The grand Naples of kings and opera: a vast square, the oldest working opera house in the world, a glass-roofed arcade and the café where the city has drunk its coffee since 1860.
Until 1861 Naples was the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, one of the largest cities in Europe. Its royal quarter was built to match.
Piazza del Plebiscito is framed by the curved colonnade of San Francesco di Paola, modelled on Rome's Pantheon, and faces the long front of the Royal Palace.
Behind the palace stands the Teatro di San Carlo, opened in 1737 and the oldest opera house still in use. Guided tours cost about €10; performance tickets start around €30.
Opposite, the Galleria Umberto I of 1890 lifts a glass and iron dome over a cross of arcades. At Gran Caffè Gambrinus, serving since 1860, order an espresso at the bar. The Maschio Angioino castle and its marble arch are a short walk towards the port.
Two to three hours, ideally ending with a performance.
An espresso and a sfogliatella in the Belle Époque rooms.
Walk under the colonnade and look across to the Royal Palace and the statues of the kings.
The red and gold auditorium and the royal box.
Stand under the centre of the glass dome on the zodiac floor.
The Angevin castle and its Renaissance triumphal arch.
Metro line 1 to Municipio or Toledo, or walk down Via Toledo from the centro storico.
Book on the San Carlo site; the upper tiers are cheap and the sound is excellent.
The Royal Palace's apartments are open to visit too; closed Wednesdays.
Naples practical notes →Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
