Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Fall 2022 – A big adjustment to Napoli!

September 29, 2022

I arrived in Naples at around 11 p.m. during a thunderstorm (the British Airways plane had to circle around and around above the city for more than half an hour before the pilot judged it safe to attempt a landing). I was then whisked (at speed) by a garrulous driver to my accommodation through busy streets that were being drenched in a straight-down, heavy rain. Normally, my chosen accommodations either meet or exceed my expectations, but unfortunately my choice in Naples let me down. So, as I tried to sleep to the sound of the thunder, rain, and heavy traffic below (with much honking and beeping), I wondered why I had booked four nights here. But as I look around me now at my small apartment as I write this, I realize that it has grown on me over the last two days – somewhat like this crazy city itself.

What follows is a collection of photos and impressions from my first day in Naples. My carefully planned itinerary for the day went by the wayside as my brain wasn’t working very well after a restless night, so I just wandered about and alternated between experiencing the sights and sounds of the narrow, crowded, noisy, and quite appallingly dirty streets of the historic centre, and then ducking into churches when I needed some quiet and some rest for my feet.

I first visited the Galleria Umberto, a late 19th century shopping mall with beautiful architecture. Its elegant Gran Caffe Gambrius is reputed to be the oldest cafe bar in Naples and it has been frequented by the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, and Jean Paul Sartre, among others.

This is the Basicilica di San Francisco di Paola in the Piazza del Plebiscito. I liked sitting in this simple, round space with its high white dome, and I watched while a wedding rehearsal took place.

From there, I wandered into the narrow streets and lanes of the Spanish Quarter which are lined with all kinds of tiny shops as well as cafes and bars. Apartments occupy the upper four stories and their narrow balconies are often strung with laundry and also seem to be a good place to cleverly store a kid’s bike!

Some parts of the Spanish Quarter are popular with visitors for their street art including this corner with a mural of Diego Maradona, a revered soccer hero in Italy who played for Naples. Nearby is a beautiful large mural entitled “Isis” by Argentine artist Francisco Bosoletti.

I stopped at this homage to the beautiful Sophia Loren, a native of Naples and a famous movie star in Italy and internationally.

I left the bustling Spanish Quarter as rain started to fall and walked for a distance along Via Toledo, a principal shopping street which was busy with locals and tourists.

I escaped the crowds and the rain and rested briefly in the incredibly large and ornate Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo but it was closing for an afternoon break and I spent only a short time there.

Back outside, graffiti was present nearly everywhere I walked, and even the churches are not immune from being tagged.

I disliked much of the graffiti and street art that I saw, but I was very glad to happen upon this famous and strikingly beautiful mural that represents San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples. The artist, Italo-Dutch painter Jorit, used the face of a friend, a factory-worker and immigrant, to represent the saint in a modern context.

Nearby, I visited the Chiostro di Santa Chiara, a cloister that was part of a 14th century Franciscan convent. The cloister was transformed quite radically in the early 1740’s when the walls were covered in frescos and octagonal pillars and benches covered in colourful majolica tiles were installed along the pathways.

The next church that I visited (Naples has 450 churches!) was the Chieso di San Dominico Maggiori. This was my favourite church of the day, bright and elegant with its blue, white, gold and brown colour scheme and its relatively simple decoration. Even the exterior was peaceful as the church was tucked into a quiet courtyard away from the busyness of the street.

And this is the Duomo, Naples’ grand cathedral that is dedicated to San Gennaro. Built in the 14th century it has a Neo-Gothic facade, and its interior spaces represent a mix of architectural and artistic styles from Gothic to Renaissance to Baroque.

So, how did I feel about my first day in Napoli? Bear in mind that I’d just left London, and even busy as it was, central London was as polite and well-mannered as a kindly grandmother on a Sunday, with her house kept tidy, organized and clean! Here, the scooters pass within inches, you cross a street at your peril, and people can be loud, impassioned and rude (like the incessant honking of horns). Of course, there were some kind and helpful people as well, but even then the smiles were few and far between. The walls of buildings are stained, cracked, crumbling in places, and covered in graffiti, and it feels like the entire city could all topple on your head if nearby Vesuvius decided to shake the earth. But, I had been somewhat mentally prepared for all of that. What I found most difficult to understand and tolerate was the amount of garbage everywhere. I can’t imagine what it will be like in another 20 years if some sort of civic action/change in public mindset and behaviour is not set in motion! Finally, to end on a slightly more positive note, the grandmother here that is Napoli might yell a bit and give you a slap, but then she’ll tell you a story that goes back for generations, and offer you a nice slice of pizza or maybe an espresso and something sweet to make it all better.