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Essential Naples

Europe » Italy » Naples

Tour Creator

Anthon is a writer and photographer from Utah, currently based in Aarhus, Denmark. Having traveled to more than 80 countries, he's written for more than a dozen travel guidebooks for…Read More Bio »

Tour Type:

Introductory

Medieval

Naples

GPS-directed

Remote Tour Included

2hrs

2.5km

Our tour is wholly focused on the Centro Storico, Naples’ historic center, bounded roughly by the original Greek walls. As well as glimpsing some of its juxtaposed classical heritage, a good portion of which has been excavated of late, you’ll cover a selection of the city’s most impressive churches, monuments and museums, while passing through some of its liveliest and most charming squares.

Avoid the Crowds

Allows you to explore without having to be shoulder-to-shoulder in a large tour group

Created by an exceptional travel writer

Written by an author, who has written for more than a dozen travel guidebooks for such publishers as Rough Guides and DK Eyewitness

GPS Directions

Easy-to-follow GPS directions to get you from one point to the next on your tour

Highlights include:

Via Duomo, Piazza Dante, and Purgatorio ad Arco

Remote Tour Included

As with all our tours, a remote tour is included that can be enjoyed from home

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Itinerary

Essential Naples

Via Duomo - Naples’ cathedral is certainly a mandatory stop on any tour of the old historic city. Its complex of churches, spanning well over a thousand years, is dedicated to the city’s most beloved patron saint. We’ll introduce both him and the famously recurring miracle wrought by his blood.
Chiesa e Quadreria Pio Monte della Misericordia - Here we’ll glimpse the Forcella district, spotting the first of Naples’ peculiar obelisks, while also getting our bearings on the ancient decumanus maior. Meanwhile, we’ll learn about one of Naples’ oldest charities and get a brief introduction to its Baroque art scene.
Piazza San Gaetano - The heart of the city in ancient to medieval times, this square has an impressive pair of churches to show for it. It’s also the portal to Naples’ underground surprises, including a theater in which Nero once performed.
Purgatorio ad Arco - This isn’t just another pretty, Baroque church. Underneath it lies one of the strangest spots in Naples, where a cult that was banned by the Church continues to worship via the skulls and bones of the dead.
Piazzetta Nilo - This diminutive square has a couple of small but meaningful shrines. One is ancient, reflecting Naples’ millennia-old reputation as a city that welcomes all. The other is quite modern, a monument to a canonized footballer.
Piazza San Domenico Maggiore - A much larger square and hangout spot, this piazza once hosted Saint Thomas Aquinas and the heretic Giordano Bruno. Here, we’ll admire the second obelisk of our tour, built in the Spanish era around the time of a devastating plague. We’ll also recall the famous Revolt of Masaniello.
Museo Cappella Sansevero - Some of Naples’ most incredible statuary is found in this late Baroque chapel and mausoleum, as well as some highly curious items collected by Raimondo di Sangro, a fascinating figure from Naples’ Enlightenment era.
Piazza del Gesù Nuovo - On this Spanish-built square we’ll admire the third and grandest obelisk of our tour, as well as another unique pair of churches – one of them Angevin and the other one Jesuit.
Piazza Dante - Just outside the historic center, this relatively vast square is arguably the heart of the modern city, where among other things, we’ll point out the birthplace of pizza and recall the impressive legacy of the Bourbon rulers.
Piazza Bellini - We’ll wrap up our tour in this pretty piazza, another favorite among students and artists. We’ll admire the Baroque façade, the modern cafes and the exposed ancient ruins in the center, while considering the ways in which the square is emblematic of the city itself.

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