AviaOn our first day in Naples we sat in a cafe in this narrow street, between old orange apartment buildings, windows open and clothes hanging to dry on ropes from those windows. A motorbike drove next to us while we had our coffee and sfogliatella.
Naples is what we would imagine Italy to look like if we only watched old films, it’s raw and simple, and that’s what makes the visit worth it.
It’s not too big and almost everything you should do there is in and around one street in the historic part of the city, a weekend is the perfect amount of time to visit.
On top of it all it’s just a short train ride away from Pompeii which is an amazing capsule of history buried under volcanic ash and unveiled almost 2,000 years later.
What You Should Know Before You Go
When we booked our trip we didn’t do much research, we love Italy and have been there a few times so we were excited to explore more of it. Then when the real planning began some concerning claims popped up about the safety of travel there.
I wanted to address this early in this post. I know the feeling of safety is very subjective and anyone can look at it differently, but for us, traveling as a couple, there were no issues. We focused on traveling and staying in the main touristic area, traveled in reasonable hours and were aware of our surroundings as much as possible, something that we are trying to implement in all of our trips.
The touristic area in Naples is very walkable and as mentioned almost everything worth visiting is in or around one street. Wear comfortable shoes and enjoy the walk.
Pompeii is around a 40 minute train ride from Naples and is very easy to visit. The site itself is pretty big so be ready to walk a lot around there too. Additionally the site doesn’t offer physical informational brochures and only sends you online so if you’re interested in one consider printing at home before you go.
If you can, reserve a spot in restaurants you want to visit in advance.
And of course, don’t you dare skip on the pizza!
The Full Itinerary
Here’s everything we think you should do in 2 days in Naples. This is a quick recap, I’ll go into more detail about each one of those places later on.
Day 1:
- Pio Monte Della Misericordia
- Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro
- Museo Capella Sansevero
- Chiesa Del Gesu Nuovo
- Complesso Monumentale Di Santa Chiara
Day 2:
- Pompeii
If you had some extra time:
- Castel Sant’Elmo
- Castel Nuovo
- Piazza Del Plebiscito
Day 1: Cathedrals And Art
Start your 2 day trip in the Via Dei Tribunali and head over to your first spot in Naples – Pio Monte Della Misericordia. It is a 400 years old church that was founded by seven noblemen that believed they had a charitable mission and wanted to express it with art.
The church is full of amazing art pieces, one of them is The Seven Works of Mercy by Caravaggio, a painting that was created especially for the church and depicts the seven corporal works of mercy in traditional Catholic belief, which are a set of compassionate acts concerning the material needs of others.
The oil painting was originally supposed to be spread over 7 separate panels but ended up becoming one beautiful composition on one panel that became the main event and the reason why so many people visit the church.
Next, go across the street to The Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro. This is a huge Roman Catholic cathedral named after the city’s patron saint. It is the main church of Naples and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples.
It is Angevin gothic in style and was built in the early 14th century on top of the ruins of two basilicals from the early christianity period (palaeo-Christian). Because of its many restorations different elements from different architectural styles can be seen around the cathedral.
The church houses a vial of the blood of Saint Januarius, which is brought out three times a year, on the first Saturday in May, on September 19th and December 16th, when the dried blood usually liquefies. If the blood fails to liquefy, then legend has it that disaster will befall Naples.
Continue down the street toward your next destination, Museo Capella Sansevero. This chapel from the 15th century contains work of Rococo art from the 18th century and among them marble sculptures, meticulously curved to imitate the shapes of men and women. One of them is veiled, with work so concise you’d think it is silk and not marble.
Your two last spots of the day are right next to each other. The first is Chiesa Del Gesu Nuovo, previously a palace, now a church with a beautiful facade. Inside, under an altar the remains of St. Joseph Moscati can be found.
Giuseppe Moscati was an Italian doctor, scientific researcher, and university professor noted both for his pioneering work in biochemistry and for his piety. He is known for his devotion for his patients as well as for fighting cholera and bringing insulin to Italy. He was the first modern doctor to be canonized.
On the other side of the piazza in which the church resides, The Complesso Monumentale Di Santa Chiara awaits. This complex holds the Church of Santa Chiara, a monastery, tombs and an archeological museum but the main event in my opinion is the garden you see right when you come in, with lemon trees all around and beautifully painted pillars, walls, and benches.
Day 2: A Day Trip To Pompeii
If you’re feeling super excited just thinking of this day I totally understand, I feel it too.
Start your way toward the main train station that is not too far from the historic area. The station is in the Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, and it takes around 40 minutes to reach the final destination for your ride. The station is right next to the site and can be reached pretty quickly by foot.
When you reach the site, use the brochure you printed out in advance or open it online and use the map and information to figure out where you want to go. The site is very big and it’s really hard to see everything in one visit. When we visited we went in and walked around randomly, reading about the places we saw on the way. We had a few spots we really wanted to see so we tried to move in those directions while walking around.
Here are the spots that we think you definitely shouldn’t miss:
The Garden of the Fugitives is the most famous spot in Pompeii. It is where the remains of 13 men, women, and children trying to escape this horrible fate, were found buried under volcanic ash, looking as if they were frozen in time.
The House of the Ceii, House of the Menander, House of the Orchard
or of the Floral Cubicles, Among others still have beautiful and well preserved paintings on their walls.
The Amphitheater at the edge of the site is one of the oldest amphitheaters in the Roman world and can host up to 20,000 people.
The Forum is where everything happened day to day in Pompeii and hosted markets and trade. You can find remains of the market around the forum and the ruins of The Temple of Jupiter at its edge.
Walking around the streets of Pompeii showed how so much of the city was preserved and it almost felt as if we were thrown 2,000 years back to when Pompeii was alive. This was such a unique experience that mostly can’t be seen on such a scale.
When you’re going around make sure you’re noticing the closing times and don’t forget to bring lots of water and snacks.
If You Had Some Extra Time:
We only had 2 full days in the city but if we had more time here are some extra places we would love to explore:
Castel Sant’Elmo is a medieval fortress with documentation mentioning the site as far back as 1275. Through the years the structure has changed functionality and shape many times and today it holds a museum and an art exhibition.
Another medieval castle that is worth the visit is Castel Nuovo. First built in 1279 and since then was home for many kings and queens along the years. The castle’s size and scenic location have both made it one of the main architectural landmarks of the city.
Piazza Del Plebiscito is a large public square that was first planned by the king of Naples in the first years of the 19th century. Today the piazza holds the Royal Palace (east) and the church of San Francesco di Paola (west) with its twin colonnades extending to each side. Occasionally, the square is used for open-air concerts in which popular Italian and Neapolitan artists, such as Franco Battiato and Pino Daniele, as well as international stars including Elton John, Maroon 5 and Muse have performed.
Conclusions
Our last day in Naples started early as we rushed to catch our plane back home. The sun was barely up and the colors of the sky matched the colors of the buildings around us. A weekend was the perfect time for this visit. We got to see all the main attractions of the town, enjoyed amazing food, and visited Pompeii which was a bucket list destination for both of us.
What started as a quick decision in front of the computer, with zero planning or knowledge turned into a trip we’ll never forget. And I hope it will be the same for you!
