Italy Tourist Attractions in Naples

Naples, the birthplace of pizza. If for no other reason, is that not reason enough to pay a visit? This ancient city actually has much more to offer than just pizza and is a place you may seriously want to see while in Italy.

In and around the main square, the Piazza del Plebiscito you will find the 17th century Royal Palace.

On the west side of the piazza you will find a domed church called San Francesco di Paola, named and dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola, who had spent time in the monastery on site there. The dome on this structure measures 53 meters in height. This structure may remind you of the Pantheon in Rome.

This is not the only church in Naples. Naples is actually considered one of the most Catholic cities in the world, being home to over 440 historical churches. The Cathedral of Naples is the main church of the city.

During your time in Naples, you may want to check out the oldest opera house on the Italian peninsula called Teatro di San Carlo. This venue was inaugurated in November 1737 and was in its day the largest opera house having a seating capacity of 3,300.

Travel across from the opera house to the Galleria Umberto, a popular shopping center and place for socializing.

Historical museums and castles can help you fill up your day of sightseeing. Castel Nuovo, Castel dell’Ova, Sant’Elmo are three notable castles. Naples National Archaeological Museum, Museo di Capodimonte, Certosa di San martino, Villa Pignatelli, Palazzo Como and Pietrarsa Railway Museum are all places that you may consider spending time at.

If you need to spend some time in some green space, check out some of the beautiful parks in the city. At Parco Virgiliano you can see see all parts of the Bay of Naples, which cannot be seen from other viewpoints. Villa Comunale is the most prominent park, previously for Royals only, but now open to the public. You will find many beautiful fountains here.

If there’s not enough above ground to see, you can always check out the caves and structures underground that result from centuries of mining. You can also see the large catacombs that exist in and around the city.

With Naples existence beginning more than 2800 years ago there is a rich history to be explored. So now it just becomes the question of what you can fit in, in the time you’ll have there.