Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SPLURGING AT THE GRAN CAFFÈ GAMBRINUS
Okay, so the iced tea
costs you upwards of
€
6—but the glass is big, and it buys you a seat to the side-
walk show. This is the best place to people-watch in Naples, and maybe even in
all of Italy. The waitstaff must have trained hard to be this
un
friendly, but that
somehow adds to the appeal. Deals (no doubt some on the shady side) have been
brokered at this famous bar on the
Piazza del Plebiscito.
Neapolitans doll up to
saunter by the outdoor tables in what is a cross between a fashion show and a
vaudeville act. The Gambrinus has been graced by everyone from Oscar Wilde to
Bill Clinton.
GOING TO MARKET
Fighting your way through either the Pignasecca mar-
ket, in the heart of the Spanish Quarter, or the fish-and-vegetable market, at the
Portanola gate, will bring you perhaps the truest taste of local flavor in the city.
So what if you don't actually need to buy anything?
SHARING A GOOD GLASS OF LOCAL WINE WITH A LOCAL
Southern
Italian wines are fast growing in popularity and quality, as evidenced by the new
crop of wine bars and wine-tasting venues in the city. Join the locals in their rel-
atively new pastime of wine tasting. Many of them, sponsored by Slow Food
(p. 592), offer a great chance to meet the locals.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF NAPLES
Naples is one of the most precariously situated cities on the planet. The historical
center sits at the base of one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes, Mt.
Vesuvius. From atop the volcano, it looks as if the city slid down the mountain-
side, stopping just short of the Tyrrhenian Sea and leaving a scattering of villages
along its flanks. But, in fact, the region around Naples was settled from the sea
inward and upward, with the Greeks likely the first to have arrived, in the 8th cen-
tury
B
.
C
.
Naples was first called Neapolis, meaning “new city.” Together with nearby
Cuma, the ancient region was a powerful trade center and a force to be reckoned
with, not to mention an attractive acquisition for invading tribes like the
Etruscans and Romans who were lured by its climate and the beauty of the coast-
line. It was the Romans who finally captured Neapolis from the Greeks around
326
B
.
C
., and quickly connected the new city to the eternal city by the Appian
Way, literally paving the way for its destiny as a cultural center.
Even from the beginning, life has never been particularly easy for the
Neapolitans. Over the centuries, Mt. Vesuvius has erupted, pushing the villages
back down toward the sea; and wars and conflicts have diminished much of its
former glory. The scars of World War II, for example, are evident in the pocked
churches and quiet plaques that mark the sites of destroyed treasures. More
recently, decades of crime, high unemployment, and corruption have taken a toll
on everything but the city's unique spirit.
As you visit Naples, you'll easily spot the evidence of its rich and varied past.
The
historical center,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site, still follows the same
street pattern the Greeks used. In the area of
Santa Lucia,
along the waterfront
to the north, you'll see where the Normans left their statues and castles. Palaces
along the entire
waterfront,
like the Palazzo Reale, were shaped by numerous
