They all get more attention than the city of Naples itself: Vesuvius rising above the Bay of Naples, the ruins of Pompeii and Herculanium perched on the flanks of the mountain, and the fabulous Sorrento coast stretching between Naples and Salerno. But Naples is itself a fascinating destination. This time when our ship docked by the busy ferry terminal, Margaret and I decided to spend most of our time exploring the city. We walked past the Castel Nuovo to the "downtown" area through the Galleria Umperto to the Palace. Taggers have had a field day here. Graffiti is everywhere, as high up as person can reach with higher scrawling by people who use ladders. The city seems to have given up trying to keep itself clean. The centuries-old, defaced stone lion in front of an impressive but tired old church wears an appropriately disgusted expression.


The Cathedral of Naples (or Duomo) is the main church of the city and is said to be the most important church in southern Italy. Built in the 13th Century, the church is dedicated to San Gennaro, the city's patron saint. The church has a vial of the Saint's blood which is brought out twice a year. It is said that the dried blood liquefies when it is brought out, which, of course, is considered a miracle each time it happens. According to legend if the blood fails to liquefy, something bad will happen to Naples. The church was completed in the early 14th century. The present cathedral was buit on the foundations of two earlier Christian basilicas. Another church, which was obviously meant to remind us of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome seems badly neglected.



A funicular railroad runs up to the top of Sant'Elmo Hill in the center of the city. Sant'Elmo is the name of both the hill and a fortress which was built in the 14th Century by Robert of Anjou. The fortress is a star-shaped castle with six ramparts. It's in remarkably good condition. We spent a couple of hours in the "Bruno Molajoli" Art History museum in the castle before walking back down to the harbor.







The most impressive structure in Naples is Castel Nuovo which has guarded the harbor since the 13th Century. The castle has been modified several times, the latest addition was a facade added between the entrance towers in the 15th Century.
The Alfonso I Triumph Arch, the most important Renaissance work in Naples, is at the entrance to the castle. This Arch commemorates Alfonso I of Aragon and Naples arrival to the city back in 1443.