Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ico Maggiore
. It was in this church that a crucifix reputedly spoke to St Thomas Aquinas; the theologi-
an taught in the adjoining monastery. At No 9 stands the notorious
Palazzo dei Di Sangro
, where
on 16 October 1590, nobleman and composer Carlo Gesualdo brutally murdered his cousin-wife, Maria
d'Avalos, and her lover, Fabrizo Carafa, after catching them
in flagrante
. Suspicious of d'Avalos' un-
faithfulness, the crafty Gesualdo had tricked his wife into thinking that he was out of town on a hunting
trip. Around the corner from the palazzo is Via Francesco deSanctis, where you'll find the not-to-be-
missed
Cappella Sansevero
. A jewel of a chapel, it's home to the mesmerising
Cristo velato
(Veiled Christ) sculpture. The Venetian sculptor Antonio Canova famously said that he'd have given 10
years of his life to be its creator.
Back on Via San Biagio dei Librai, the road becomes Via Benedetto Croce. On the left, at No 45,
stands
Palazzo Carafa della Spina
, designed by Domenico Fontana in the late 16th century and re-
vamped in the first half of the 18th century. Its baroque
portone
(entrance) is one of Naples' finest, com-
plete with balcony-supporting satyrs and the Carafa family's coat of arms. Flanking the entrance are two
marble sea monsters, their open mouths once used to extinguish torches. Further west is the
Basilica
di Santa Chiara
, a testament to the skill of Naples' restoration experts after it was almost completely
destroyed by WWII bombs. Savour a little silence in the basilica's adjacent majolica-tiled cloisters, then
spill into
Piazza del Gesù Nuovo
, home to much nightly revelry and, at No 14,
Libreria Dante
& Descartes
, an erudite bookshop popular with writers and intellectuals. Dominating the piazza's
northern side is the richly decorated
Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo
, while at its centre is the
Guglia
dell'Immacolata
, created between 1747 and 1750; the gilded copper statue of the Virgin Mary was ad-
ded in 1753. Cinephiles may recognise the central balcony of
Palazzo Pandola
, at No 33, from the
closing scene of Vittorio De Sica's
Matrimonio all'italiana
(Marriage Italian Style), a comedy starring
Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. Backtrack from the square to the first intersection and turn left
along Via San Sebastiano, packed with musical-instrument vendors. At the next intersection on your left,
book-lined Via Port'Alba leads down to
Port'Alba
, a city gate built in 1625 which leads into Piazza
Dante.
Double back the way you came, turn left back into Via San Sebastiano, and a block to your right is
Piazza Bellini
. The perfect place to end your saunter is in one of the piazza's cafes - just don't for-
get to inspect the remains of the 4th century BC Greek city walls under the square.
TOLEDO & QUARTIERI SPAGNOLI
Constructed by Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo in the 16th century,
palazzo
-
flanked Via Toledo (also known as Via Roma) is Naples' veritable high street and a popu-
lar strip for an evening
passeggiata
(stroll). Capped by buzzing Piazza Trento e Trieste at
its southern end, it becomes Via Enrico Pessina further north, skimming past Piazza Dante
and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale on its way towards Capodimonte.
Directly west of Via Toledo lie the razor-thin streets of the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish
Quarter), originally built to house Don Pedro's Spanish troops. Low on actual sights, its
