A lovely castle, beautiful theatre, a Royal Palace and church are just some of the delights of this area by the Gulf of Naples. There is also a ‘secret tunnel’ which was sadly closed when I visited. Toledo Metro is only a few minutes walk away on Via Toledo which leads into the city on the North West side of Piazza Plebiscito.
Piazza Plebiscito
This huge piazza which edges the Gulf of Naples was officially unveiled in 1846. It is flanked on the east by the Palazzo Reale and the Basilica di San Francesco di Paola on the west. The palace has many rooms and chambers open to the public including a magnificent library and museum. The wonderful Teatro San Carlo is adjacent.
Teatro di San Carlo
The theatre is one of the oldest opera houses in the world and dates from 1737. It is lavish on the inside and has a unique 19th century canvas on the ceiling which helps with the acoustics There are six tiers in the auditorium including a royal box.
Via Toledo
This main road leads from Piazza Plebiscito towards Quartieri Spagnoli. It is a great place for shopping and the Galleria Umberto I shopping mall is on the east side.
Quartieri Spagnoli
The Spanish Quarter is one of my favritist districts in Naples. It’s the old working class area of the city and is a gridlike system of alleyways and tall buildings. Much of it is covered in grafiti, rubbish and dogs mess but despite that the district has a certain charm. There are many little Trattorias in the area and this is where we ventured at night time for food [and a drinky].
Castel Nuovo
This large castle off Plebiscito Square was built in the 13th century. Much of the castle was rebuilt in the 15th century, so it is still pretty old and in good nick! The Civic Museum is in the south wing.
The white marble Arco di Trionfo [Triumphal arch] seemingly squeezed between two towers was built in 1443.
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