It is a medieval castle located in the city center.

Its scenic location and imposing size makes the castle one of the main architectural landmarks of the city.

Built in 1279 at the behest of Charles I of Anjou, from the outset the castle was known as the “Castrum novum” (New Castle), to distinguish it from the city’s two ancient fortresses  (Castel dell’Ovo and Castel Capuano).

During the reign of Robert of Anjou, the castle became a cultural center where artists, physicians and literati came to stay, including figures such as Giotto, Petrarch and Boccaccio.

It was one of the four residences used by the Bourbon Kings during the Kingdom of Two Sicilies (1730-1860).

Palazzo Reale was the royal palace located in downtown Naples, still the heart of Naples today.

Built around 1600 when Naples was under Spanish rule, it was not completed for two centuries.

Inside, a beautiful double staircase leads you up to the royal apartments.

The magnificent Palazzo Reale is home to the Museo del Palazzo Reale, a rich and eclectic collection of baroque and neoclassical furnishings, porcelain, tapestries, sculpture and paintings, spread across the palace’s royal apartments

The palace is situated on the elegant Piazza Plebiscito, the largest square in Naples and named after the vote in 1870 which brought Naples into the unified Kingdom of Italy.

Don’t miss the huge 18th century nativity scene in the Cappella Reale (Royal Chapel).

Plebiscito Square is located very closely to the gulf of Naples, it is bounded on the east by the Royal Palace and on the west by the church of San Francesco di Paola with colonnades extending to both sides.

Today, Piazza del Plebiscito is used for everything from outdoor concerts and events up to soccer games among children.

The wide, colonnaded arms that emanate from either side of San Francesco di Paola are reminiscent of the arms encircling St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, while the broad dome of the church itself reminds you of Rome’s Pantheon.

The scene at the heart of the Piazza del Plebiscito, however, is entirely Naples.

It is an opera house connected to the Royal Palace. It is the oldest continuously active venue for public opera in the world, opening in 1737.

The opera season here runs from January to December, with a midseason break in the summer.

If you’re not catching a  show, you can still admire the building’s beauty on a  guided tour.

From Monday to Saturday (except for holidays) vistors can have a guided tour to the theatre main hall, the boxes, the Royal box and the two Foyers.

You can complete the tour including the MeMUS, the Multimedia Museum of  Teatro San Carlo, buying an extra ticket.

Guided Tours basic languages are Italian and English.

Other languages are available upon request.

Guided Tours to San Carlo Theatre last 45 min.

In the heart of the city, Underground Naples is a tour between the underground soul of Napoli, where is possible to see the first yellow tufa stone structure of the city that is 2.400 years old. This is an exclusive experience, an unique opportunity to discover an ancient and suggestive atmosphere for an unforgivable tour. Every historic epoc, from the foundation of Neapolis, to the bombs of the 2^nd World War, has left a mark on the walls of Naples, and on the stone the city was built.

Located on the vibrant street of Spaccanapoli, which cuts through the heart of Naples’ centro storico, the ethereal Cappella Sansevero had its origins in the tail end of the 16th century, when it was the mausoleum of the patrician Di Sangro dynasty. The name translates into English as the ‘alchemist’s chapel’ and it was extended by the eccentric Raimondo di Sangro, the seventh Prince of Sansevero, who lived between 1710 and 1771; He was an extraordinarily gifted man but as a Mason, he was considered by contemporary Neapolitans to have made a pact with the devil.

Clad in ghostly white marble, with a multi-colored marble floor and ceiling frescoes of almost frenzied ornateness by Francesco Maria Russo, the chapel is stuffed with works by some of the greatest names on the 18th-century Naples art scene – among its treasures are Giuseppe Sanmartino’s amazingly realistic sculpture Cristo Velato (The Veiled Christ).

The crypt below the chapel contains the macabre remains of Raimondo di Sangro’s experiments with anatomy – skeletons crawling with arteries and veins – and Masonic symbols cover the walls.

Dating back to 1310, Santa Chiara was founded by King Robert of Anjou and his second wife Sancha of Majorca before it was opened for worship 30 years later. Two convents were also built–one for nuns and one for monks.

In the mid-1700s, the church interior was remodeled in Baroque style;

However, most of Santa Chiara was destroyed in 1943 during World War II bombings.

When it was rebuilt 10 years later, it was returned to its original Gothic style.

The Monumental Complex of St Chiara also includes the Opera Museum, which covers Neapolitan history and also exhibits items that survived the WWII bombings, in addition to an archaeological area.

The remains of a Roman spa similar to those of Pomepii and Herculaneum were discovered in the aftermath of the war.

The Duomo is the main church of Naples.

A wonderful Gothic cathedral built in the 13th century, it stands on the site of an earlier church dating from around 570 AD.

It is dedicated to Naples’ patron saint, San Gennaro, whose blood is brought out in a vial three times a year – on the first Saturday in May, September 19 and December 16. If it liquefies, all is well. If it doesn’t…fears are held for the safety of Naples. Luckily, it nearly always liquefies.

The cathedral contains some excellent artworks including frescoes in the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro and some 4th-century mosaics.

To one side of the Duomo is the 4th century Basilica Santa Restituta, the oldest chapel in Naples, containing columns believed to be from the Temple of Apollo. Under here is an interesting archaeological site tracing the Greek, Roman and early Christian city.

Is one of the most important museums in the world for classical archaeology.

The museum has one of the best collections of Greek and Roman antiquities, mosaics, gems, glass and silver.

The museum contains a large collection of Roman artifacts from Pompeii, Stabiae and Herculaneum.

They even have some Egyptian and Etruscan treasures in amongst it all.

Opened in the late 18th century to house King Charles VII’s private collection, it became the property of the state in 1860.

There are hundreds of historic churches in Naples, so narrowing down the must see list can be hard.

It’s at San Lorenzo Maggiore where poet Boccaccio is said to have met Fiammetta. During a visit here you’ll see a beautiful church, get a history lesson and an amazing glimpse of underground Naples.

The Monumental Complex of San Lorenzo Maggiore contains the church and a museum that covers its remarkable history.

It is constructed atop a Roman marketplace, so when speaking of San Lorenzo, it may refer to the church, the museum or archaeological site beneath.

A large portion of the marketplace has been excavated and visitors are allowed to wander around to see the well-preserved remains of ancient shops.

On the UNESCO World Heritage list, the marketplace is the only large-scale Greco-Roman site excavated in the downtown area.

Naples’ oldest and most sacred catacomb became a Christian pilgrimage site when San Gennaro’s body was interred here in the 5th century.

The carefully restored site allows visitors to experience an evocative otherworld of tombs, corridors and broad vestibules, its treasures including 2nd-century Christian frescoes, 5th-century mosaics and the oldest known portrait of San Gennaro.

These are the most important catacombs in southern Italy due to the length of their use as a burial site and the well-preserved mosaics.

In use from the rise of Christianity until the 10th century, they hold the tombs of many bishops including the Basilica di Sant’ Agrippino, the 3rd century bishop of Naples.

The catacomb is home to three types of tomb, each corresponding to a specific social class.

Nearby is the tomb of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples, whose remains were moved here in the 5th century to the Cubicolo di San Gennaro.

He was later removed to the Cathedral of Naples.