See naples and die!

An old Italian proverb says, “See Naples and die!” It testifies to the enduring attraction of this remarkable city, the third largest city in Italy and one of the most beautiful in the world. Approximately 190 kilometres southeast of Rome, the city is on the north side of the Bay of Naples. The bay juts into the western side of the Italian peninsula with Mount Vesuvius in the background. One of the centres of activity is the Piazza Trento e Trieste near the waterfront. It is flanked by two imposing buildings, the Teatro San Carlo and the Palazzo Reale. The theatre is one of Europe’s largest and foremost opera houses, dating from 1737. The palace dates from 1600, originally the home of the viceroys who governed Naples during its period of Hapsburg domination. It now houses the National Library. East of these buildings and overlooking the harbour is the Castel Nuovo, begun in 1279. It houses, among other things, the Naples City Council and the Campania Regional Council. Directly south of the piazza is the Castel dell’Ovo. Built on what was an island now connected with the mainland to form the Porto di Santa Lucia, the castle dates from 1154. To the west of Santa Lucia is the Villa Comunale, a large park with Naples’s aquarium.