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How many vacations can a person go on in one year?
As many as you can!
First it was Greece and now it was time for Naples!
I had just returned from an amazing trip to Greece but now it was time to go to work and Rome…you know, make some money to pay for all that delicious moussaka that I had consumed over the course of ten days and top off those pounds with multiple scoops of gelato.
My middle son had not been able to join us on our Greek sojourn due to educational obligations over the summer and was anxious to travel somewhere with me for a few days. I decided that I would have him meet me in New York after my return from Rome and we would decide on a location for a few days. Dakar was our first choice but the flight filled up, leaving us to make another decision. Malaga was a possiblitity, but shortly after I landed from Rome, he informed me that he was “feeling like Italy”.
Oh, okay…if we must!
So, we boarded the flight and I went right back to where I had just returned.
It wasn’t a hard decision! However, since I have been to Rome many times, it was time to see something different…Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
Upon landing, we headed to Rome’s Termini Station and boarded a westbound train to Naples, quickly making a hotel reservation along the way.
Now, unless I’m confusing it with some other Italian city, it did not seem like Naples had ever gotten rave reviews from other travelers that I had spoken to. What I have learned over the years, however, is to try things out for yourself. What is good for the goose, is not always good for the gander!
Arriving on a Sunday, we made our way to our hotel and then set out to explore the area around the water’s edge. There were two impressive castles nearby…Castel Nuovo and Castel del Ovo, but sadly, we found them to be closed.
Enjoying the sunny, hot afternoon, we walked along the water’s edge, watching longingly as the locals enjoyed the sunshine and refreshing waters from the rocks and from their boats.
Admiring the infamous Mount Vesuvius from afar, we passed parks, statues, monuments and the Galleria Umberto, finally arriving in Piazza del Plebiscito (Square of the People), an immense space that houses the royal palace on one side and on the other by the neoclassical facade of the church of San Francesco di Paola.
Walking past the equestrian statues that stand in front of the church, (one depicting Ferdinand I of Bourbon and the other, Charles III of Bourbon), we made our way towards the Palazzo Reale.
Stopping the admire the eight statues of the most famous Kings of Naples, in the niches on the facade, we made our way to the side entrance hoping the find it open. As luck would have it, it was and we eagerly ducked inside, anxious to escape the oppressive August heat.
Built in 1600, the extensive palace was originally intended as the residence of King Philip III of Spain for his visits to Naples, however, it became the official residence of Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, earl of Lemos and his wife after 1734. Designed by Domenico Fontana, a prominent Italian architect, the building suffered damage during a fire in 1837 but eventually was restored by Gaetano Genovese.
After walking through the vaulted porticoes, we accessed the main entry with its immense staircase with twin ramps and coffered dome overhead.
Meandering through the richly appointed spaces, we encountered grand halls and chambers, many retaining their original works of art, tapestries, paintings, period furniture and fine porcelain. The highlights of the palace were the Throne Room, the Court Theater, the Royal Apartments and the Oratory (the queen’s personal chapel)…all lending to our understanding of the Italian royal life.
As the afternoon came to a close, despite our excitement of discovering this magnificent city, the effects of a long night of travel were starting to grab hold our reserves. There was so much to see and experience, but if we were not going to slumber through dinnertime, we decided we needed a bit of rest. Tomorrow would be a big day for checking things off of my personal bucket list, but on this night, after our nap, it would be important to seek out Naples’ famous margarita pizza!
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Palazzo Reale
- https://www.coopculture.it/en/heritage.cfm?id=76
- Address: Piazza del Plebiscito, 1, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy
- Hours: 0900-2000, Closed Wednesday
- Admission: Full €6.00, Reduced €2.00 (citizens of European Union ages 18-25), Online tickets, reservation fee: € 2.00. Free, European and non-European citizens under 18 years. Free first Sunday each month from October through March and on the following dates, March 14, April 1, May 6, June 3, July 11, August 5, September 2, September 19.
- Getting There: Bus ANM R1 Via San Carlo stop, Bus ANM R3 Via San Carlo stop, Bus ANM C4 Piazza Treiste e Trento stop