Between the late 19th century and the first decades of the 20th, Naples filled up with palazzi and villas in the Liberty style, as Art Nouveau is known in Italy: wrought-iron façades, stained-glass windows, floral decorations and staircases that look like sculptures. This is the Naples of the Belle Époque, of the grand hotels on the seafront and the new middle-class neighbourhoods. Here is a walk we suggest to discover it.
Chiaia: Via dei Mille and Via Filangieri
Start in Chiaia, the elegant district between the seafront and the hill. On Via Filangieri stands Palazzo Mannajuolo, built in the early 20th century to a design by Giulio Ulisse Arata: its elliptical staircase is one of the symbols of Neapolitan Art Nouveau. A little further on, Via dei Mille is a small open-air gallery of early-20th-century buildings, with doorways, balconies and decorations to take in slowly.
The Vomero and Parco Grifeo
Take the funicular up to the Vomero, the hillside district that grew up in those very years. Here and in the nearby Parco Grifeo area, small villas and townhouses with well-kept gardens follow one another, with turrets, loggias and wrought iron. From several spots the view opens up over the gulf.
Lamont Young and Posillipo
Heading down towards Posillipo you come across the works of Lamont Young, the Neapolitan architect who designed castles and villas in an eclectic style, somewhere between Gothic Revival and Romanticism, such as Castello Aselmeyer on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Along Via Posillipo, among villas and terraces above the sea, you understand why the hill was for centuries the Neapolitans' favourite holiday retreat.
Practical tips
The itinerary takes a day, using the funiculars for the uphill stretches. Many of the buildings are private homes: you admire them from outside, but on some occasions, such as open days organised by cultural associations, you can also visit their entrance halls and staircases.
When to go
The walk works well all year round, but spring and autumn are the ideal seasons: you can walk without the summer heat, and the afternoon light brings out the façades and the wrought iron. During the days dedicated to hidden places, organised by cultural associations and foundations, some buildings open entrance halls and staircases that are normally closed to the public: they are worth keeping an eye on.
Read also: Visiting Naples in 3 days
