108-444: Vomero ( pronounced [ˈvɔːmero] ) is a bustling hilltop district of metropolitan Naples , Italy — comprising approximately two square kilometres (0.77 sq mi) and a population of 48,000. Vomero is noted for its central square, Piazza Vanvitelli; the ancient Petraio , its earliest path up and down to the original city of Naples; its ancient district of Rione Antignano ; Floridiana Park and Villa Floridiana ;
216-641: A British fleet . However, Naples' lower class lazzaroni were strongly pious and royalist, favouring the Bourbons; in the mêlée that followed, they fought the Neapolitan pro-Republican aristocracy, causing a civil war. Eventually, the Republicans conquered Castel Sant'Elmo and proclaimed a Parthenopaean Republic , secured by the French Army . A counter-revolutionary religious army of lazzaroni known as
324-494: A German retaliation. After learning of the death of a Neopolitan sailor, shot with a pistol by a Nazi soldier, unrest erupted in various locations around Vomero, including at Piazza Vanvitelli, where a dozen young Vomeresi left a bar and attacked three German soldiers. At what is now Piazza Quattro Giornate (then Piazza Mascagni , the square at Littorio Stadium), Germans had been using the stadium to imprison roughly 8,000 captured insurgent civilians. A group of Vomeresi, organized by
432-596: A common European urban approach, informed by Baron Haussmann's Paris and the Roman districts of Esquilino and Testaccio. The neighborhood was conceived as an upper-middle class residential neighborhood with large villas and residential buildings, often in late Liberty style , starting near the Villa Floridiana and the area around Castel Sant'Elmo and the San Martino Certosa . The neighborhood would change distinctly in
540-401: A few families, formed mainly by professionals, entrepreneurs, people anyway wealthy who, with their needs and their way of life, defined the character of the new neighborhood, where in this period life began to take its habits, revolving around Piazza Vanvitelli, the funiculars, the axes of via Scarlatti and via Luca Giordano. [...] The development of the areas of via Aniello Falcone, via Palizzi,
648-476: A hall of the castle, and following this Pope Boniface VIII was elected pope by the cardinal collegium , before moving to Rome. Castel Capuano was built in the 12th century by William I , the son of Roger II of Sicily , the first monarch of the Kingdom of Naples . It was expanded by Frederick II and became one of his royal palaces. The castle was the residence of many kings and queens throughout its history. In
756-528: A key international role in international diplomacy, since it is home to NATO 's Allied Joint Force Command Naples and of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean . Founded by Greeks in the first millennium BC, Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world. In the eighth century BC, a colony known as Parthenope ( Ancient Greek : Παρθενόπη ) was established on
864-465: A paragon of Hellenistic culture . During the Roman era, the people of Naples maintained their Greek language and customs. At the same time, the city was expanded with elegant Roman villas , aqueducts , and public baths . Landmarks such as the Temple of Dioscures were built, and many emperors chose to holiday in the city, including Claudius and Tiberius . Virgil , the author of Rome's national epic ,
972-513: A part of the buildings in the center of the Vomero (between Piazza Vanvitelli, along Via Scarlatti and Via Morghen) were made (in addition to the layout of the subdivision). All the new buildings were in neo-Renaissance style, which in Naples will last until the first three decades of the twentieth century, dragging the projects of the late nineteenth century through the years. The Bank of Italy , to recover
1080-498: A project by Giuseppe Pisanti ; this complex stands in the place where, traditionally, the miracle of the liquefaction of the blood of San Gennaro took place for the first time. In the Bourbon period Antignano was a nerve center of the Dazio , of which the seat is still preserved, a small building with two arches on the side of which the inscription: "Here you pay for the census regj". Along
1188-522: A prominent Neopolitan connection at the time of Vomero's development. Residents go by the demonym , Vomeresi . During the very earliest period, when Greek settlements were established in the Naples area in the second millennium BC , the Vomerese hill was called Bomòs (βωμός, or "high ground"). By the sixteenth century the name Vomero was used, possibly a corruption of the Greek Bomòs. In Roman times,
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#17328920144361296-458: A retired teacher, Antonio Tarsia, as well as a military group commanded by Lieutenant Enzo Stimolo, mobilized to surround the site and free the captives. Roughly 200 civilians and 50 military reinforcements attacked the stadium relentlessly, raining machine gun fire from atop surrounding buildings for hours. Realizing they were trapped and outnumbered, the Germans surrendered. Negotiations later began at
1404-457: A series of rustic steps, alleys and ramps — varying in slope and width — and framed by buildings, churches, and small businesses. Funiculars As development expanded between 1800 and 1900, the municipality constructed three funiculars , railways each with two counterbalanced passenger cabs attached at opposite ends of a cable system, the two cabs ascending in descending in concert between their upper and lower stations. The stations of
1512-465: A surrender in the face of insurgents. The city was already completely freed by 1 October 1943, when British and American forces entered the city. Departing Germans burned the library of the university , as well as the Italian Royal Society. They also destroyed the city archives. Time bombs planted throughout the city continued to explode into November. The symbol of the rebirth of Naples was
1620-515: A system of subway, bus, funicular and metro line; and an extensive pedestrian network that includes escalators, historic stairs and paths, and a modern pedestrian zone. The Petraio The oldest access to Vomero remains intact today: an extensive network of pedestrian stairs and paths from the city's original neighborhoods below. One of the most notable of these paths is the historic Petraio , which arose from an ancient meandering watercourse — ultimately to be improved, inhabited and connected by
1728-882: Is an annual fair dedicated to comics and animation that took place every year, in Castel Sant'Elmo (now held at the Mostra d'Oltremare , in the Fuorigrotta district). Internapoli Camaldoli S.S.D. is the area's main football team. The neighborhood also hosts the sports complex that grew up around the Stadio Arturo Collana in Naples, where rugby, judo, athletics, swimming, volleyball, artistic gymnastics, skating, tennis, fencing, American football and soccer are practiced. Naples Naples ( / ˈ n eɪ p əl z / NAY -pəlz ; Italian : Napoli [ˈnaːpoli] ; Neapolitan : Napule [ˈnɑːpələ] )
1836-579: Is one of the city's main museums, with one of the most extensive collections of artefacts of the Roman Empire in the world. It also houses many of the antiques unearthed at Pompeii and Herculaneum , as well as some artefacts from the Greek and Renaissance periods. Previously a Bourbon palace, now a museum and art gallery, the Museo di Capodimonte is another museum of note. The gallery features paintings from
1944-507: Is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy , after Rome and Milan , with a population of 909,048 within the city's administrative limits as of 2022. Its province-level municipality is the third-most populous metropolitan city in Italy with a population of 3,115,320 residents, and its metropolitan area stretches beyond the boundaries of the city wall for approximately 30 kilometres (20 miles). Naples plays also
2052-435: Is the city's premier place of worship; each year on 19 September, it hosts the longstanding Miracle of Saint Januarius , the city's patron saint . During the miracle, which thousands of Neapolitans flock to witness, the dried blood of Januarius is said to turn to liquid when brought close to holy relics said to be of his body. Below is a selective list of Naples' major churches, chapels, and monastery complexes: Aside from
2160-444: Is the oldest opera house in Italy. Directly across San Carlo is Galleria Umberto . Naples is well known for its castles: The most ancient is Castel dell'Ovo ("Egg Castle"), which was built on the tiny islet of Megarides, where the original Cumaean colonists had founded the city. In Roman times the islet became part of Lucullus 's villa, later hosting Romulus Augustulus , the exiled last western Roman emperor. It had also been
2268-439: Is what is described with regret in the books that recall it, the one that created the myth in the collective imagination, that of nostalgia, the "Vomero disappeared", the "Paradise Lost", that of a unique reality and unrepeatable The opening of the new Central Funicular (Funiculare Centrale), in 1928, facilitating the movement between the Vomero and the center, led to a significant increase in urbanization, which again turned towards
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#17328920144362376-520: The Aeneid , received part of his education in the city, and later resided in its environs. It was during this period that Christianity first arrived in Naples; the apostles Peter and Paul are said to have preached in the city. Januarius , who would become Naples' patron saint , was martyred there in the fourth century AD. The last emperor of the Western Roman Empire , Romulus Augustulus ,
2484-457: The sanfedisti under Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo was raised; they met with great success, and the French were forced to surrender the Neapolitan castles, with their fleet sailing back to Toulon . Ferdinand IV was restored as king; however, after only seven years, Napoleon conquered the kingdom and installed Bonapartist kings, including installing his brother Joseph Bonaparte . With the help of
2592-512: The Alta Velocità high-speed rail link to Rome and Salerno and an expanded subway network . Naples is the third-largest urban economy in Italy by GDP, after Milan and Rome. The Port of Naples is one of the most important in Europe. Naples' historic city centre has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . A wide range of culturally and historically significant sites are nearby, including
2700-683: The Austrian Empire and its allies, the Bonapartists were defeated in the Neapolitan War . Ferdinand IV once again regained the throne and the kingdom. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 saw the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily combine to form the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies , with Naples as the capital city. In 1839, Naples became the first city on the Italian Peninsula to have a railway, with
2808-640: The Battle of Garigliano in 1503. Following the Spanish victory, Naples became part of the Spanish Empire , and remained so throughout the Spanish Habsburg period. The Spanish sent viceroys to Naples to directly deal with local issues: the most important of these viceroys was Pedro Álvarez de Toledo , who was responsible for considerable social, economic and urban reforms in the city; he also tried to introduce
2916-568: The Byzantine Emperor , with numerous local pretenders feuding for possession of the ducal throne. Theoctistus was appointed without imperial approval; his appointment was later revoked and Theodore II took his place. However, the disgruntled general populace chased him from the city and elected Stephen III instead, a man who minted coins with his initials rather than those of the Byzantine Emperor. Naples gained complete independence by
3024-642: The Chiaia , Montesanto and Central Funicular are closely located in Vomero and connect to three radially-distant lower stations across the Naples downtown. Metro Since 1980, Vomero has been served by Line 1 of the Naples Metro , specifically at Quattro Giornate and Piazza Vanvitelli stations. ZTL Augmenting the neighborhood sidewalks and prioritizing pedestrian movement, Vomero inaugurated an active Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) in 1994, connecting Piazza Vanvitelli, via Cimarosa and via Alessandro Scarlatti. In 2008,
3132-518: The Iberian Peninsula . Naples also became a centre of the Renaissance, with artists such as Laurana , da Messina , Sannazzaro and Poliziano arriving in the city. In 1501, Naples came under direct rule from France under Louis XII , with the Neapolitan king Frederick being taken as a prisoner to France; however, this state of affairs did not last long, as Spain won Naples from the French at
3240-808: The Inquisition . In 1544, around 7,000 people were taken as slaves by Barbary pirates and brought to the Barbary Coast of North Africa (see Sack of Naples ). By the 17th century, Naples had become Europe's second-largest city – second only to Paris – and the largest European Mediterranean city, with around 250,000 inhabitants. The city was a major cultural centre during the Baroque era, being home to artists such as Caravaggio , Salvator Rosa and Bernini , philosophers such as Bernardino Telesio , Giordano Bruno , Tommaso Campanella and Giambattista Vico , and writers such as Giambattista Marino . A revolution led by
3348-636: The Kingdom of Sicily , with Palermo as the capital. After a period of Norman rule, in 1189, the Kingdom of Sicily was in a succession dispute between Tancred, King of Sicily of an illegitimate birth and the Hohenstaufens , a Germanic royal house , as its Prince Henry had married Princess Constance the last legitimate heir to the Sicilian throne. In 1191 Henry invaded Sicily after being crowned as Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor , and many cities surrendered. Still, Naples resisted him from May to August under
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3456-579: The Lombards for a brief period after the capture by Pandulf IV of the Principality of Capua , a long-term rival of Naples; however, this regime lasted only three years before the Greco-Roman-influenced dukes were reinstated. By the 11th century, Naples had begun to employ Norman mercenaries to battle their rivals; Duke Sergius IV hired Rainulf Drengot to wage war on Capua for him. By 1137,
3564-664: The Neapolitan School . Between 1925 and 1936, Naples was expanded and upgraded by the Fascist regime . During the later years of World War II , it sustained severe damage from Allied bombing as they invaded the peninsula. The city underwent extensive reconstruction work after the war. Since the late 20th century, Naples has had significant economic growth, helped by the construction of the Centro Direzionale business district and an advanced transportation network, which includes
3672-596: The Palace of Caserta and the Roman ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum . In 2017 the BBC defined Naples as "the Italian city with too much history to handle". The most prominent forms of architecture visible in present-day Naples are the Medieval , Renaissance and Baroque styles. Naples has a total of 448 historical churches (1000 in total ), making it one of the most Catholic cities in
3780-519: The Palace of Caserta and the Roman ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum . Naples is also known for its natural beauties, such as Posillipo , Phlegraean Fields , Nisida and Vesuvius . Neapolitan cuisine is noted for its association with pizza , which originated in the city, as well as numerous other local dishes. Restaurants in the Naples' area have earned the most stars from the Michelin Guide of any Italian province. Naples' Centro Direzionale
3888-718: The Roman Republic against Carthage . During the Samnite Wars , the city, now a bustling centre of trade, was captured by the Samnites ; however, the Romans soon captured the city from them and made it a Roman colony . During the Punic Wars , the strong walls surrounding Neápolis repelled the invading forces of the Carthaginian general Hannibal . The Romans greatly respected Naples as
3996-656: The Royal Palace of Naples stands the Galleria Umberto I , which contains the Coral Jewellery Museum . Occupying a 19th-century palazzo renovated by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza , the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina (MADRE) features an enfilade procession of permanent installations by artists such as Francesco Clemente , Richard Serra , and Rebecca Horn . The 16th-century palace of Roccella hosts
4104-416: The late-2000s recession had a severe impact on the city, intensifying its waste-management and unemployment problems. By August 2011, the number of unemployed in the Naples area had risen to 250,000, sparking public protests against the economic situation. In June 2012, allegations of blackmail, extortion, and illicit contract tendering emerged concerning the city's waste management issues. Naples hosted
4212-431: The "Santarella" continued; large prestigious schools opened (the "Vanvitelli", the "Sannazaro"), elite places of leisure, such as the "Diana" theater, inaugurated in 1933 by Prince Umberto, cinemas, restaurants, cafes [...]; clean and efficient clinics, the elegant early Christian basilica style church of San Gennaro, the new sports center of Littorio, elegant shops. The artists were not counted then. The Vomero of this period
4320-461: The 13th to the 18th centuries, including major works by Simone Martini , Raphael , Titian , Caravaggio , El Greco , Jusepe de Ribera and Luca Giordano . The royal apartments are furnished with antique 18th-century furniture and a collection of porcelain and majolica from the various royal residences: the famous Capodimonte Porcelain Factory once stood just adjacent to the palace. In front of
4428-553: The 14th century, the Hungarian Angevin king Louis the Great captured the city several times. In 1442, Alfonso I conquered Naples after his victory against the last Angevin king, René , and Naples was unified with Sicily again for a brief period. Sicily and Naples were separated since 1282, but remained dependencies of Aragon under Ferdinand I . The new dynasty enhanced Naples' commercial standing by establishing relations with
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4536-518: The 16th century by the Spanish, was demolished in 1906 to make room for the Via Marina, although two of the castle's towers remain as a monument. The Vigliena Fort, built in 1702, was destroyed in 1799 during the royalist war against the Parthenopean Republic and is now abandoned and in ruin. Naples is widely known for its wealth of historical museums. The Naples National Archaeological Museum
4644-525: The 16th century, it became the Hall of Justice. Another Neapolitan castle is Castel Sant'Elmo , which was completed in 1329 and is built in the shape of a star . Its strategic position overlooking the entire city made it a target of various invaders. During the uprising of Masaniello in 1647, the Spanish took refuge in Sant'Elmo to escape the revolutionaries. The Carmine Castle , built in 1392 and highly modified in
4752-710: The Antignano district. Between the Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the gardens of the Certosa di San Martino there is the Vigna San Martino extant for over six centuries. In the early twentieth century, some of the first Italian film production houses were born at Vomero. The first in the city was the Partenope Film (originally Fratelli Troncone & C.), of Guglielmo, Vincenzo and Roberto Troncone, who, born in 1906,
4860-574: The Duke of Noja , employing rigorous surveying accuracy and becoming an essential urban planning tool for Naples. During the time of Ferdinand IV , the effects of the French Revolution were felt in Naples: Horatio Nelson , an ally of the Bourbons, arrived in the city in 1798 to warn against the French republicans. Ferdinand was forced to retreat and fled to Palermo , where he was protected by
4968-674: The German command center on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The previous night the armory of Castel Sant'Elmo had fallen, not without bloodshed. Germans, stationed at Villa Floridiana , intervened in force to give battle. The Sannazaro High School became a meeting and coordination place for the Resistance, where Professor Antonio Tarsia in the Curia declared himself head of the insurgents on 30 September 1943, assuming full civil and military powers. Today in Vomero, in addition to numerous prominently sites marking
5076-473: The Germans, marking a turning point in the war. Resistance and clashes against the German occupiers were first recorded in Vomero near the Pagliarone farm on Via Belvedere, when armed citizens stopped a car, killing its driver, a German marshal. Subsequently, at a cross street between Via Scarlatti and Via Cimarosa, a German motorcar was overturned — causing the death of the two occupants, in turn leading to
5184-489: The Iberian peninsula and the remaining kingdom. The need to enlarge the city, led Viceroy Pedro Álvarez de Toledo to direct the development of Naples outside its then current boundaries in the flattest area of the city, the present day Centro Storico . Development up the adjacent unsettled hillsides was encouraged. Laws, first in 1556, forbid construction of new buildings immediately around Castel Sant'Elmo — and, in 1583, on
5292-563: The Naples area between 1876 and 1913. In the forty years following unification, the population of Naples grew by only 26%, vs. 63% for Turin and 103% for Milan; however, by 1884, Naples was still the largest city in Italy with 496,499 inhabitants, or roughly 64,000 per square kilometre (more than twice the population density of Paris). Public health conditions in certain areas of the city were poor, with twelve epidemics of cholera and typhoid fever claiming some 48,000 people between 1834 and 1884. A death rate 31.84 per thousand, high even for
5400-560: The Normans had attained great influence in Italy, controlling previously independent principalities and duchies such as Capua , Benevento , Salerno , Amalfi , Sorrento and Gaeta ; it was in this year that Naples, the last independent duchy in the southern part of the peninsula, came under Norman control. The last ruling duke of the duchy, Sergius VII , was forced to surrender to Roger II , who had been proclaimed King of Sicily by Antipope Anacletus II seven years earlier. Naples thus joined
5508-642: The Palazzo delle Arti Napoli, which contains the civic collections of art belonging to the City of Naples, and features temporary exhibits of art and culture. Palazzo Como, which dates from the 15th century, hosts the Museo Civico Filangieri of plastic arts , created in 1883 by Gaetano Filangieri . Naples is the seat of the Archdiocese of Naples ; there are hundreds of churches in the city. The Cathedral of Naples
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#17328920144365616-852: The Piazza del Plebiscito, Naples has two other major public squares: the Piazza Dante and the Piazza dei Martiri . The latter originally had only a memorial to religious martyrs , but in 1866, after the Italian unification , four lions were added, representing the four rebellions against the Bourbons. Rione Antignano Rione Antignano is one of the oldest areas of the Vomero district in Naples ; currently it extends along via Antignano, largo Antignano, vico Antignano, via Giuseppe Recco (formerly via Nuova Antignano), as well as
5724-402: The Pizzofalcone hill. In the sixth century BC, it was refounded as Neápolis. The city was an important part of Magna Graecia , played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society, and was a significant cultural centre under the Romans. Naples served as the capital of the Duchy of Naples (661–1139), subsequently as the capital of the Kingdom of Naples (1282–1816), and finally as
5832-427: The adjacent hillsides. In the period of the Viceroys following Don Pedro, the building expansion followed, leading innumerable villages and hamlets to merge. Construction on Vomero hill first appeared on maps with the seventeenth century. During the Naples Plague of 1656 , Naples nobility and clergy sought refuge, with the aristocracy establishing second homes in what would become Vomero, a trend that continued during
5940-428: The ancient Greek foundation of Neapolis is still discernible. It has indeed continued to provide the layout for the present-day Historic Centre of Naples, one of the major Mediterranean port cities. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, Naples was a focal point in terms of art and architecture, expressed in its ancient forts, the royal ensembles such as the Royal Palace of 1600, and the palaces and churches sponsored by
6048-408: The buildings on Via Caldieri. The district still retains many examples of the original architecture, a heritage for all Italian architecture including historical buildings, such as some of the oldest noble villas ( Villa del Pontano , Villa Belvedere , Villa Regina , Villa Lucia , Villa Haas, Villa Presenzano or Diaz, Villa Ricciardi, Villa Leonetti, Villa Salve) an ancient Bourbon duty building, in
6156-418: The capital invested, decided to sell the buildings already built and the land, and split the blocks into smaller lots that could be more easily sold. Consequently, in the early years of the twentieth century there was no impetuous urban development, but less intensive construction of small, two-storey and small-scale villas was built, surrounded by pretty gardens; which, moreover, had the ability to better enhance
6264-414: The capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies — until the unification of Italy in 1861. Naples is also considered a capital of the Baroque , beginning with the artist Caravaggio 's career in the 17th century and the artistic revolution he inspired. It was also an important centre of humanism and Enlightenment . The city has long been a global point of reference for classical music and opera through
6372-595: The city for the Ostrogoths, but the Byzantines seized control of the area following the Battle of Mons Lactarius on the slopes of Vesuvius . Naples was expected to keep in contact with the Exarchate of Ravenna , which was the centre of Byzantine power on the Italian Peninsula . After the exarchate fell, a Duchy of Naples was created. Although Naples' Greco-Roman culture endured, it eventually switched allegiance from Constantinople to Rome under Duke Stephen II , putting it under papal suzerainty by 763. The years between 818 and 832 saw tumultuous relations with
6480-401: The city from Vienna through viceroys of his own. However, the War of the Polish Succession saw the Spanish regain Sicily and Naples as part of a personal union , with the 1738 Treaty of Vienna recognising the two polities as independent under a cadet branch of the Spanish Bourbons . In 1755, the Duke of Noja commissioned an accurate topographic map of Naples, later known as the Map of
6588-428: The city's recent illegal waste disposal issues to the Camorra , the organized crime network centered in Campania. Due to illegal waste dumping, as exposed by Roberto Saviano in his book Gomorrah , severe environmental contamination and increased health risks remain prevalent. In 2007, Silvio Berlusconi 's government held senior meetings in Naples to demonstrate their intention to solve these problems. However,
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#17328920144366696-404: The city. Many examples of Gothic architecture sprang up around Naples, including the Naples Cathedral , which remains the city's main church. In 1282, after the Sicilian Vespers , the Kingdom of Sicily was divided into two. The Angevin Kingdom of Naples included the southern part of the Italian peninsula, while the island of Sicily became the Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily . Wars between
6804-440: The competing dynasties continued until the Peace of Caltabellotta in 1302, which saw Frederick III recognised as king of Sicily, while Charles II was recognised as king of Naples by Pope Boniface VIII . Despite the split, Naples grew in importance, attracting Pisan and Genoese merchants, Tuscan bankers, and some of the most prominent Renaissance artists of the time, such as Boccaccio , Petrarch and Giotto . During
6912-418: The construction a Carthusian Cloister, the Certosa di San Martino , in 1325. Around this time, the Angevins replaced the ancient Norman watchtower near the cloister, with the Castle of Belforte, what ultimately expanded to become Castel Sant'Elmo . The adjacent areas remained largely rural. Under the Aragonese and subsequently the Spanish, Naples experienced a rapid population increase, due to immigration from
7020-587: The construction of the Naples–Portici railway . After the Expedition of the Thousand led by Giuseppe Garibaldi , which culminated in the controversial siege of Gaeta , Naples became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 as part of the Italian unification , ending the era of Bourbon rule. The economy of the area formerly known as the Two Sicilies as dependant on agriculture suffered the international pressure on prices of wheat, and together with lower sea fares prices lead to an unprecedented wave of emigration , with an estimated 4 million people emigrating from
7128-415: The distribution company SIGLA (Italian Society Gustavo Lombardo Anonima), which gave life to Lombardo Film, the future Titanus. Napoli Film Festival is one of the most significant film festivals in Campania; it has taken place every year since 1997 in June at Castel Sant'Elmo . In front of the apartment building at Via Morghen 65 bis (at Via Bonito), a memorial plaque and a pavement Stolperstein mark
7236-432: The district of the Avvocata. Toward the middle of the 19th century, Ferdinando II commissioned Corso Maria Teresa (renamed Corso Vittorio Emanuele after 1860), establishing the effective lower border of Vomero. In 1817, Vomero's noble residents were joined by royalty, when Ferdinand I of Bourbon acquired the future Villa Floridiana . This district called the Vomere is rich in monasteries and beautiful little houses to be
7344-418: The early ninth century. Naples allied with the Muslim Saracens in 836 and asked for their support to repel the siege of Lombard troops coming from the neighbouring Duchy of Benevento . However, during the 850s, Muslim general Muhammad I Abu 'l-Abbas sacked Miseno , but only for Khums purposes (Islamic booty), without conquering the territories of Campania . The duchy was under the direct control of
7452-400: The eighteenth century, especially after development of via Salvator Rosa (the "Infrascata street"). Noble families settling in Vomero included the Carafa, the Counts of Acerra, the Ruffo di Sicilia, the Cacciottoli, the Cangiani. In 1809, a new administrative division of the city of Naples was formed, operated by Joachim Murat , whereby the villages of Vomero became part of the city proper, in
7560-512: The events (e.g., Piazza Quattro Giornale, Quattro Giornale station of Metro Line 1 , The Medaglie d'Oro traffic circle) three memorial plaques mark the events: on the facade of the Liceo Sannazaro ; next to the entrance of the Carabinieri barracks in Piazza Quattro Giornate; and perhaps most importantly, on Via Belvedere in front of the ancient main entrance of the Pagliarone farm, where the initial resistance occurred. Housing demand and building speculation, after World War II and especially during
7668-427: The famous horti, which he himself sang in his compositions. The basilica of San Gennaro in Antignano on the homonymous street, dates to the early twentieth century, devoid of stylistic merit. Near the entrance to via della Cerra is a tiny aedicule with a marble effigy of the saint's head, taken from the pre-existing church erected in 1707, demolished in 1893 to make room for the current basilica, then built in 1904 on
7776-465: The healthy air having an aspect to the sea (Questa contrada detta il Vomere è ricca di monasteri e di bellissime casine per essere l'aria salutifera avendo un aspetto al mare) Vomero residential development began in earnest in 1885, with the district's official founding (under the law "for the Restoration of Naples") and development of its rectilineal street pattern, punctuated by roundabouts — using
7884-468: The hill itself. Notably, the word vomere , is used to describe a ploughshare (the blade of a plough) and was the name of agricultural game, the winner being the plowman who could trace the straightest furrow. The hilltop's agricultural activity earned it various nicknames, including Broccoli Hill, il Quartiere dei Broccoli and Collina dei Broccoli. To access Vomero, residents and visitors use an array of well-traveled vehicular streets and roundabouts;
7992-409: The hilltop area was called Paturcium , from Patulcius, a name related to Giano , the god to whom the hill was dedicated. In the early Middle Ages, via linguistic corruption, this became Patruscolo or Patruscio. The name Vomero took hold at the end of the sixteenth century, deriving from the area's agricultural history – and initially referring to a historic farmhouse located on the hill, rather than
8100-614: The kingdom. Conflict between the Hohenstaufens and the Papacy led in 1266 to Pope Innocent IV crowning the Angevin duke Charles I King of Sicily: Charles officially moved the capital from Palermo to Naples, where he resided at the Castel Nuovo . Having a great interest in architecture, Charles I imported French architects and workmen and was personally involved in several building projects in
8208-436: The landscape aspects of the places, compared to the large Umbertine buildings. The architectural taste that characterized the period, up until the mid-twenties, was that defined liberty together with the so-called neo-eclectic. The construction of small lots, which began at the beginning of the century, continued even after the first world war and continued to attract a new social class, able to acquire single-family homes or for
8316-528: The large buildings, also built according to the various styles then in fashion (from the liberty to neo-eclecticism, to the first rationalism). The new inhabited center expanded to reach the ancient villages (Vomero Vecchio, Antignano), incorporating them. Vomero played a crucial role in the Four Days of Naples (27–30 September 1943), the critical juncture in World War II when the people of Naples began resisting
8424-531: The latter which leads to the neighboring districts of Soccavo and Arenella. Car, truck, motorcycle and scooter traffic to Vomero is also accessible via numerous streets connecting to adjacent neighborhoods. Numerous bus lines connect Vomero to greater Naples. Until the end of the nineteenth century, Vomero was a largely uninhabited area, relatively distant from the city of Naples. Its oldest area, around present day Antignano , consisted of scattered rural dwellings and villages remaining from Roman settlements, near what
8532-454: The leadership of Richard, Count of Acerra , Nicholas of Ajello , Aligerno Cottone and Margaritus of Brindisi before the Germans suffered from disease and were forced to retreat. Conrad II, Duke of Bohemia and Philip I, Archbishop of Cologne died of disease during the siege . During his counterattack, Tancred captured Constance, now empress. He had the empress imprisoned at Castel dell'Ovo at Naples before her release on May 1192 under
8640-797: The life and death of Sergio De Simone (1937-1945), a seven year old Naples-born victim of the Holocaust 's Bullenhuser-Damm Massacre . Sergio's mother fled Naples with Sergio to her family in Rijeka , Croatia . Sergio was arrested with his Jewish family; deported to Germany; subjected to human experimentation in Hamburg, Germany — and subsequently murdered. His life is commemorated annually on Naples' Remembrance Day, January 27. Via Morghen 65 bis : 40°50′41.9″N 14°14′03.7″E / 40.844972°N 14.234361°E / 40.844972; 14.234361 Napoli Comicon – Salone Internazionale del Fumetto
8748-574: The local fisherman Masaniello saw the creation of a brief independent Neapolitan Republic in 1647. However, this lasted only a few months before Spanish rule was reasserted. In 1656, an outbreak of bubonic plague killed about half of Naples' 300,000 inhabitants. In 1714, Spanish rule over Naples came to an end as a result of the War of the Spanish Succession ; the Austrian Charles VI ruled
8856-465: The main cause of insalubrity , with large and airy avenues. The project proved difficult to accomplish politically and economically due to corruption, as shown in the Saredo Inquiry , land speculation and extremely long bureaucracy. This led to the project to massive delays with contrasting results. The most notable transformations made were the construction of Via Caracciolo in place of the beach along
8964-678: The medieval fortress, Castel Sant'Elmo ; three funiculars connecting to downtown historic districts; its active pedestrian zone , aka ZTL — and its prominent location overlooking greater Naples, Mount Vesuvius , the Bay of Naples and the Tyrrhenian Sea . Adjacent to the Arenella , Soccavo , Fuorigrotta , Chiaia , Montecalvario and Avvocata districts, the street and placenames within Vomero are typically named after noted artists, painters, sculptors, musicians, composers or architects, each with
9072-477: The mid-20th century. In addition, before the law on recovery, a Piedmontese bank, the Banca Tiberina , had purchased land at the Vomero between San Martino, via Belvedere and Antignano, with the intention of building a new neighborhood (Garibaldi had already thought of this to the hilly areas as potential new wards, where, however, he believed the proletariat should be hosted) The laying of the foundation stone by
9180-421: The ninth century BC. By the eighth century BC, the settlement was expanded by Cumaeans , as evidenced by the archaeological findings, to include Monte Echia. In the sixth century BC the city was refounded as Neápolis ( Νεάπολις ), eventually becoming one of the foremost cities of Magna Graecia . The city grew rapidly due to the influence of the powerful Greek city-state of Syracuse , and became an ally of
9288-521: The noble families. The main city square or piazza of the city is the Piazza del Plebiscito . Its construction was begun by the Bonapartist king Joachim Murat and finished by the Bourbon king Ferdinand IV . The piazza is bounded on the east by the Royal Palace and on the west by the church of San Francesco di Paola , with the colonnades extending on both sides. Nearby is the Teatro di San Carlo , which
9396-422: The pressure of Pope Celestine III . In 1194 Henry started his second campaign upon the death of Tancred, but this time Aligerno surrendered without resistance, and finally, Henry conquered Sicily, putting it under the rule of Hohenstaufens. The University of Naples , the first university in Europe dedicated to training secular administrators, was founded by Frederick II , making Naples the intellectual centre of
9504-440: The prison for Empress Constance between 1191 and 1192 after her being captured by Sicilians, and Conradin and Giovanna I of Naples before their executions. Castel Nuovo , also known as Maschio Angioino , is one of the city's top landmarks; it was built during the time of Charles I , the first king of Naples . Castel Nuovo has seen many notable historical events: for example, in 1294, Pope Celestine V resigned as pope in
9612-475: The promenade, the creation of Galleria Umberto I and Galleria Principe and the construction of Corso Umberto. Naples was the most-bombed Italian city during World War II . Though Neapolitans did not rebel under Italian Fascism , Naples was the first Italian city to rise up against German military occupation ; for the first time in Europe, the Nazis, whose leader in this case was Colonel Scholl, negotiated
9720-480: The rebuilding of the church of Santa Chiara , which had been destroyed in a United States Army Air Corps bombing raid. Special funding from the Italian government's Fund for the South was provided from 1950 to 1984, helping the Neapolitan economy to improve somewhat, with city landmarks such as the Piazza del Plebiscito being renovated. However, high unemployment continues to affect Naples. Italian media attributed
9828-566: The road was rearranged and called via Antiniana (either from ante Agnano as it faces the small lake of Agnano , which had dried up centuries previously, or from the adjective Antonianum, referring to a particular owner of the area). At the beginning of the Middle Ages , innumerable small agricultural settlements formed along the road and others that linked Naples to Nola , Atella , Capua and Cuma , which were called "casali". Antignano had more than fifty farmhouses that surrounded Naples since
9936-607: The sixth World Urban Forum in September 2012 and the 63rd International Astronautical Congress in October 2012. In 2013, it was the host of the Universal Forum of Cultures and the host for the 2019 Summer Universiade . Naples' 2,800-year history has left it with a wealth of historical buildings and monuments, from medieval castles to classical ruins, and a wide range of culturally and historically significant sites nearby, including
10044-461: The sixties, replaced the sober and elegant architecture of the Vomero area with tall, mostly reinforced concrete buildings. With the elimination of most gardens and green areas, and destruction of many of Vomero's Art Nouveau villas and Umbertine buildings, Vomero became a middle-class neighborhood, incorporating Arenella and pushing toward Camaldoli hill. Difficult resolutions included the infamous Chinese Wall of Mario Ottieri on Via Aniello Falcone, and
10152-520: The sovereigns took place on 11 May 1885 and, on 20 October 1889, the new district was inaugurated, with the opening of the Funicular of Chiaia, followed by the Funicolare di Montesanto in 1891. Until that date, but still for several decades later, life and therefore the history of the Vomerese hill and that of the city of Naples evolved separately. "I go to Naples", "I go down to Naples" were the sentences of
10260-526: The time and the still difficult connections between the city and the hill) pushed the bank (owner of the built-up areas and of the two funiculars) to yield in the 1899 its rights to the Bank of Italy. This caused the suspension for several years of the works envisaged by the urbanization plan (the result of the agreement signed between the Municipality and Banca Tiberina). At the beginning of the twentieth century, only
10368-512: The time of the Dukes , whose inhabitants came down to the city to sell agricultural products. In the 15th century, Antignano was the home of the noble Capece family, including Scipione Capece, Lord of Antignano and of San Giovanni a Teduccio . Toward the end of the century, the poet Giovanni Pontano , minister of Ferrante I and of Alfonso II of Aragon , had a magnificent villa built in Amtignano with
10476-408: The time, insisted in the absence of epidemics between 1878 and 1883. Then in 1884, Naples fell victim to a major cholera epidemic, caused largely by the city's poor sewerage infrastructure. In response to these problems, in 1885, the government prompted a radical transformation of the city called risanamento to improve the sewerage infrastructure and replace the most clustered areas, considered
10584-460: The upper section of via Annella di Massimo, part of piazza degli Artisti and via San Gennaro in Antignano. Antignano arose in Roman times as a simple rural settlement, on via Puteolis Neapolim per colles, the road which before the much later tunnels between Fuorigrotta and Mergellina had become the primary land crossing between the Phlegraean area and Naples proper. Around the 2nd century AD
10692-620: The upper station of the Montesanto Funicular and the prominent tourist destinations, Castel Sant'Elmo and the Certosa di San Martino . Vehicular access Vehicular access to Vomero is served directly by Exit 9 of the Autostrada A56 , commonly known as the Tangenziale di Napoli (Naples Bypass or simply the Tange). The exit accesses via Cilea and via Caldieri as well as via Pigna junctions,
10800-474: The vomeresi to indicate the journey to the center of the city. But, after 11 May 1885, the Vomero slowly began to settle territorially with the city. The first example of "urban" buildings was the "Four Palaces" in Piazza Vanvitelli, built at the beginning of the 20th century by Banca Tiberina. After the beginning of the works, however, the scarce reactivity of the market (due to the economic difficulties of
10908-474: The world in terms of the number of places of worship. In 1995, the historic centre of Naples was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site , a United Nations programme which aims to catalogue and conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of mankind . Naples is one of the most ancient cities in Europe, whose contemporary urban fabric preserves the elements of its long and eventful history. The rectangular grid layout of
11016-518: The world. Naples has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. In the second millennium BC, a first Mycenaean settlement arose not far from the geographical position of the future city of Parthenope. Sailors from the Greek island of Rhodes established probably a small commercial port called Parthenope ( Παρθενόπη , meaning "Pure Eyes", a Siren in Greek mythology ) on the island of Megaride in
11124-463: The zone incorporated via Luca Giordano, linking upper and lower Vomero, the San Martino area, via Cilea, via Belvedere and the oldest area of Vomero, Antignano . Escalators Three urban, outdoor escalators help compensate for Vomero's hilly terrain, connecting Piazza Fuga to Via Morghen and connecting the upper end of Via Scarlatti to two higher intermediate small piazzas ( piazzettas ) on the way to
11232-462: Was a relatively important road. Before underground tunnels connected Fuorigrotta and Mergellina , (Galleria Laziale and Galleria Quattro Giornate), the hill road known as Via Puteolis (Pozzouli) Neapolim per colles crossed what is now the Vomero ridge as the primary connection between the Phlegraean area (e.g., Pozzouli) to the west and the city of Naples, proper. Around the 2nd century AD the street
11340-559: Was active for about twenty years, with headquarters and theaters in via Solimena. In 1915 the Polifilms of Giuseppe Di Luggo was officially founded. The company, founded in 1912 as a film distribution company with the name De Luggo & C., was transformed in 1914 into a film factory, originally called Napoli Film, with headquarters and theater in via Cimarosa. In 1919 the Polifilms in economic difficulties ceded its installations and theaters of installation to Gustavo Lombardo, already owner of
11448-546: Was built in 1994 as the first grouping of skyscrapers in Italy, remaining the only such grouping in Italy until 2009. The most widely-known sports team in Naples is the Serie A football club Napoli , three-time Italian champions (most recently in 2023), who play at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in the west of the city, in the Fuorigrotta quartier. In 2024, TasteAtlas ranked Naples the 2nd city with best food in
11556-692: Was exiled to Naples by the Germanic king Odoacer in the fifth century AD. Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire , Naples was captured by the Ostrogoths , a Germanic people , and incorporated into the Ostrogothic Kingdom . However, Belisarius of the Byzantine Empire recaptured Naples in 536, after entering the city via an aqueduct. In 543, during the Gothic Wars , Totila briefly took
11664-735: Was reconfigured and renamed via Antiniana , giving name to the Antignano district, where the Miracle of San Gennaro is said to have taken place for the first time, between 413 and 431 AD. After subsequent Norman and Swabian domination, with the Angevins, Naples in 1266 became the capital of the Kingdom of Naples , remaining the capital until the Italian Unification in 1860. During this period, development began to move uphill for strategic reasons, toward present day Vomero. The area began to populate after
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