Naples has a reputation for being crowded, dirty, full of thieves, and unsafe. Yes and no. Mostly no.
Crowded? Not really in February. In some areas it seems crowded because the streets are so narrow, particularly in the Centro Storico and Quartieri Spagnoli neighborhoods. But I bet this place is packed to the gills in the summer. I guess it depends on the season.
Dirty? Yes and no. As with most cities of any size, some areas are clean, others not so much. Trash in the street is not uncommon, so get used to it. Besides, Naples is cleaner than Palermo.
Thieves? Supposedly pickpockets and thieves run rampant in Naples, but we did not experience any problems. Take simple precautions. Keep nothing in back pockets, no flashy jewelry, and be aware of your surroundings.
Unsafe? Not at all. We feel perfectly safe here.
If you’ve roamed the streets of any major city in the United States, you should feel perfectly comfortable in Naples.
When planning places to visit in European cities, the main cathedral is almost always first on the list. Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary; commonly known as the Cattedrale di San Gennaro, Cathedral of Saint Januarius) is the main Catholic cathedral in Naples and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples. The cathedral is open each morning and afternoon, closing for a short period of time in early afternoon.
The cathedral itself is free to visit. Built in the 13th century, it is a large cross shaped cathedral with chapels on the sides. Try to go on a sunny day to take advantage of natural lighting. The interior of the cathedral, while beautiful, is somewhat dark.
Adjacent to the cathedral is the Museo del Tesoro di San Gennaro, a museum showcasing devotional objects donated to the cathedral. We arrived at the cathedral when it was closed and opted to first visit the museum. We paid €8.50 each (with an Artecard discount; otherwise €12) to enter.
The museum is okay, consisting of a handful of small rooms, a few paintings, and assorted objects. In hindsight if we had skipped the museum I would not have cared.
With our museum tickets we had access to Capella di San Gennaro, a chapel located on the right side of the cathedral near the entrance. When the cathedral is closed, the heavy iron doors between the cathedral and chapel are likewise closed. Visitors to the museum, however, can access the chapel through a side door. So we had access to the chapel while the cathedral was closed.
After wandering around the museum, Stephanie and I had some time before the cathedral opened, so we sat in the chapel. We could tell when the cathedral opened as many of the visitors headed straight to Capella di San Gennaro. Stephanie and I were sitting in the chapel like two animals in a zoo exhibit. On the other side of the doors were a half dozen visitors taking photos.
After a few minutes an employee opened the iron doors separating the cathedral from the chapel. Stephanie and I headed into the cathedral, while many others flowed into the chapel.
Two blocks from the cathedral is the Complesso Monumentale Donnaregina, Museo Diocesano di Napoli (Artecard free; otherwise €7). The Diocesan Museum is located in two churches, the 14th century Donnaregina Vecchia (Gothic) and the 17th century Donnaregina Nuova (Baroque).
The churches are the most interesting part of the museum tour. The art consists primarily of paintings with religious themes. The lighting throughout is triggered by motion sensors, which was pretty neat. You could tell if any visitors were nearby based on the lights going on and off. All in all it was an enjoyable, short visit.
The city center in Naples is full of churches. There is one seemingly on every corner. We purposefully limited ourselves to visiting only a few.
Chiesa e Museo San Dominico Maggiore was another on our list to visit. We stopped by the church early one afternoon when the museum was closed. We were the only ones in the church, and it was great to be out of the hustle and bustle of the city for a short time. Noting the opening times of the museum, we decided to return in a few days.
The museum is à la carte. Sacristy? Sacred furnishings room? Crypt? Cell of St. Thomas Aquinas? You can pick and choose what you want to see. We paid €7 each for tickets (with our Artecard discount; otherwise €10) to see it all.
Actually we first waited outside the entrance for over 20 minutes because there was only one employee working and she was leading another tour. Yes, a tour is required. Once we got going our tour started in the Sacristy and sacred furnishings room. These rooms are prominent for housing the coffins, mummified bodies, and clothing of Aragonese rulers. Interesting for sure, but just two rooms.
Next our guide took us to the adjacent Dominican monastery. We were asked to be quiet and on our best behavior. We walked down several halls of the monastery, and through two locked doors, finally reaching the cell of St. Thomas Aquinas, a theologist and member of the Dominican Order. The cell is now basically a tiny museum of sorts.
It’s called a cell, but really it’s just a small room.
After walking back through the monastery we left. I think the tour guide inadvertently forgot to take us to the crypt and we did not realize it until much later. (Our guide was quite good and very informative.) We were ready to leave. This is another museum that we could have skipped.
For our final museum in Naples we decided to go to Museo Civico Gaetano Filangieri. A local recommended this museum to us because, as Americans, we would want to see a copy of the letter written by Benjamin Franklin to Gaetano Filangieri. That was as good a reason as any. Our entry cost was €4 each (with a massive €1 Artecard discount).
The museum is basically a collection of stuff (paintings, sculptures, porcelain, weapons, books, and so forth) owned by the Filangieri family. Think of it as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Naples edition, circa 1800. And sure enough, a copy of the letter from Benjamin Franklin is prominently displayed in a glass case.
We actually enjoyed this small museum quite a bit, even though we were only there for about 30 minutes. It is well worth it.
To get to Filangieri Museo we took Metro Line 1 to the Duomo station. This was our first and only time traveling through this particular metro station. We hopped out of the car and followed the exit signs up an escalator. And then up steps. And more steps. And more steps. Five floors of steps.
At the top we saw a sign, warning us that it is five floors down to the platform level.
I guess there is a similar sign at the bottom? If so, we missed it. Next time at Duomo we will use the elevators.
Overall we both enjoyed Naples much more than anticipated. Now we have only one more stop left in Italy. To Rome we go.
Garrett and Stephanie
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