Things to Do in Naples

It’s Christmas all year round at San Gregorio Armeno. The fun, colorful and sometimes crowded alley offers a place to wander and see Naples famed nativity settings and figures called Presepe or Presepio.

First displayed in monasteries in the 16th and 17th century, nativity scenes made their way into aristocratic homes, eventually becoming a tradition for all. Many people put up their nativity scene December 8, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, but wait until Christmas Eve to add baby Jesus. Displays often go beyond a manager scene, and can represent the life of an entire community or village.

If you go to one archeological museum in the world, make it this one in Naples. They have incredible finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum, lots of classical sculpture and a treasure trove in the Gabinetto Segreto (Secret Chamber)!

The museum has one of the best collections of Greek and Roman antiquities, mosaics, gems, glass and silver. They even have some Egyptian and Etruscan treasures in amongst it all. Opened in the late 18th century to house King Charles VII's private collection, it became the property of the state in 1860.

If you've been to the city center of Milan, you've no doubt seen the Galleria Emanuele II, which is one of the oldest shopping malls in the world – as well as one of the prettiest. So it's not surprising that when Naples wanted a shopping arcade built, the designer took his cues from Milan's building. Walking through Naples' Galleria Umberto I, you'll feel momentarily like you've been transported to Milan.

The Galleria Umberto I was built starting in 1887. It's in the shape of a cross, with the roof of each wing made from glass. Like the Galleria in Milan, the one in Naples is also topped by a glass dome. One of the wings opens onto Via Toledo, a main thoroughfare in Naples, and another feeds onto the San Carlo Theater.

Naples is an enormous, sprawling city, and although some of the population lives in the historic center – where most visitors spend their time – most live in neighborhoods surrounding the city center. One of the prettiest and wealthiest neighborhoods in Naples is Posillipo, located on the northern side of the Gulf of Naples atop a hill that overlooks the water.

Located on the vibrant street of Spaccanapoli, which cuts through the heart of Naples’ centro storico, the ethereal Cappella Sansevero had its origins in the tail end of the 16th century, when it was the mausoleum of the patrician Di Sangro dynasty. The name translates into English as the ‘alchemist’s chapel’ and it was extended by the eccentric Raimondo di Sangro, the seventh Prince of Sansevero, who lived between 1710 and 1771; he was an extraordinarily gifted man but as a Mason, he was considered by contemporary Neapolitans to have made a pact with the devil. Clad in ghostly white marble, with a multi-colored marble floor and ceiling frescoes of almost frenzied ornateness by Francesco Maria Russo, the chapel is stuffed with works by some of the greatest names on the 18th-century Naples art scene – among its treasures are Giuseppe Sanmartino’s amazingly realistic sculpture Cristo Velato (The Veiled Christ).

Palazzo Reale was the royal palace located in downtown Naples, still the heart of Naples today. Built around 1600 when Naples was under Spanish rule, it was not completed for two centuries. Inside, a beautiful double staircase leads you up to the royal apartments which these days house the palace's museum of furnishings and etc. Don't miss the huge 18th century nativity scene in the Cappella Reale (Royal Chapel). The Palazzo Reale also houses the national library which contains thousands of papyrus scrolls found at Herculaneum and the remains of a 5th century Coptic bible.

The palace is situated on the elegant Piazza Plebiscito, the largest square in Naples and named after the vote in 1870 which brought Naples into the unified Kingdom of Italy. The palace makes up one side of this square, alongside the domed church of San Francesco di Paolo and the elegant curve of Doric columns.

Naples' opera house, the Teatro di San Carlo, is not only Italy's oldest opera house—it's also the longest-running opera house in Europe, open since 1737.

The site was built under King Charles VII, a member of the Bourbon monarchy, so the theater was originally called the “Royal” opera house. In November 1737, the opera house opened its doors for the first time, but an 1816 fire consumed the entire interior of the building—only the outer structure was left standing. The theater was rebuilt, and it reopened the next year. Today, the opera season begins in late January and continues through May. You can also see ballet performances at the theater—that season runs from April through the beginning of June.

The entire city of Naples can be overwhelming - it sprawls away from the bay and even up the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius - but visitors need only concentrate on the historic center, the “Centro Storico,” to enjoy the best of what Naples has to offer.</ Naples’ historic center was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, including 14 city districts and more than 2,425 acres. Even this area is too much for most tourists to tackle in a short visit, but thankfully most of what you’ll want to do and see in the city is concentrated in the heart of the Centro Storico.

Radiating away from the Bay of Naples, the Centro Storico spans more than 2,500 years of history. Even today you can see some ruins of the Greek city that once occupied this spot. More plentiful are monuments from the Roman-era, including the roads that run straight as an arrow through the historic center and the treasures from Pompeii and Herculaneum that are kept in Naples’ spectacular archaeological museum.

With a warren of narrow alleyways and roughly cobblestoned streets, crammed with small stores, barber’s shops and dimly lit bars, the Quartiere Spagnoli is one of Naples’ most atmospheric local districts. Built to house troops during the Spanish occupation, the historic quarter might be somewhat rundown these days, but it still buzzes with life, with colorful laundry flapping from the balconies, residents sipping espresso on their doorsteps and motorbikes juddering by at all hours of the day and night.

Despite earning itself a rather unsavory reputation in recent years due to an abundance of petty crime and pickpocketing, the Quartiere Spagnoli is still one of Naples’ most characteristic areas and makes a unique addition to a tour itinerary. As well as offering a unique glimpse into everyday life in the city, it’s home to landmarks like the Baroque church of Santa Maria degli Angeli and the 18th-century Palazzo Serra di Cassano..

Construction of Santa Chiara dates back to 1310. Founded by King Robert of Anjou and his second wife Sancha of Majorca, the church was opened for worship 30 years later in 1340. Two convents were also built; one for nuns and one for monks.

In the mid-1700s, the church interior was remodeled in Baroque style, however most of Santa Chiara was destroyed in August of 1943 during World War II bombings. When it was rebuilt 10 years later, it was returned to its original gothic style. The Monumental Complex of St. Chiara also includes the Opera Museum, which along with covering Neapolitan history, also exhibits items that survived the WWII bombings. Save time to visit the archaeological area at Santa Chiara. The remains of a Roman spa were discovered in the aftermath of the war. The spa is similar to those of Pompeii and Herculaneum.