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Italy : Naples - June 2009

Country Code: Dial for Italy

This month Naples’s baroque architecture and epic gothic churches are given a dusting off ready for the Napoli Teatro Festival (4-28 June). June sees the city dedicate itself to the dramatic arts, with various productions taking place across the centro storico, in a series of suitably spectacular venues, including the underground passageways and aqueducts. Matt Barker has front row seats

Getting around

Naples International Airport at Capodichino.

Bus: The Alibus runs directly from the airport to Stazione Centrale every 20 minutes. Tickets cost €3. The orange bus (the 3S) runs every 25 minutes. Tickets are from €1.
Taxi: A taxi from the airport to the centre costs around €13. An Artecard (costs from €13) is a good option giving you free travel plus some museum entry. You can buy it at the airport when you arrive (www.campaniartecard.it)
Tourist information: Go to the TEPT Office at Stazione Centrale, Piazza Garibaldi, www.eptnapoli.info)

SPACCANAPOLI AND PIAZZA DEL GESÙ

Cutting its way through the centro storico, Spaccanapoli splits the heart of the city in two. A network of side streets and small piazzas are waiting to be explored.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Neapolis (13 Via Francesco Del Giudice, , hotelneapolis.com, rooms from €80) is a comfortable bolthole with a central location. Set in an 18th-century building with smart interiors, Schilizzi Hotel (16 Via Matteo Schilizzi, , schilizzihotel.it, rooms from €60) is a decent budget option.

Culture vultures – The distinctive Guglia dell’Addolorata spire and Chiesa del Gesù dominate Piazza del Gesù. The latter dates from the 15th century and is a typically Neapolitan treasure trove of frescoes and other works of art. The nearby Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara (Via Benedetto Croce) consists of a church that houses magnificent tombs, a monastery and a small museum.

PIAZZA DEL PLEBISCITO

This square is the pride of Naples and the perfect stage for locals to strut their stuff come evening.

Sleep soundly – If it’s possible to enjoy a leisurely jolt of espresso, Gran Caffè Gambrinus (1-2 Via Chiaia) is surely the place to do it. It’s a real symbol of the city and still one of the best spots for people-watching and a slice of baba, a local rum-flavoured cake. Cantina di Triunfo (64 Via Riviera di Chiaia) is a well-stocked wine bar and shop, where you can work your way through a long list of options by the glass.

Shop til you drop – Galleria Umberto I (Via San Carlo) is a smaller version of the swanky shopping parade in Milan and home to the usual suspects, such as Zara, which rub shoulder pads with smaller, independent stores. For chocolate, a visit to Gay-Odin (214 Via Toledo) is an absolute must.

DUOMO

Mean, moody and quite magnificent, the city’s cathedral provides the main focal point for the frantic, vibrant centro storico.

Culture vultures – With its huge granite columns and endless gleaming chapels, visiting the city’s vast duomo, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (147 Via Duomo), can be a quite overwhelming experience. Make sure you have time to visit the cathedral’s Museo del Tesoro di San Gennaro, where you can pay tribute to the city’s beloved patron saint.

Must eat – For a quick pit-stop (we’re talking cakes here), visit Caffetteria Pasticceria Gelateria G. Mazzaro (359 Via Tribunali, tel. ). Try cassata cake, sponge moistened with fruit juices, layered with ricotta cheese, candied peel and chocolate, and topped with marzipan. For pizza, there’s Pizzeria Di Matteo (94 Via dei Tribunali, tel. ). Two things to keep in mind here: stick to the classics and order a margherita, and be prepared to queue – it’s one of the city’s best pizzerias and therefore always busy.

LUNGOMARE

Cool yourself by the seafront, where life seems to slow down (although all things are relative, of course).

Must eat – For a taste of old-school Naples, Ciro (29/30 Via Luculliana, ) – a seafood specialist with a whiff of 1950s glamour – is hard to beat. Try to grab one of the tables on the terrace for the full Dolce Vita effect. Anema e Cozze (15 Via Partenope, ) is a more relaxed place, dishing up plates of steamed mussels and a range of pizzas to appreciative locals.

Shop til you drop – Set back from the seafront, at the edge of Chiaia, the antique shops Regency House (36 Via D. Morelli) and Navarra (Piazza dei Martiri) merit a detour if you’re in the market for an arty artefact.

Compiled by Matt Barker