Have you ever been in Naples?

Naples is one of the most beautiful cities of Italy.
The dark blue waters of its Gulf and the mild climate and the Vesuvius volcano are just some of the natural beauties of the city.
In addition,  to these factors we must considerate the many characteristic aspects, such as the contrast between the narrow streets and sunny streets, the liveliness of the population, the originality of his songs and so on.

The landscape
When we say Naples, we immediately think of its distinctive Gulf. Nevertheless, the city of Naples is not all in the plains: part of town is situated on a hilly area.
Obviously, the part of Naples that overlook the sea is the most fascinating.
Here we can find the locations that make Naples famous all over the world: Mergellina, Piedigrotta and the fishing village of Saint Lucia.
This place is very characteristic for the animation of the streets and the colorful boats that are anchored to the shore.
The coastal area is much more animated than the harbor.
Today the harbor of Naples is one of the most visited in Italy by tourists from all over the world.

However, the part of Naples that stretches hill is rich of vegetation and beautiful boulevards. Here it is located one of the most famous districts of the city: the Vòmero. It is a large area that offers a wide tree-lined streets, beautiful gardens and luxurious villas.
In addition, in the hilly area of ​​Naples they are dug long tunnels of the catacombs, dating back to the early Age of Christianity.

The most famous buildings
Naples offers many beautiful buildings, including the Royal Palace and the theatre San Carlo.
There are also many churches! Among the most famous we have the “Duomo“, Sant’ Anna dei Lombardi and Santa Chiara.
Napoli also has a great Archaeological Museum: the National Museum. In this place there is the collection of many sculptures, frescoes and mosaics found during excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Castles
There are four ancient castles in Naples. Among these we have Castel dell’Ovo, which rises over the sea, Castel Sant’ Elmo located in the hills of Naples, Castel Capuano located near the Central Station and “Castel Nuovo”, which is near the harbor.
The last one is well known for its beautiful triumphal arch and it is rich in sculptural and architectural decorations.

Gastronomic specialties
Among the many beauties of Naples we can not mention its  gastronomic specialties.
The cuisine of Naples is very famous for its wide variety of tastes and flavors that can be found on dishes. The raw materials available in Campania are of high quality, allowing you to prepare a wide selection of dishes of both land and sea.

Here there is a top 5 of the most famous dishes of Naples:

1. The Neapolitan Pizza
This is the most important dish of the Neapolitan tradition. Margherita is the best pizza followed by the”Calzone”, which is a typical Neapolitan pizza filled with ricotta, salami, pepper and dairy products. However, there are also “white” pizzas, which are without sauce but full of dairy products and other tasty and fried ingredients. Accordingly, Naples is full of restaurants and “pizzerie” in which you can try this specialty.

2. Spaghetti with clam sauce or seafood
They identify the brand of good Neapolitan cuisine. They can be made in white  or with a tomato sauce. With clams, spaghetti have a particular taste but those with seafood are good.
There are many types of traditional pasta in Naples, such as the “scialatelli”, “maccheroni”, “paccheri” and so on.

3. Sfogliatelle
They are one of the most typical sweets of the Neapolitan tradition. It is available in two basic variants, curly or pastry. Among the other famous sweets, there is the “babà”.

4. Casatiello
It is a typical Easter rustic, you can find it in the Easter menu of homes and restaurants. Casatiello is a savory cake made with many ingredients such as flour, yeast, water, salt, pepper, “lardo”, boiled eggs, salami, cheese and creaks.

5. Street Food
In Naples there is a long tradition of street food, takeaway food that you can buy and consume at home or in the streets, wrapped in the classic “cuoppi”, in paper packages or simply in food tissue sheets. Omelettes of macaroni, pasta or rice balls grown in white with provolone or with meat sauce and peas, potato croquettes with milk inside, many fried pizzas, the highland are just a few of the street food specialties.
Finally, it’s important to say that Naples is well-known all over the world for its “Presepe” tradition.
Naples holds the traditional Christmas Presepi (or Nativity scenes) in one of the most famous pedestrian streets of the city, San Gregorio Armeno. In this street you can see hundreds of shops featuring hand-made presepi.  Every year million of tourists visit these small shops. This traditional spectacle is visible all year but the best time to go there is during the months of October and November, before the busy Christmas season.

The various shops also sell accessorizes, sculpture and decorations to use in creating your own presepe. In Italy, the Nativity scene doesn’t just consist of Baby Jesus, Joseph and the Virgin Mary. The manger is enriched with a whole village!
In Italy, every family has a presepe, and starting November 22 or December 8, Italian families set up their presepi inside their homes. They are very proud of this tradition: the presepe can be also made with elaborate scenes such as lighting, backdrops, running water and so on. However, Baby Jesus is never placed in the crib until Christmas Eve. People wait Christmas day to add him inside.
Furthermore, in Naples and in the majority of the italian cities, the presepe usually stays up for a month until the 6th of January, which is the Epiphany day.

In conclusion, we can say that even if Naples has some problems about civilization, it remains one of the best Italian destinations in terms of tourism, thanks to its traditions and its unique natural landscape.