Naples has a long and storied history, perhaps not as famous as Rome, but certainly no less glamorous and convoluted. At one point, the larger Gulf of Naples area was the playground of rich Roman senators and emperors.

Large Theater at Pompeii

It also served as the capitol of several Duchies and Kingdoms …

Castel Nuovo

… before finally becoming part of the Italy during the reunification in 1861.

I imagine that part of the attraction of Naples as a seat of power and as a playground is the natural beauty of the area. Vesuvius (Vesuvio to the locals) dominates the view from anywhere on the Bay of Naples.

As we walked around with our old friends from Dubai (well, Wales and NFLD) …

The Italian Reunification

Waiting for John

… we caught some great views of the city and the bay.Naples and Vesuvio

Naples and the Gulf of Naples

Naples has great food pizza. And every great pizza restaurant has a great pizza oven. This one stood out as one of the most colourful, and which also produced the best pizza in Naples.

Pizza oven

The downtown areas along the Via Toledo and the Spanish Quarter are filled with restaurants, shopping and awesome coffee shops.

Via Toledo

Coffee Shop

Much of the downtown area is very crowded with narrow lanes and streetside vendors and cafes.

Spaccanapoli

Naples does have some interesting architecture such as this shopping plaza, built in the 19th century …

Dome of the Galleria Umberto I

… and some very interesting, densely populated neighbourhoods.

However, for me and I suspect many other visitors, the best highlights were found to the south in Pompeii and then along the Amalfi Coast.

Pompeii needs little introduction, except to say that going there in person is well worth the effort, time and money. Watching a few documentaries does not convey the sense of life and civilization that emerges from the streets …

… the restaurants …

Roman takeway

 

Bar and restaurant

… and the entertainment districts.

The Large Theatre

The coliseum

Inside the coliseum

Inside the coliseum

 

Other remains include roman baths, temples and squares.

Bath with exposed heating system

Temple

 

Square with statue

However, for me the most fascinating sections of the city showed scenes of daily life including a variety of homes and mosaic entryways …

Peristyle main garden with central pool

 

Mosaic in entryway

 

Detail of ceiling in bedroom

 

Garden in home with central waterway

 

Nearly complete home with central garden

 

Peristyle

… a bakery, and other functional buildings.

Bakery with flour mills – pour the flour in the top and spin

 

Vinyard

Present everywhere were pieces of art and architecture including small temples, paintings and statues attesting to the affluence of the city.

Temple

 

Painting

 

Statues

One of the more gruesome remains are the plaster casts of spaces in the pyroclastic debris where bodies were trapped. When the city was being excavated, they filled many of these cavities with plaster to capture the final positions of Romans’ trapped in the eruption.

Plaster cast of child

For natural beauty of the region, the Amalfi coast provided stunning scenes of rugged headlands and steep slopes covered in picturesque homes, hotels and shops.

Sorrento

Sorrento Hotel

 

Positano

Positano

 

Positano

 

Amalfi

 

Ravello

 

Ravello

 

Looking north towards Vesuvio and Naples

The Romans were very good at building aqueducts. The system around the Gulf of Naples, the Aqua Augusta was one of the most advanced in all of the Roman Empire. Sections of the aqueduct were underground and ran underneath Naples. Parts of this system actually functioned continuously until the 19th century, and you are able to visit them.

The old aqueduct system

Still flowing!

Here are a few more images from the trip.

Back streets Pompeii

 

Rhonda and Annette

 

Street in Pompeii

House in Pompeii

 

House in Pompeii