopaean City." The name is derived from an ancient Greek legend, which holds that the city of Naples is located on the burial site of the mythological temptress, Parthenope.
- The city of Naples was originally founded as a Greek colony around the fourth or fifth century BC and was called Neapolis (which means New City). Because of its enticing coastal setting, the area served as one of the world's first "vacation retreats" for wealthy Roman dignitaries, including Virgil, Augustus, Pompey, Caesar, Tiberius and others.
- Commissioned by Charles I of Anjou, the ominous Castel Nuovo (New Castle) was built in 1282 by the King's architect, Pierre de Chaule. Nothing today, however, survives of the original castle, save the small Palentine Chapel. Over the years, war, fire and natural disasters laid waste to the overall foundation. The castle, as it stands today, is the result of renovations by the Argonese during the fifteenth century.
- The Capella di San Gennaro at the Duomo is dedicated to Saint Januarius, the patron saint of the city. Inside the chapel is his skull, as well as two phials of his blood that are said to miraculously liquefy three times a year — on the first Sunday in May, September 19, and December 16.
- Located below the Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte lie a series of dark, winding catacombs that date back to the second century. It is said that San Gennaro was buried here. For the curious and stout of heart, guided tours are available each day.
- Who says the Pope doesn't enjoy worldly treasures? Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, who would be named Pope Paul III in 1534, amassed an impressive collection of art work that is now on display at the Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte.
- One of the more unusual, if not eerie, sights you'll find anywhere is the Ospedale delle Bambole, which is a doll hospital that not only sells, but repairs dolls. Located on Via San Biago dei Librai (just look for the disembodied doll parts in the window), the doll hospital can usually handle some emergencies while you wait...assuming, of course, that complications don't set in.
- One of the finest attractions in all of Naples is the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (National Archeological Museum), which contains many antiquities of the Farnese collection as well as a comprehensive array of Greco-Roman artifacts. Of particular interest are the Roamn treasures that were discovered among the ruins at Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- The ornate Palazzo Reale, which was built in 1602 in anticipation of a visit from the King of Spain, is a monument of excess and opulence. Gilded furniture, intricate tapestries, and a number of seventeenth century paintings adorn the interior. In 1888, the statues of eight influential Napoli kings were housed in the façade: Roger of Altavilla, Frederick II of Swabia, Charles I of Anjou, Alfonso I of Aragon, Charles V of Gemito, Charles of Bourbon, Joachim Murat, and Victor Emanuel II.
- Located on the site of an old Roman villa, Castel Dell'Ovo was built by the Normans as a protective fortress and is the oldest castle in Naples. The name, which literally means "The Castle of the Egg," is derived from a Virgilian legend that claims a mystical egg was placed within its walls. The destiny of the Castle was subsequently linked to the fate of the fragile egg.
