The
largest city of Campania, capital of the province and the region, Naples
is the third most populated city in Italy (after Rome and Milan), with
over a million inhabitants, and is the most important industrial center
and trading port for the South. It is situated halfway down the Tyrrenia
coast, at the innermost point of the Bay of Naples, between Vesuvius and
the Phlegrean Fields. It has a mild and constant climate, with
average temperatures of 16° C and a serene sky for at least half the
year. Among the major industries are metalworking, oil refineries,
mechanics (naval and railroad), electricity and food producing. The
artistic crafting of coral and tortoise shell flourishes. A point
of embarkation for emigrants in the past, Naples now has a large traffic
of merchandise (petroleum, carbon, cereals) and passengers. It is the
largest Italian port, with a noteworthy nexus of railway and highways
and a large international airport. In the vast urban area one can
distinguish many different neighborhoods: the old center, characterized
by buildings closely crowded together, is bordered on the west by the
new administrative district and on the east by the business district,
into which flows almost all the road and rail traffic. Other
neighborhoods, with narrow climbing streets, rise around the base of the
San Martino and Capodimonte hills. These neighborhoods have experienced
intense development, typically of the simpler kind, in contrast to that
of the residential neighborhoods that stretch out comfortably along the
Vomero and Posillipo hills.
Historical
BackgroundThe
original nucleus of the city can be found on the little island of
Megaride. Occupied today by Egg
Castle (Castel dell' Ovo), it was first a settlement of the
Aegean Greeks, then the Rodi, followed by the Cumani, in the seventh and
sixth centuries B.C. The Cumani also occupied the Pizzofalcone heights
and named the city Palaepolis (Old City). Around the fifth century B.C.,
Neapolis (New City) arose in the surrounding areas, exercising strong
cultural influence based on its Greek roots. In the following century it
was occupied by the Romans, surrounded by walls and characterized by
blocks of streets formed in grids. Later it was occupied by the
Byzantines, then the Goths, and then became capital of an autonomous
dukedom. After a brief period of Longobard dominion, it fell under
Norman control, until Ruggero II of Altavilla, King of Sicily, was able
to add it to his kingdom in 1139. With the Angevin conquest in 1266,
Naples became the capital and experienced notable demographic and urban
growth. New growth occurred with the arrival of Alfonso of Aragon and
with the reign of his successors (fifteenth century). After Charles VIII
of France, the Spanish took over in 1503. Naples rose to the dignity of
being a capital again in 1734 under the Bourbons, who reigned there
until September 1860 (except during the brief French parenthesis,
1806-1815), at which time it was annexed to Garibaldi's Italy. The
bombardments of the Second World War, aggravated by the resistance of
the German troops, caused death and destruction to the patrimony of
population and of art. However, the Parthenopaean population gained
victory on October 1, 1943, after four days of bitter fighting. (Note:
The mythical tomb of Parthenope, a siren, was supposedly at the site
where Naples grew up. As a result, the city has become known as
Parthenopaea.
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