Italy… The land of olive oil and wine, spaghettiand the mafia, ancient ruins and high fashion. It is impossible not to fall in love with this country, even if you have never been there. A sunny corner of the world that can offer its guests thousands of interesting places, keeps thousands of secrets, and has given the world thousands of famous people. Each city in this country is a real miracle, and each has something special to tell. Any of them can be dedicated to a whole book revealing great secrets. On the shores of the Gulf of Naples, on its northern side, is Naples, the sights of which are so interesting that even the noise and bustle of the city will not dissuade you from visiting it. Naples is a rather controversial city in Italy. It is either loved or not. And, despite this, it is so extraordinary, lively and bright! The song "O sole mio", pizza Margherita, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius ... But that's not all! Naples is rightfully considered the most romantic city in Italy, and is its unofficial northern capital. It is not for nothing that this city attracts people in love and lovers of antiquities. After all, 2500 thousand years of existence is not a joke! Over these years, it has seen enough, experienced the influence of several civilizations, from Greek to Austrian. Here, any fan of history will find something interesting for themselves. The sights of Naples are not only the famous ruins of antiquity, which are simply mesmerizing with their grandeur, but also perfectly preserved palaces, cathedrals, and even simple residential buildings from different times. It was on the shore of the Gulf of Naples that the Roman patricians built their palaces. They were attracted by the mild climate and beauty of these places, even the existence of a volcano did not stop the growth of civilization. And, as you know, this did not lead to anything good, Vesuvius did not tolerate neighbors. Each part of Naples is like a separate page of a history textbook, each of its streets has its secrets, and everything around is so colorful and bright that it looks like a decoration for an exciting show. The sights of Naples attract not only tourists, even native Italians from other regions of the country come here to fully enjoy the real ancient Italy.
Castel del Ovo - Egg Castle
First of all, this southern city is rememberedwith its amazingly beautiful castles. For example, Castel dell'Ovo - the Egg Castle. This landmark of Naples consists of several towers belonging to different eras, and at first glance at this amazing structure you can see a huge ship sailing on the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea. According to legends, this amazing city began its existence in this place. The castle was rebuilt several times to suit the tastes of various commanders and emperors, and in 476 BC monks settled here, who remained full-fledged inhabitants of the fortress for several centuries. During the time of Charles I of Anjou, in the 17th century, there was a prison for especially dangerous political criminals here. The way you can see it now, Castel dell'Ovo became in 1139, and then it received its name, thanks to the special shape of the buildings. There is also another version that gave the name to this landmark of Naples. There is a legend about the Latin poet Virgil, who had the ability to do witchcraft. The poet hung a jug with an egg in one of the rooms of the castle, and if the vessel fell and broke, the castle and the entire city would turn into stone ruins. The castle has preserved many interesting stories and unique landscapes for tourists. From the very top terrace there is a magnificent view of the bay and the island of Capri. The interior of the fortress contains both medieval and Gothic structures, as well as very ancient ones, for example, the remains of the pagan structure of San Salvatore. And what is most interesting is that the Castle of the Egg is surprisingly similar to the Chateau d'If, where the beloved literary character Edmond Dantes served his imprisonment.
Royal Palace
The Royal Palace is one of the most famousbuildings that Naples can boast of, an important landmark of the city, the main residence of the monarchs! Great things were done within the walls of this building, and no less great people visited them. Tsarevich Alexei hid from arrest here, Joachim Murat, Napoleon Bonaparte's marshal, lived here. The luxurious apartments contain famous works of art, objects of Neapolitan life, gifts from the Russian tsars. The Throne Room, the Hall of Hercules, the Central Hall, and the library are especially eye-catching. They form a museum where you can see the works of great Italian master artists, an ancient collection of papyri, and thousands of volumes of unique books.
Cathedral of Saint Gennaro
A great variety of interesting and unique placescan show us the southern Italian city of Naples, all the sights of the city are so diverse that everyone will find something important for themselves here - a historian and an archaeologist, a businessman and a housewife, an atheist and a believer. The Cathedral of St. Januarius is very well known in the religious world. And this fame came from its main relic - a vessel with the blood of the saint. The vessel was sealed almost two thousand years ago, but when it is shown to a truly religious person, the blood in the vessel becomes liquid (alive). The miracle happens three times a year: September 19, December 16, and every Saturday before the first Sunday of May. All these dates mean a lot to the Neapolitans, this is the day of the glorification of St. Januarius, the day of deliverance from the eruption of Vesuvius, and the day of the transfer of the holy relics. Some scientists are trying to convey to people that the performance with “alive” blood is just a fake, and even present evidence of their claims. Well, the church has always had power even over intelligent people, deceived, forced to believe in miracles. It is not for us to judge those who still believe and do not renounce their faith, although the evidence of deception, alas, is obvious.
The Garden of Captives
The tragedy that happened to the city in 79Pompeii is still considered the most terrible of all known on Earth. No volcano has ever thrown out such a quantity of ash, steam, and stones. Vesuvius erupted red-hot lava on the heads of the unfortunate inhabitants of Pompeii with incredible speed, stones flew from a height of thirty kilometers. The city was completely wiped off the face of the Earth, and all 16,000 inhabitants were buried alive under a sea of lava and ash. Thousands of years later, when archaeologists began excavating the site of the perished city, petrified statues were discovered - people who lived in Pompeii. There were many such finds, but one was remembered much more than the others, and has now become, perhaps, the saddest landmark of modern Naples. Once upon a time, there was a blooming garden in this place, and now it has become a “dead” garden of prisoners. Thirteen petrified bodies - people of different ages and sexes, together tried to overcome the terrible catastrophe, and froze in bizarre poses, waiting for rescue. Many exhibits of the excavations are now stored in the Archaeological Museum of the city, another attraction of Naples. Here you can also see a rich collection of both Greek and Roman antiquities. The museum rightfully occupies a leading place among the cultural attractions not only of Naples and Italy, but also of the whole world. Exhibits of antique sculpture, ancient frescoes and mosaics, illustrations of the ancient city, and the famous Temple of Isis - all this will certainly touch the hearts of people sophisticated in art.
Vesuvius
The still active volcano Vesuvius isthe most dangerous attraction in the world, but this is where its popularity lies. After all, all people are very curious by nature, and no danger will make them turn off the path that goes up to the mouth of Vesuvius. And the volcano simply looks at the guests, and when ever it makes itself known, releasing small streams of smoke, frightening the local population, and spurring the curiosity of tourists. Vesuvius National Park is a reserve on the territory of the volcano, tourists explore it on their own, choosing one of nine possible routes. You can only climb to the mouth of the volcano on foot, since the lifts have not been restored since the last eruption.
Sansevero Chapel
One of the most mysterious and famousThe sculpture composition “Christ under the Shroud” can be called one of the city’s works of art. All the sights of Naples located in the Sansevero Chapel are inferior to it in mystery. The chapel once belonged to the princes of Sansevero, served as their burial vault and family chapel. You can hear the legend that the marble shroud on the body of Christ was once a piece of fabric, but the prince invented a special infusion that turned the fabric into stone. This legend produces an inimitable effect on lovers of mysticism, and the sculpture is extremely popular among tourists. There are also other famous sculptures and tombstones located here, personifying various human characters and virtues. The sights of the southern Italian city of Naples are quite extensive. It is impossible to tell about all of them, you need to see them! To visit this city means to plunge into a world of contrasts and antiquities. You can hate Naples, you can fall in love with it at first sight, but no one can remain indifferent to it. Here people live their own life, different from life in other cities of Italy, here are their own rules, their own cuisine, and even their own language - a special dialect, which only the natives speak. The Italians themselves call this city the theater of life, a theater that anyone can enter, but not everyone will like the performance played out there. Therefore, the sights of Naples are as colorful and contrasting as the life of the city itself, which can be called the pride of Italy, but at the same time its pain and shame.
