Greco-Roman Neapolis

Trace the ancient Greek grid and Roman structures hidden beneath the bustling streets, historic churches, and apartment kitchens of contemporary Naples.

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1. Piazza Vincenzo Bellini

Piazza Vincenzo Bellini is recognizable by the deep, sunken rectangular pit at its center, where remnants of ancient Greek city walls are exposed below the modern street level. These tuff stone blocks, which date back to the fourth century…

2. Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara

The Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara is defined by its massive, austere Gothic basilica that looms over the historic center of Naples. Commissioned in thirteen thirteen by King Robert of Anjou and his wife, Sancha of Majorca, the site…

3. Piazza San Domenico Maggiore

Piazza San Domenico Maggiore is anchored by a tall, pyramid-shaped marble spire known as the Obelisco di San Domenico. This monument, designed by the architect Cosimo Fanzago in sixteen fifty-six, was built as a votive offering to Saint…

4. Underground Naples

Beneath the thirteen-century Gothic church of San Lorenzo Maggiore lies a sprawling archaeological site known as Neapolis Sotterrata. You can identify the entrance by its proximity to the church in Piazza San Gaetano, where stairs lead ten…

5. Complesso Monumentale San Lorenzo Maggiore

The Complesso Monumentale San Lorenzo Maggiore is defined by a deep vertical layering of history. While its street-level facade displays a distinct Baroque style designed by the architect Ferdinando Sanfelice, the site contains the…

6. Roman Theatre of Neapolis

The Roman Theatre of Neapolis is identifiable by the way it is woven directly into the modern city, with its ancient stone arches and seating fragments embedded beneath residential buildings and shops. Constructed in the first century…

7. Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta stands out for its nineteenth-century Neo-Gothic facade, a sharp, ornate contrast to the surrounding dense urban streetscape of Via Duomo. While many major cathedrals occupy vast, open squares, this one…

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