Address: Via Melisurgo 4
Naples is different. Visitors seduced by the elegance of the rest of Italy come to Napoli and find its stark juxtaposition of the beautiful and the grotesque either a slap in the face or, for others, a head-spinning party. Explanations as to why Naples is like this vary. It may be the effect of sitting under Mount Vesuvius, Europe’s largest active volcano. It may be the mix of Greeks, Romans, Normans, Saracens, Angevins, Napoleonic French and Bourbon Spanish that went into the city of today. One way or another, history has made Naples a highly singular place.
The city’s vibrancy does have its downsides. Directly behind the swanky shops of the via Toledo loom the Quartieri Spagnoli, where the camorra (local mafia) lurk. Don’t be put off, however. The gangs are not interested in tourists, and a programme of restoration of the city’s landmarks, pedestrianisation of the centre and improved public transport have changed the face and feel of Naples.
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