Naples is the biggest city in Southern Italy in terms of both population and size, the location of the city of Naples has been inhabited by people for thousands of years. Additionally, Naples holds a very important historical importance for modern-day Italy due to its role in the Italian unification during the late 19th century.
Apart from that, today Naples is a very popular tourist destination due to its sunny beaches, rich local culture, frequent portrayal in media around the world, and amazing food among the many other reasons to travel to the city of Naples, Italy.
Population of Naples.
Naples has a population of over 960,000 people making it the most populated city in the South of Italy and the third most populated city in all of Italy after the northern metropolis of Milan and the centrally located Italian capital of Rome.
Historians believe that since the second millennium B.C. that civilizations such as Greek colonists have inhabited what is now Naples with the city holding an important location in the middle of the Italian peninsula that is very mountainous with all major trade routes through both land and sea passing through Naples.
Thanks to the infrastructure that has been built over many centuries the city of Naples continues to be a leading destination for migrations from Italians and foreigners due to the city’s great job opportunities and affordable housing.
Notable People Born in Naples.
One of the most famous Neapolitans is Giovanni Leone who served as the 6th president of Italy and also as the 37th Prime Minister of the Mediterranean country.
What sets out Leone from the other leaders of the country is that he was one of the few figures to serve during the rule of Benito Mussolini in World War 2 and then later to go on and have major positions in the decision making of the country during the 1960s and 1970s.
Painter Antonio de Bellis is another famous figure born in Naples; he was born during the 17th century and was one of the major figures behind the cultural renaissance in Naples with de Bellis being a major proponent of the Baroque art style.
Also, you have footballer Fabio Cannavaro, who is one of the most successful Italian football players ever having played for world-leading teams such as Real Madrid, Juventus, Inter and later going on to be the manager of the Chinese national football team.
History of Naples.
Archaeologists have found evidence that shows that the area where the city of Naples is built on has been inhabited for more than 12,000 years by humans. However, officially the city of Naples was founded by Greek colonists in 2000 B.C. which is over 4,000 years ago; over time these Greek settlements developed a separate identity from the Greeks based in Greece.
In the 3rd century B.C, the city was captured by the Roman Republic which was a major step in their goal of unifying the entire peninsula of Italia and also the merging of Roman and Greek culture which ended up having a major influence over the future Roman Empire.
After the Roman Empire fell it was controlled by the Byzantium Empire, was independently ruled by various Germanic, Italian and Spanish noble families as well as briefly being part of the Iberian states of Aragon and Spain before it was captured by Giuseppe Garibaldi and the unionist Italian forces that united all of the Italian states.
Culture of Naples.
The widely unique Neapolitan culture is a key reason to travel to the city of Naples Italy. Due to Italy being divided into multiple city-states and nations, many parts of Italy have their very own unique cultures that are distinctly more different from each other than you will find different regional cultures are in most other countries.
For example, you have the Neapolitan dialect that is much more different than the Italian that is the official language, with the Neapolitan dialect borrowing words from Spanish and there being many different words used for common things such as tea when compared to Italian.
Many popular festivals are also hosted in Naples such as The Return of the Feast of San Gennaro which is a celebration that takes place over 3 days and also includes a feast in order to celebrate Saint Januarius who is believed to have been born in Naples and is a saint for both Catholics and the major Greek Orthodox population in the city.
The Cuisine of Naples.
Without a doubt, Naples has had major contributions to the world in terms of its local cuisine, one of the most famous cuisine exports of this city is pizza with the Neapolitan pizza or Naples style pizza.
Being a much loved and world-renowned type of pizza that is made using rich tomato sauce with mozzarella topping and the optional addition of basil with Neapolitan pizza being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage cuisine native to the city of Naples.
Other popular types of food that you should try if you visit Naples are Ragu which is a type of Bolognese pasta that is native to Naples, additionally, it is worth trying the local mussel dishes that are served with tomato sauce which are one of the specialties due to Naples being a coastal city and finally a wine called Lacryma Christi that is only produced in Naples on Mount Vesuvius.
Sightseeing in the City of Naples.
It is not surprising that a city with a history of over ten thousand years of human inhabitants is home to many breathtaking buildings and landscapes that are worth experiencing in real life.
The first places that you should visit if you in Naples is the old historic city center that happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is noted for its traditionally cobbled roads and very tight streets which were created before cars were invented and provide for a serene experience where you can stroll around and take everything in.
Furthermore, Naples is home to over 1000 churches with 448 of those being classed as historical making the city of Naples one of the cities in the world with the most churches per capita of people.
If you are looking to sightsee outdoors, then a great location with be Mount Vesuvius which is one of the largest volcanoes in all of Europe.
The Fashion of the City of Naples.
If you decide to travel to the city of Naples, Italy you will be able to experience all of the amazing pieces of fashion that Naples has to offer. The city of Naples is one of the biggest textile manufacturing and fashion hubs in Italy and the world.
Originally, the tailoring industry in Naples took off after local tailors started to create specially designed clothing for the farmers and laborers as the clothing at the time was too tight and was uncomfortable to work in.
There are thousands of local fashion boutiques, tailors, and shoemakers located in the city that sell high-quality and durable clothing as well as major fashion shows such as Naples Fashion Week which attracts Naples natives and internationally recognized fashion designers during September with the general public and media being welcomed for viewings.
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