Italy
Naples
The Historic Centre of Naples represents one of the most influential cultural centres in the Mediterranean region.
Founded in 470 BCE, it was among the most important cities of Magna Graecia. Subsequent periods saw Roman, Byzantine, Spanish and French rule and an era as an autonomous Duchy. From each period, outstanding elements remain visible in the city.
Community Perspective: Stay for a couple of days. Reviewers have named a rich selection of highlights, including the inner courtyard of the Santa Chiara monastery, the Archaeological Museum, the Palazzo di Capodimento, Teatro di San Carlo, Galeria Umberto I, Piazza del Gesù Nuovo and Napoli Sotteranea. There are also a lot of ugly buildings in between.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Historic Centre of Naples (ID: 726)
- Country
- Italy
- Status
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Inscribed 1995
Site history
History of Naples
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- ii
- iv
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- santachiara.info — Santa Chiara
- comune.napoli.it — Napoli City website
News Article
- Nov. 10, 2014 bbc.com — Saving Naples from crumbling away
Community Information
- Community Category
- Urban landscape: Urban continuity
Travel Information
Recent Connections
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Memory of the World
Architecture and archaeological excavat… -
Alexandre Dumas
Dumas was at Garibaldi's side on the da… -
Network of European Royal Residences
Royal Palace of Naples
Connections of Naples
- Individual People
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Alexandre Dumas
Dumas was at Garibaldi's side on the day of his entry into Naples (September 7, 1860). He resided in Naples for three years, when he was director of the excavations of Pompeii.See fr.wikipedia.org
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Goethe
Italian Journey -
Caravaggio
"Seven Works of Mercy" in the Pio Monte della Misericordia -
Giotto
In 1329 "Giotto was called by King Robert of Anjou to Naples where he remained with a group of pupils until 1333. Few of Giotto's Neapolitan works have survived: a fragment of a fresco portraying the Lamentation of Christ in the church of Santa Chiara and the Illustrious Men that is painted on the windows of the Santa Barbara Chapel of Castel Nuovo, which are usually attributed to his pupils." (wiki) -
Donatello
The tomb of Cardinal Rainaldo Brancacci in the church of Sant'Angelo a Nilo is a sculptural work executed by Donatello and Michelozzo around 1426-1428.See en.wikipedia.org
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King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Rama V)
(29 October) -
Rabban Bar Sauma
Visited 1287, see mapSee en.wikipedia.org
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Emperor Nero
Performed in the theatre here -
Belisarius
In the autumn of 536, Belisarius captured Naples as part of the Gothic War (535–554).See en.wikipedia.org
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- Geography
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Tyrhennian Sea
The inscribed area includes a large section of coastline both in the commercial and historic centre and south to the suburb of Posilipo with waterfront houses and the "Villa Donn'Anna... a historic residence.... It sits prominently at water's edge at the beginning of the Posilipo coast" (Wiki)
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- Trivia
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Cultural sites closely connected to volcanoes
"the outline of Mount Vesuvius in the background" (AB ev) -
Built or owned by British
Villa Rosebery, "owned by the glamorous British Prime Minister Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (Liberal, 1894-1895)" (wiki) -
Depicted in Mizielinska Maps
Castel dell'OvoSee i.pinimg.com
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Built or owned by Spanish
The palace is on the site of an earlier residence, which had housed the former viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo, Marquis of Villafranca. Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana.[1] Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, earl of Lemos. (Wiki)
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- History
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Located in a Former Capital
Kingdom of Naples (1282 - 1816) -
Republic of Genoa
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- Architecture
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Renaissance
Santa Caterina a Formiello and the Monteoliveto complex (Sant'Anna dei Lombardi) -
Designed by Luigi Vanvitelli
Doria d'Angri Palace -
Baroque
Capella Sansevero, San Lorenzo Maggiore -
Neoclassical architecture
Villa Pignatelli and Basilica San Francesco di PaolaSee en.wikipedia.org
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Art Nouveau
Liberty style at Chiaia -
Mosaic art
Paleochristian mosaics in the Cathedral -
Glazed tiles
Santa Chiara -
Gothic
San Lorenzo Maggiore, San Domenico Maggiore
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- Damaged
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Terrorist Attacks
The 1988 Naples bombing was a terrorist attack against a United Service Organizations (USO) military recreational club in downtown Naples on 14 April 1988. A powerful car bomb exploded in front of the club in Calata San Marco which caused the deaths of five people, including an American, and injuries to 15 others. The attack was perpetrated by a Japanese Red Army (JRA) member and came on the second anniversary of the 1986 United States bombing of Libya.See en.wikipedia.org
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Destroyed or damaged by Earthquake
Giotto's frescoes in Castelnouvo were destroyed in an earthquake -
Damaged in World War II
Convent of Santa Chiara almost entirely destroyed bt Allied bombings in WWII
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- World Heritage Process
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Minor modifications after inscription
2011: a 20% increase in area, the modification consists of two groupings, either of elements which were previously separate, or of new elements which were not included in the original boundaries of the property.
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- Religion and Belief
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Jesuit Order
Ges? Nuovo -
Nunneries
Santa Chiara was built for the Clarisse nuns.See en.wikipedia.org
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Greek Orthodox churches outside Greece
Santo Strato was originally Greek Orthodox -
Jewish religion and culture
Sinagoga di NapoliSee it.wikipedia.org
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Cathedrals
San Gennaro -
Anglican churches outside of the Commonwealth
Christ Church Anglican Church: services are held in a neo-Gothic building from the 1860s. -
Religious Relics
Blood of St.Januarius -
Carthusian Order
Certosa San Martino
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- Human Activity
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Frescoes or murals by famous painters
Saint Martin's Certosa by Luca Giordano, and remains of frescoes at Maschio Angionino by Giotto. -
Grand Tour
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Paintings by Venetian Vedutisti
Naples by Gaspar van Wittel -
Tramways
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Sea Ports
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New Towns
Nea Polis (Neápolis/Napoli) means New Town. It was founded as an extension of the old Greek town of Parthenope. -
Musical Notation
secret musical notation at the facade of Gesù Nuovo
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- Constructions
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Equestrian Statues
Charles III of Boubon and Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (III of Sicily and IV of Naples! By Canova. Erected to celebrate the return of the Spanish family after a decade under Napoleon's rule.) both in Piazza del Plebiscito. Victor Emmanuel II Piazza Municipio -
Historical Cafés
Caffé Gambrinus (1860) -
19th century shopping arcades
Umberto I Gallery -
Historical Zoos
Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn (1872) - the oldest aquarium of ItalySee it.wikipedia.org
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Tunnels
Bourbon TunnelSee en.wikipedia.org
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Hypogea
Ipogeo dei CristalliniSee it.wikipedia.org
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Funiculars
Central FunicularSee en.wikipedia.org
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Baths
Byzantine bath in Santa Chiara -
Dynastic Burial Places
Santa Chiara for Bourbon Dynasty -
Music Academies
Conservatorio San Pietroa MajellaSee it.wikipedia.org
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Catacombs
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Tombs
Virgil's tombSee en.wikipedia.org
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Theatres and Opera Houses
Roman theatre -
Ossuary
Cimitero delle FontanelleSee it.wikipedia.org
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Obelisk
Obelisco di San DomenicoSee it.wikipedia.org
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Plague Column
Obelisco di San DomenicoSee it.wikipedia.org
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Monumental Fountains
Fontana del SebetoSee it.wikipedia.org
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Hospitals
Ospedale L'Albergo Reale dei Poveri
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- WHS on Other Lists
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Memory of the World
Architecture and archaeological excavations in the State Archives of Naples (1712-1955) (2025) (in the monastery of Saints Severino and Sossio) -
Network of European Royal Residences
Royal Palace of Naples -
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists
Neapolitan pizza, for example to be had at Pizzeria Da Michele
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- Timeline
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Built in the 14th century
Another case of "continuous evolution". The earliest of the major monuments are the Duomo and the monastic complex of Santa Chiara (1313-1340)
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- WHS Hotspots
- Science and Technology
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Astronomy and Astrology
Osservatorio astronomico di CapodimonteSee it.wikipedia.org
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Universities
Palazzo dell'Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico IISee it.wikipedia.org
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Libraries
Girolamini Convent Library -
Botanical Gardens
Orto botanico di NapoliSee it.wikipedia.org
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- 18
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In a Hitchcock movie
Suspicion (1941)
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News
- bbc.com 11/10/2014
- Saving Naples from crumbling away
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.Community Reviews
Show full reviews
March 2023 - after visiting Caserta we based ourselves on a campground in Pompeji. Perfect to visit Naples by train for a few €, which we did the next morning. From the train station we strolled over the fish market in the Via Sopramura where our daughter was invited to pet all kinds of Crustacea and Mollusculs, that we had never even be aware of. The walked through the neighbourhood rather fast, as it looked somewhat intimidating. However, we soon reached the Via San Gregorio Armeno with its kitchy crips and the first hordes of tourists appeared.
As we got hungry, we had our first 🕠in the Antica Pizzeria di Matteo, and later at Gino Sorbillo, a Instagram hyped place, but boy the pizzas were worth returning to Naples any time. From here on, we liked Naples more and more. The streets were decorated as Naples was playing against Frankfurt that day, the architectural highlights were increasing as we walked towards the Castel Nuovo. We still had some wonderful icecream close to the Galleria Umberto, which tops Milanos, and slowly walked back to the train station.
We had a perfect day im Naples, but unfortunately missed two further highlights. 1. The Piazza del Plebescito 2. The Subway, especially the Station Toledo.
Hope to come back someday! This time I finally saw Naples, and I did not die.☠ï¸
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I visited this WHS in November 2018. Although it is one of the biggest and mostly populated cities in Italy, it seems to attract much less people apart from the cruise liner passengers and most of them head straight to the Amalfi Coast or Pompeii and allow less (if any) time to this historic city.
It seems to have too much of a bad reputation when compared to other cities in Italy too. I'm not saying that it doesn't have its problems, but I did not encounter any extraordinary problems even though I went around with my camera at night, I drove in and out of the city and I parked my car both outdoors and indoors.
On the other hand, even though I found Naples interesting and pleasant, to me it lacked the general feel of an old city full of culture which several other inscribed Italian cities possess. I enjoyed the Piazza del Plebiscito and the Palazzo Reale, the Maschio Angioino (photo) and the Castel Dell'Ovo, the several churches, monuments, private stairways, and statues along the famous Spacca Napoli, Via San Gregorio Armeno with the various cribs and figurines, Piazza del Gesù Nuovo and Napoli Sotteranea.
The latter two were the highlights of my trip in Naples. Piazza del Gesù Nuovo seems to be the real heart of this WHS. The rustic ashlar diamond projections of the Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo reminded me of Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara which has a similar facade. Next …
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I hadn't heard a lot of positive things about Naples from friends, but I rather enjoyed my short visit in spring 2013. Like many visitors, Naples was a stopping off point for me en route to the scenic Amalfi Coast and ancient ruins of Pompeii. Since I only had a couple of hours to see the city, I spent the time exploring the historic center. Walking down the Via San Carlo I traveled a Neapolitan timeline from the fascinating Castel Nuovo, which housed the medieval monarchy of the Kingdom of Naples, to the Palazzo Reale, one of several residences which housed the Bourbon monarchy of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The architecture of the Teatro di San Carlo, Italy's oldest opera house, and the Galeria Umberto I, a 19th century shopping gallery, was impressive. Although the Piazza del Plebiscito was rather large and empty when I visited, I appreciated the liveliness of the nearby neighborhood streets lined with colorful apartment buildings. I wish I had more time to explore the numerous churches and museums of Naples, but that will have to wait for a future trip.
Logistics: Naples is a walkable city, although the street traffic can be a bit hectic.
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My visit to Naples coincided with the rubbish collector's strike, so I was greeted by foul smelling mounds of rubbish littering the streets. This was particularly acute in the narrow streets and alleys of Spaccanapoli. Nevertheless I managed to visit the cathedral and several other of the listed churches in the area.
More to my taste though were the palazzos of Piazza Bellini which overlook some of the excavated Greek foundations of this city.
The views from the summit of Vomero Hill were excellent, but the scruffy Villa Florida was disappointing. St Elmo's castle was very solid and a place for admiring the views.
But my favourite places were the Palazzo di Capodimento, which I reached by bus R4. This palace, set in a park on a hilltop was quite serene. Another, the Palazzo Reale, facing the huge Piazza di Plebiscito was was open for an art exhibition. The Castel Nuovo and Castel del Ovo were in great locations beside the Bay of Naples.
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Many people overlook Naples or just pass through it on their way to neighboring sites like Capri or Pompeii, but it is one of the oldest cities in Europe (Neapolis is Greek for New City), has many interesting sights (especially a great archaeological museum and a nice fortress), and is a worthy World Heritage city. The specific charm of the city is well-known, anyway. On the whole, better than I had expected.
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Unlike many other tourists in Italy I always wanted to visit Naples first and foremost. I knew it wasn't on the top of the list of popular tourist destinations and I didn't know much about it, but knowing about its cultural impact in addition to local traditions like the pizza or the Neapolitan Song, I decided a trip must be worthwhile. I was happy to learn my intuition was on the right track. Although partially bombarded during WWII the historical centre of Naples remained almost intact. It has plenty of narrow allies with market stands. The Duomo, Girolamini Monastery, Jesuite Church, Santa Chiara Convent and Capella Sansevero are my favourites, although you can find countless beautiful churches in the centre in great proximity to each other (featuring Donatello, de Ribera and Caravaggio just to name a few).Naples is also rich in museums (archaological museum, Capodimonte) and its variety of historical villas.
You need at least 3-4 days to explore Naples (without its great surroundings which require much longer). Four other WHS are easy to reach: Caserta, Amalfi Coast, Popmeii and related sites and Cilento and Valo di Diano including Paestum.
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Naples is crazy! The sheer volume of people and cars that occupy the space of the old centre seems completely unmanageable. Petty crime and, particularly at night around the train station, local transgressions have been rearing its hard every once and while. That all being said, Naples has a good deal to see, whether it be the Archaeological Musuem (unbelievable) with treasures 'borrowed' from Pompei and Herculaneum. Or the Spaccanapoli with its uniquely neopolitan atmosphere and a work ethic adopted a particular cheese on their own. I', not sure how easy it will be in dinner, but originality suffers tremementdously.
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The night before my trip to Naples I read the ICOMOS evaluation of this WHS, which states "It is difficult to identify a city or cities with which Naples might be compared. Its cultural roots are so completely different from those of any other Italian city that comparison would be worthless. It is equally difficult to equate Naples with other major Mediterranean cities such as Barcelona or Marseilles."
There are so many historical city centers on the World Heritage List that this came across as an exaggeration. Walking around Naples by myself proved me wrong, however. Naples is a unique European city, which in my opinion can only be compared to places like Jerusalem and Kathmandu because of the narrow dark streets and the overall highly religious atmosphere.
Probably the artistic highlight of Naples is the inner courtyard of the Santa Chiara monastery complex. Between 1739 and 1742, Domenico Antonio Vaccaro here created a garden with blue, yellow, and green majolica benches and pillars. The surrounding walls are totally covered with frescoes.
In one day you can only get a glimpse of this fascinating city. Another part that I loved is the area around Via San Gregorio Armeno. This time of year the streets here are filled with the stalls of the Christmas market, selling all from tiny trinkets to huge pastoral scenes.
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