Naples, Italy
Naples, capital of the Campania region of Italy, is the third most populated city in all of Italy. Located on the Bay of Naples, it is the most important port and the biggest city in Southern Italy. Naples has a very long history, rich culture, and many districts. Naples was originally a Greek settlement and (according to legend) was founded by the siren, Parthenope. It was named “Neapolis” meaning “New City” and it was also part of the “Magna Graecia” meaning “Great Greece.” It was founded in 470 BCE and the Greeks used it as a port city. The city was enclosed by walls and had a simple grid system. Over the years its rulers included Romans, Byzantines, Saracens, Normans, Spanish, and French and finally in 1861, it became part of the Kingdom of Italy. Naples is divided into 10 municipalities. The business district is called “Centro Direzionale” which translates into “Administrative Centre.” It is also filled with many large skyscrapers and is the largest cluster of skyscrapers in all of Southern Europe. There’s also the Centro Storico which is the Historic Centre. It is a labyrinth built over and over again through history and is one of Naples’ prime tourist attractions. The Agnano is a volcanic crater that was famed and favored by the Romans and the Greeks because it has many hot springs. It is now one of the centers of Neapolitan fun because it has many clubs and sporting centers. Posillipo and Chiaia are two neighborhoods in Naples that has many Roman ruins in them. They are both on land and underwater and are some of the most famous views of Naples. Posillipo also has the famous School of Posillipo which is a group of landscape painters. Italians are known all over the world for their food, but some regions eat differently than others. For example, northern cities usually eat noodles with a white cheese sauce which in Naples pasta is served with a tomato based sauce. No one really knows when pizza was invented, but the people of Naples made it popular.