Naples

Naples is a coastal city in Campania, Italy, that spreads along the bay and is overlooked by the slopes of Vesuvius. The old center consists of narrow lanes, stairways between tall buildings, open squares with churches, and castles that stretch across harbor quarters and residential districts.

Greek settlers founded the site in the eighth century BCE as a colony called Parthenope, later renamed Neapolis. Spanish rulers, French kings, and Bourbon dynasties shaped the city over the following centuries, until it became part of the Italian kingdom.

The city moves to loud street vendors and impromptu piazza conversations, where neighbors talk across balconies. Life happens outdoors, among laundry lines, market stalls, and espresso bars, while pizza and pastry are eaten straight off the street.

The center can be explored on foot or by metro, though hilly sections and uneven cobblestones can make walking tiring. Restaurants and shops open late morning, close for a few hours at midday, and come alive again in the evening.

Beneath the old town run several kilometers of ancient Greek and Roman tunnels, used as quarries, aqueducts, and air-raid shelters. Some of these underground passages remain walkable today and show traces of lamp soot on the walls.

Location: Metropolitan City of Naples

Elevation above the sea: 17 m

Shares border with: Arzano, Casavatore, Casoria, Marano di Napoli, Melito di Napoli, Mugnano di Napoli, Pozzuoli, Quarto, San Giorgio a Cremano, San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, Volla, Casandrino, Portici, Cercola

Address: Naples, Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy

Website: https://comune.napoli.it

GPS coordinates: 40.83588,14.24877

Latest update: December 2, 2025 21:14