Ross and Michelle on Tour: Naples – are we still in Italy? (Italy Part V)

From the rural tranquillity of Umbria, after a 400km drive south, we found ourselves thrust into the noise, chaos and dirt that is Naples.

Our view - a bit of a change from Assisi

Naples was a real culture shock for us. I knew it was ‘edgy’ and had a ‘rough element’, but that did not prepare us for a city which is easily the dirtiest we have seen in Europe and which feels more like a city in somewhere like Africa/Asia or the Middle East – rather than Italy. You are however constantly reminded where you are by pizza – this is after all the home of Italy’s most famous dish.

Saturday morning football

Driving in Naples is said to be something you do not want to do – and upon arriving we learned this to be true (fortunately from the backseat of a taxi, after dropping our rental off 3,700km after picking it up). Traffic lights (when working) offer guidance, but are not to be adhered to, lanes ignored (locals typically create an extra one, or just drive on the wrong side of the road), tooting is a way of life (much like Turkey) and scooters weave in and out of traffic like maniacs (sometimes with up to four people on them). Unfortunately, sporting a pink helmet and gripping the back of our B’n’B owner about half an hour after arriving I would be experiencing the ‘thrill’ of travel by scooter in Naples – crossing a 4 lane road on a red light being the highlight of the trip for me……

Parking is another story – I have never seen so many cars parked literally bumper to bumper in parallel parks – you seemingly simply gently nudge your way in and out – not sure you would maintain a no claims bonus in Naples for long.

So Naples was a place we had a love/hate relationship with. It is certainly worth a visit – highlights for us were:

La Pignasecca – Naples’ oldest street market. Although not the most famous market in Naples, we really enjoyed exploring this market. The seafood here is probably the best we have seen in any market. The range was vast – all kinds of shellfish, crustaceans and fish on offer. It was incredibly fresh – small live clams squirting you as you walked by and bags of live eels slithering in shallow tanks.
Chisea e Scavi di San Lorenzo Maggiore – under which are excavations under the city which have revealed the original Roman city which was situated here.
Cappella Sansevero – a small site which is home to some beautiful and intricate marble sculptures – the most famous of which is the ‘Veiled Christ’ – worth the hefty entry fee.
Pio Monte Della Misericordia – home of Caravaggio’s masterpiece – the Seven Acts of Mercy – but also housing a vast collection of art and antiques collected by the Pio Monte – which from what I could ascertain is a charity established by nobles which has survived for centuries, during which time it has amassed great wealth and treasures – and which devotes itself to the 7 Acts of Mercy – a number of causes such as feeding the poor, but which have evolved with time (ransoming the slave, no longer having much purpose these days, and having therefore been replaced by rescuing the prostitute).
Museo di Capodimonte – a huge national collection of art, combined with a visit to the royal apartments (which include a room with porcelain walls/decorations – if the dictionary was illustrated, you would find this under tacky – fortunately it is one of only 2 in the world… both by the same ‘artist’).
Sadly we skipped the Museo Archaeological Nazionale – home to many of the mosaics taken from Pompeii – but unfortunately these rooms and some of the other key rooms were closed for renovations during our visit. I would say something to see next time – but not sure there will be a next time for us.

While there are undeniably some great things to see and do here, the city is simply filthy – rubbish littered the streets, locals dropped litter rather than reaching for a bin, the smells were sometimes so bad they warranted a dry wretch, wandering round you never felt 100% safe (although I am sure most of the time we were) and the general chaos and noise of the traffic was a bit overwhelming. The locals on the other hand were passionate Italians – hot tempered, a bit loud and flamboyant and generally very hospitable. On balance, we were pleased to have visited, but very pleased to find ourselves leaving (except for the fact this necessitated a brief foray of driving in Naples)….

View out over Naples and the Bay

Herculaneum and the Pompeii

We visited these two sites from Naples and Sorrento respectively. Both are Roman cities buried by the massive explosion of Mt Vesuvius in 79AD – Herculaneum by a 16m sea of volcanic mud and Vesuvius by burning pumice and ash. In both cases the suddenness of the event resulted in significant casualties – and the fact that each city was buried has meant many things which would otherwise have been lost with age were perfectly preserved – mosaics, buildings, corpses, food – and so archaeologists have been able to learn much about day to day life in these once fashionable seaside villages.

Inside at Herculaneum

Pompeii is much larger and each day hoards of tourists flock here. Many of its finest mosaics and sculptures have been removed and are displayed in Naples, which is great in terms of preservation, but a shame as they look incredible in their original locations. That said – it is still a fascinating place and we easily passed about 6 hours here. Herculaneum in a smaller and less visited site. Similar in many ways to Pompeii, what it lacks in size, it makes up for by the fact its mosaics are still largely in place and you can visit it without having the navigate the huge tour groups which tend to dominate the more popular parts of Pompeii. Both offer a fascinating insight into life in these times – Pompeii even featuring a small brothel with frescos of various sexual positions, thought either to ‘inspire’ customers or be a form of menu from which they could select…..

Hmmm. Let's leave it at that huh? Next stop Amalfi Coast..... but have attached some pics from Herculaneum and Pompeii below.