Quartieri Spagnoli, Grid-pattern neighborhood in central Naples, Italy.
Quartieri Spagnoli is a residential area in central Naples, Italy, laid out in a grid pattern. The alleys are narrow and often steep, with multi-story buildings packed close together and laundry lines running from balcony to balcony above the heads of passersby.
Spanish viceroy Pedro de Toledo founded the neighborhood in the 1530s to house Spanish troops who maintained control over the city. The strict grid layout was designed to allow quick troop mobilization while making resistance from the local population more difficult.
The name recalls the Spanish soldiers who lived here from the 16th century onward, and today you still see small shrines on house walls and altars tucked into alleyways. Many residents chat loudly from balcony to balcony while pizza makers shape dough in ground-floor shops and laundry dries overhead.
The neighborhood is accessible via Toledo metro station on Line 1, which provides a good starting point for exploring on foot. The steep stairs and narrow lanes require comfortable shoes, and visitors should keep an eye on bags and valuables.
Largo Maradona, a small square in the neighborhood, displays a large wall painting and football memorabilia honoring Diego Armando Maradona, who became a legend in Naples. Many locals light candles and leave flowers here as if it were a shrine.
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