Naples

I

Introduction

Naples (Italian Napoli; ancient Neapolis), city in southern Italy, capital of Naples Province and of Campania Region. An important seaport, Naples is built on the slopes and at the base of a range of hills bordering the Bay of Naples, an inlet of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Visible from the city is the volcano Vesuvius. Population 995,171 (2005 estimate).

II

Economy

Naples has a large harbour for passenger and merchant vessels and several smaller ones that accommodate fishing and pleasure craft. Among the chief industries are tourism, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of chemicals, foodstuffs, gloves, iron and steel, and machinery.

III

Places of Interest

Naples is the site of numerous castles and other historic landmarks. On a rocky islet connected to the city by a causeway stands the 12th-century Castel dell'Ovo, the site of which was occupied by the villa of the Roman general Lucullus. Other Neapolitan castles are the 13th-century Castel Nuovo, situated on the harbour, and the 14th-century Castel Sant'Elmo, on a hill overlooking the city. The former royal palace in Naples, the Palazzo Reale, was built in the early 17th century; it houses the notable National Library, which has a large and valuable collection of books and manuscripts. Near the palace is the Teatro San Carlo (1737, rebuilt 1816), celebrated for its opera productions and one of the largest theatres in Europe. The National Museum in Naples is renowned for its vast collection of Graeco-Roman paintings and sculpture found in Pompeii, Herculaneum, and elsewhere in the vicinity of the city. The museum also contains the celebrated Farnese art collection. The city is the site of a university; Naples also has a naval institute, a school of foreign languages, a music conservatory, and an academy of fine arts.

Of the many ecclesiastical buildings in the city, the best known is the cathedral of San Gennaro (begun 13th century, with many later additions, including a 19th-century facade). The cathedral contains the tomb of St Januarius, the patron saint of the city; crowds fill the cathedral in May and September to witness what is believed to be the miraculous liquefaction of his blood. The church of San Domenico Maggiore has a beautiful interior and is rich in sculpture and frescoes. Beside it stands the former Dominican monastery in which St Thomas Aquinas once lived and taught.

IV

History

The ancient Neapolis (Greek, “New City”) was originally a Greek settlement. Although conquered by the Romans in the 4th century bc, it long retained its Greek culture. The mild climate and beauty of the site made the city a favourite resort of wealthy Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the city went into a decline. In the 6th century Neapolis was captured by forces of the Byzantine Empire, and in the 8th century it became an independent duchy. In 1139 the Normans conquered the duchy, and it was subsequently incorporated into the kingdom of Naples and Sicily.

After the Sicilian Vespers of 1282, Charles I made Naples the capital of his Angevin kingdom, which participated in the economic and intellectual revival in Europe. The kingdom passed from the Angevins to the Aragonese in a war that culminated in the siege of Naples and its occupation by Alfonso V of Aragón (Alfonso I of Naples) in 1443. The kingdom was contested by Spain and France in the wars that engulfed Italy in the late 15th century, and eventually passed to the Spanish Habsburgs in 1503. Spanish rule brought peace and stability under which culture flourished. In the 17th century, however, harsh financial policies aroused popular discontent, and a number of revolts broke out, all easily quelled by the Spanish.

From 1707 to 1734 the Austrian Bourbons ruled Naples, and began some inconclusive attempts at reform. By the end of the century, the city had become one of the principal capitals of Europe. After a republic was briefly established in 1799, the kingdom was entrusted by Napoleon to his brother Joseph Bonaparte and then to Joachim Murat. When the Bourbons were restored to the throne in 1815 after the Congress of Vienna, the Kingdom of Naples was united to Sicily to form the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which in 1860 became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy. The port of Naples was greatly improved in the late 19th century. The city, which had long been subject to epidemics of cholera, was provided with a pure supply of water in 1884 and a new sewage system.

During World War II Naples was bombed repeatedly by the Allies until it fell in 1943; it was also heavily damaged by the retreating Germans. The harbour and some sections were virtually demolished, and many houses were rendered uninhabitable. Reconstruction was based on a plan designed to make Naples more sanitary and modern. In 1995 the historic centre of Naples was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.