Naples, the ancient, sacred, mysterious city, never boring but mystical and experiential. It was a literary salon in the ‘800th and an indispensable destination of the Grand Tour, in order to a growth related to the intimate formation of being a man. This day will be devoted to an unforgettable journey in the heart of Naples, discovering the most fascinating corners, listening to ancient stories and legends and tasting the delights of Neapolitan tradition like "pizza, coffee and sfogliatella ( a typical dessert)".

The visit will start from “Piazza del Gesù Nuovo” with its seventeenth-century spire, on which sits enthroned the Immaculate statue; you will also admire the Church of “Gesù Nuovo”, the triumph of the Neapolitan Baroque, and the “Basilica of Santa Chiara”, the emblem of the Neapolitan Gothic with its splendid majolica cloister. You will go through "Spaccanapoli", the lower decumanus of the Roman Empire, which actually divides the Neapolitan Capital in two parts, in order to get to “Piazza San Domenico”, where it will be possible to admire, in all its beauty, the second spire of the city, surrounded by noble buildings of the most important Neapolitan families. Walking and crossing the cardines and decumanus of the ancient city (Naples downtown), you could reach one of the most famous streets in world, “San Gregorio Armeno”, well known as the "street of nativity scene", the heart of crib handicraft developed since 1700. Along the way, we will enter in the namesake church of the XVI century, which is narrated, it arises on the ruins of Cerere’s Temple and actually preserves the Santa Patrizia’s blood. Inevitable it will be the visit of the Baroque Cloister, one of the most beautiful in Naples.  With eyes still in the evocative images of the places visited, you will leave “via San Gregorio”, passing next to the Church of “San Lorenzo” in “Piazza San Gaetano”, a gothic structure in which, it is said, Boccaccio met his Fiammetta, and to the church of “San Paolo Maggiore”, built where, in the past, there was the Acropolis of the city. We will continue in “Via Tribunali”, the "superior" decumanus of Naples, where you will have the opportunity to taste one of the most popular pizza of the city in a historical pizzeria. The pizza will be served as Neapolitan tradition, folded as a “portafoglio”: it’s a common Neapolitan habit "eating pizza standing on". We will pass by the Church of “Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio”, a charming church which holds one of the most felt cults by Neapolitan people, “the Capuzzelle’s Cult": the Purgatory souls adopted by the Neapolitan people in exchange for protection. During the stroll, it will be possible to admire, besides,  the Church of “Santa Maria Maggiore della Pietrasanta”, with its romanesque bell tower, and the Chapel “Pontaniana”, the emblem of the renaissance style, built by the humanist scholar Giovanni Pontano as a " funeral Temple " for his wife.  Through Port'Alba, the street of Neapolitan booksellers, we will arrive in “Piazza Dante”, a central square of the city, and continuing to walk along the main street, Via Toledo. In our stroll, among vintage palaces and history, we will find in the heart of Naples, the shopping street, up to getting to the oldest and famous cafeteria of Naples, the Gambrinus, which is next to “Piazza del Plebiscito”, “Teatro di San Carlo” and “Galleria Umberto I”, and which was the meeting point for artists, poets and writers and which was born the most important Neapolitan songs of Libero Bovio, Di Giacomo, D'Annunzio and Russo. It will be a unique experience to smell and taste the original Neapolitan coffee and take part in a ritual that is repeated every day, always the same for centuries, accompanied by the tasting of a typical Neapolitan sfogliatella (a typical dessert). After this last stage, the "walk Neapolitan " will be ended.

 

Duration of route: 4.5 hours approx.