When in Old Napoli – That’s A 'More

 

Naples, Italy

DAYS 97-98 – Tuesday & Wednesday – April 12 & 13th, 2011 – Two days in one of southern Italy’s largest and most famous cities, Naples. 

Why famous?  (1) It lies at the base of Mount Vesuvius, the site of the eruption of this volcano in 79 AD that buried Pompeii; and (2) Naples is the origin of pizza!

The culture and architecture in Naples reminded me a lot of Greece, but with more fun and flair…the renowned friendly and romantic side of Italy.   We also took a fantastic day’s drive into the charming town of Sorrento, traveling along the seacoast cliffs of the Bay of Naples. 

We also visited the amazingly perfectly preserved town of Pompeii – all covered quickly under the mud, ash, and lava of the enormous eruption of the Mount Vesuvius volcano.

Here are a few highlight photos of the things we discovered in Naples!

We went to a Naples pizza restaurant where we were all served our own large pizza… and we dived in…to the famous Margarita style that originated in Naples (the first pizza was named in honor of Queen Margarita’s visit to Naples).  This pizza is designed around the colors of the flag of Italy – red (fresh tomato sauce), green (basil leaves), and white (mozzarella cheese).  It was absolutely scrumptious.

Naples has amazing, large scale, architecturally outstanding buildings everywhere.

The interior of this huge building, bathed in soft light from the arched skylights, was filled with Renaissance decoration on walls, ceilings, doorways, and intricate floor tiles.

The beautiful Bay of Naples, with Mount Vesuvius (highest mountain) in the background, and a portion of Naples below.

A closer view of the big crater at the top of Mount Vesuvius.

Our first look at Pompeii before we entered the walls of this discovered city of more than 250,000 people who died instantly when Mount Vesuvius erupted.  Everything in Pompeii was miraculously preserved within ash and mud…just as it had been in 79 AD.  It was rediscovered in the 16th century and excavation began in 1748.

One of the 66 acres of streets in the unearthed city of Pompeii…this was a street of shops on both sides.   There were chariot tracks worn into the cobbled stone streets and running water throughout the city in an elaborately designed system developed for both drinking water and for sewage.

The residents of Pompeii figured out unique ways of capturing rain water through roof systems that funneled the water into square holes in the rooftops that then dripped into these catchment squares in the floor of rooms.  Overflow water then drained into large cisterns all around the city.

Although macabre to see, this is one of thousands of entombed, preserved bodies found in Pompeii.  All but three of the bodies have been placed in museums, but we suddenly saw the story of the covering of Pompeii unfold before our eyes when we witnessed the preserved body of this ancient person covering his face, found in a Pompeii home, as his world suffocated him in mud and ash.

On a much lighter note, our excursion to Pompeii also took us to the endearing, very scenic and delightful hillside town of Sorrento, an hour’s drive from Naples.  Getting there took us on scenic, curving and narrow roads along the cliffs.  Sorrento is famed for its beauty, charming resorts, and friendly people.

As we approached Sorrento our guide pointed out the smallest island in Italy’s Mediterranean waters…merely a few rocks with two palm trees proudly clinging to life.

Sorrento’s streets were filled with outdoor cafes and little shops with wonderful treasures.

Here is an example of the typical Italian man who enjoys giving a hug to complete strangers…it seemed to me that everyone in the southern Italian communities took life in a decidedly relaxed and friendly manner.

  As we made our way back into the main city of Naples, we realized how blessed we were to have seen the many faces of southern Italy…from bustling city to enchanting countryside, to one of the most historically well preserved UNESCO sites in the world.

From Naples we now travel north along the Italian coastline to visit Rome…home of the ancient Coliseum, Vatican City, and some of sculptor/painter/architect Michelangelo’s finest works of incredible art and design.