Explore The History Of Naples

Naples in Italy has a history like no other. This is one of the main reasons why so many people are entranced by it from the moment they first set foot inside the city itself.

When you realise that the city was founded back in the eighth century BC, it is understandable why there should be so much in the way of history here. It is an old city – few cities in the world can claim to be older than this one.

Mount Vesuvius is not far to the east of Naples, and the city has been affected to some extent by various eruptions over the centuries. Indeed you can see the immense volcano from certain high points in the city – and an impressive sight it is as well.

The centre of the city is so full of historic importance that it has been granted the status of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be sure to see such eye catching structures as the Piazza del Plebiscito, which is a huge square in the city and has the Royal Palace right by it. The Royal Palace itself takes up one side of the square.

Be sure you also pay a visit to the Naples National Archaeological Museum, because it contains many different slices of history associated with the city. There are many delights here which date back to Roman and ancient Greek times, so you will need much of the day to find all that is available.

Of particular note are the various exhibits which relate to the lost cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. These were lost when Mount Vesuvius erupted with disastrous results back in AD 79, losing thousands of lives in the process.

But there is also another side to Naples, and this takes you back through history in a very different way indeed. You can actually descend beneath the city to see the many tunnels and hidden secrets it possesses. If you head to the Trieste e Trento square you can meet up with guides on certain days of the week to go and see these tunnels for yourself. These are signs of a forgotten Roman city, and they also provided much needed shelter when Naples was repeatedly hit by bombing during the Second World War.

Spaccanapoli is also well worth seeing if you head back up to the surface and search for the straightest street in the city. To call it a single street is actually slightly misleading, because it actually consists of a few of them linked together, but it is quite stunning and has many different stalls and delights to search out.