There are two souls of Naples that we want you to discover in a single itinerary: the working-class, many-layered one of Spaccanapoli and the solemn one of Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace. We walked them in a day, and the contrast between the alleys of the old centre and the monumental spaces of Naples the capital struck us more than we expected.
Spaccanapoli, the heart of the old centre
Spaccanapoli is the popular name for the lower decumanus, one of the three great parallel streets of the Greco-Roman city. It is just over a kilometre long and so straight that, seen from the top of the San Martino hill, it really seems to split (spaccare) the historic centre in two. Today it corresponds to a sequence of streets: Via Benedetto Croce, Via San Biagio dei Librai and, after the crossroads with Via Duomo, Via Vicaria Vecchia and Via Forcella.
Walking it from the west, you immediately come across the church of the Gesù Nuovo, with its diamond-point rusticated façade, and the Santa Chiara complex. A little further on opens Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, with its great Dominican church; a few steps away, in Via de Sanctis, is the Cappella Sansevero, which we describe in Visiting Naples: discover the Cappella Sansevero.
The Nile statue and other stops along the decumanus
One of our favourite stops is the small square with the statue of the Nile god (Dio Nilo), a Roman sculpture from the 2nd–3rd century AD erected, according to tradition, by the community of Alexandrians who lived in this area. Found headless in the Middle Ages, it was completed in 1657. Neapolitans also call it ’o cuorpo ’e Napule (the body of Naples), because it was once interpreted as a female figure nursing children, a symbol of the mother city: hence the name Largo Corpo di Napoli. A curiosity: the head of the sphinx at its feet, stolen after the war, was found in Austria in 2013 by the Carabinieri.
In this very square, the most devoted fans have set up a small altar dedicated to Diego Armando Maradona, a place of football pilgrimage. Continuing along Via San Biagio dei Librai you pass noble palaces, the Monte di Pietà, artisan workshops and, on the left, the entrance to Via San Gregorio Armeno, the street of nativity scenes described in The most famous streets of Naples. We advise you to take your time: Spaccanapoli is not a postcard, it is a living, noisy neighbourhood full of people.
Piazza del Plebiscito, the great urban stage
From the old centre you just need to walk down Via Toledo to reach Piazza del Plebiscito, one of the largest public spaces in Italy, covering about 25,000 square metres. It was once called Largo di Palazzo; its current name commemorates the plebiscite of 21 October 1860, by which the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
Its present shape dates from the Napoleonic era, with the project commissioned by Joachim Murat for a great porticoed hemicycle. After the Restoration, the basilica of San Francesco di Paola was built at the centre of the colonnade, designed by Pietro Bianchi and inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. In front of it stand two bronze equestrian statues: that of Charles of Bourbon, by Antonio Canova, and that of Ferdinand I, begun by Canova and completed by Antonio Calì. On either side, the Palazzo della Prefettura and Palazzo Salerno face each other. For decades the square was a car park; today it is pedestrianised and hosts big concerts and installations.
The Royal Palace
Opposite the basilica stretches the façade of the Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale). The first stone was laid in 1600 to a design by Domenico Fontana, commissioned by the Spanish viceroy in anticipation of a visit by King Philip III that never took place. The palace later became the residence of the Bourbons. In 1837 a fire badly damaged the interiors, and it was Gaetano Genovese who led the neoclassical restoration.
Inside, we were struck by the grand staircase, rebuilt by Genovese with precious marbles, the Court Theatre (Teatrino di Corte) created by Ferdinando Fuga in 1768, and the Royal Apartment with its furnishings, tapestries and paintings. Since 1888 the niches of the façade have held statues of the main rulers who reigned over Naples, from the Normans to the House of Savoy. The palace is also home to the National Library.
Getting there and when to go
Spaccanapoli can be reached on metro Line 1, getting off at Dante; Piazza del Plebiscito is a short walk from the Municipio stop. The two areas are about twenty minutes apart on foot, heading down Via Toledo. We suggest devoting the morning to the old centre and the afternoon to the Royal Palace, ending at sunset on the seafront. Check opening hours and tickets on the official website before you go.
Nearby
To plan the rest of your stay, start with Naples and Surroundings. Next to the square is The Teatro di San Carlo, and across the street opens Galleria Umberto I and Via Toledo. Along Spaccanapoli you will come across many of the churches described in Naples: churches and basilicas, and a few steps from the Plebiscito stands The Maschio Angioino.
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Read also: The Teatro di San Carlo
