Naples and surroundings

The Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro is a museum in Naples, whose entrance is located next to the “Duomo” (Cathedral) and the “Cappella del Tesoro” (Chapel of the Treasure). The museum opened to the public in December 2003, contains about 21,610 unique pieces that represent the Saint's treasure collected over about 700 years thanks to donations from kings, popes, emperors and private citizens. Unique of its kind is the silver collection (about 70 pieces) which, covering a period of time ranging from 1300 to the contemporary age, is intact, having never undergone tampering and is also almost entirely the work of masters of the Neapolitan school. The museum itinerary also includes a visit to the three sacristies of the Cappella del Tesoro, which have recently undergone restoration and contain valuable paintings by Luca Giordano, Massimo Stanzione and other famous artists.

Castel Nuovo, better known as Maschio Angioino, is a medieval and Renaissance castle which today represents one of the most loved and well-known symbols of the city of Naples. The castle now houses the civic museum, which includes the palatine chapel and the museum itineraries on the first and second floors. Its construction is due to the initiative of Carlo I D'Angiò who in 1266 ascended the throne of Sicily and established the transfer of the capital from Palermo to Naples. The works for the construction of the castle began in 1279, but the palace remained unused until 1285, the year of the death of Charles I. The new king Charles II moved to the castle with all his family and during his reign the palace was the scene of famous abdication of Pope Celestine V and the election of Boniface VIII who moved his headquarters to Rome to escape Angevin interference. After periods of splendor and numerous vicissitudes, in 1799 the castle saw its last very important event: the Parthenopean Republic was proclaimed here.

The archaeological excavations of Ercolano are located in the municipality of Ercolano, in the Province of Naples. The very ancient city of Herculaneum (this was the name of the city at the time), was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. . The solidification of the rainwater that infiltrated every opening led to the burial of Herculaneum, allowing the conservation of highly perishable materials such as papyrus and food and, at the same time, making excavations very difficult. Between 1738 and 1765 the first regular excavation campaign took place, promoted by Charles of Bourbon and directed by Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre. The exploration took place through underground tunnels which, once the works of art had been removed were closed again. The "archaeologists of the time" created a plan that proved to be very important in 1986, when the excavations were reopened. To date, after the numerous discoveries and excavations carried out, Herculaneum still appears to us in a part of its extension, the one closest to the sea. Furthermore, since 1997, the excavations of Herculaneum, with those of Pompeii and Oplontis, have been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The archaeological excavations of Pompeii have returned the remains of the ancient city of Pompeii, near the hill of Civita, at the gates of modern Pompeii, buried under a blanket of ashes and lapilli during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79, together with Herculaneum, Stabiae and Oplontis. The findings following the excavations, begun at the behest of Charles III of Bourbon, are one of the best testimonies of Roman life, as well as the best preserved city of that era; most of the recovered finds (in addition to simple furnishings for daily use, including frescoes, mosaics and statues), are kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and a small number in the Antiquarium of Pompeii, currently closed: the considerable quantity of finds is been useful for understanding the uses, customs, food habits and the art of life of over two millennia ago.

The historic center still shows the orthogonal layout of the streets of Roman origin with thistles and decumani, while towards the mountain it is surrounded by sixteenth-century walls. There are the Cathedral, rebuilt in the 15th century, with a neo-Gothic façade, and the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi, with a remarkable 14th-century cloister, with an arabesque portico with arches that intertwine on octagonal pillars. In the Correale di Terranova museum, collections of Greek and Roman artifacts and Capodimonte porcelain are exhibited, with a section dedicated to 17th-19th century painting; from the park you can also enjoy a magnificent view of the gulf. At Punta del Capo, 3 km to the west, there are Roman remains believed to be from the villa of Pollio Felice (1st century AD). Another maritime villa is the "Villa di Agrippa Postumo", literally located under the present-day Hotel Bellevue Syrene. The villa was built by the unfortunate nephew of Augustus.

The medieval age saw the construction of numerous towers for the sighting of the Saracens, authors of numerous incursions and raids against the local population. The first tower is located outside the municipality of Positano, in the locality of Punta Campanella, where the Amalfi coast ends and the Sorrento coast begins. From there, once the Arabs were sighted, the first signal was launched, a cannon shot, and from this the tam tam moved to the second, third and so on, traveling through Positano and the entire Amalfi Coast. In this way the inhabitants of Positano could take refuge on the steep hills (thus the hamlets of Montepertuso and Nocelle were created). In fact, the Saracens, skilled navigators and fighters, were disadvantaged in entering the heights, and were easily prey to counterattacks by the local population.