Naples and environs - Suggestions, per favore

Is the Mondo tour for Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast on the same day? I'd advise against that. We did the Mondo tour of the AC from Sorrento in April and even from there, 4.5 hours of the 9 hour tour were in the car. It was a rushed day.

I loved Pompeii and spent 2 of our 11 days there, 2 hours of one day was a Mondo Tour where the guide met us there. If you do go to Pompeii I also recommend a trip to Oplontis which is one train station north of Pompeii. It's a villa that was also buried by Vesuvius. If Lifestyles of the Rich of Famous had been a TV show 2000 years ago, then this villa may have been on it.

If you do go to Pompeii, the Archeological Museum in Naples helps tie things together. We also to a Mondo tour of Naples which was interesting.

Possibilities in Naples (list organized sort of geographically, not by priority):

• Capella Sansevero for The Veiled Christ statue. Pre-book; it sells out. Rather near archaeological museum.

• The Capodimonte Museum is worthwhile, but Rick's right to suggest taking a taxi up there. You can travel back down by bus.

• Museo della Ceramica Duca di Martina, Villa Floridiana: Large collection of decorative arts (heavy on ceramics but also paintings, ivories, enamels, corals, bronzes, furniture and glass and crystal). 12C-19C. Asian objects in basement.

• Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes Museum and Carriage Museum: Richly furnished house museum with ceramics collection, including some Asian ceramics. 1st floor of Villa Pignatelli houses photography exhibitions.

• Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino): Mostly-Aragonese medieval castle with art gallery.

• Castel dell’Ovo: Great views from 12C ramparts. Hosts temporary art exhibitions.

• Museo del Palazzo Reale: Palace with gardens. Rich and eclectic collection of baroque and neoclassical furnishings, paintings and sculpture.

• Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli, Palazzo Reale: Biblioteca Lucchesi Palli exquisite.

• MeMus (Museo e Archivo Storico del Teatro San Carlo), Palazzo Reale: Temporary exhibitions on history of Teatro San Carlo.

• Catacombe di San Gennaro: Half-mile walk past two levels of burial niches, some with early-Christian frescoes surviving (barely). English tours.

• Cimitero delle Fontanelle: Ossuary with bones in caves, with chapels. Sketchy-feeling neighborhood at top end of Sanita. Covered on Il Miglio Sacro walking tour. Cemetery was closed in February 2023.

• Napoli Sotterranea, Piazza San Gaetano 68: Underground ruins of quarry/cistern and theatre. Guided tour required. Lots of stairs and very tight quarters. English tours.

• San Lorenzo Maggiore: One of Napoli’s finest medieval buildings. Mosaic tomb of Catherine of Austria. Tour of "extraordinary Greco-Roman ruins".

• San Gregorio Armeno: Frescoes by Giordano; lovely fountain in cloister.

• Sant’Angelo a Nilo: 14C church with fine Renaissance tomb, possibly carved partially by Donatello.

• Complesso Monumentale di Santa Maria La Nova.

• Museo ARCA (Arte Religiosa Contemporanea): Was closed in February 2023.

• Basilica di San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura.

• San Domenico Maggiore: 13C, rebuilt in neo-Gothic style mid-19C.

• Santa Chiara: 14C. Total post-WWII reconstruction uncovered original Provencal-Gothic structure and tombs. Adjacent gorgeous 18C cloisters by Vaccaro; 17C frescoes and hand-painted tiles, columns and benches. Also small, elegant museum with elements from Santa Chiara.

• Gesu Nuovo: Extraordinary. 10C with 17C over-the-top baroque interior and 18C dome.

• Sant’Anna e San Bartolomeo dei Lombardi (Santa Maria di Monteoliveto): Repository of Renaissance art with rich interior.

• MADRE (Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina), Palazzo Donnaregina: Museum of contemporary art, one of Italy’s better ones; includes photography.

• Museo Diocesano (Complesso Monumentale Donnaregina), Chiesa di Donnaregina Nuova, Largo Donnaregina: Paintings and liturgical objects shown in 17C church; second church is 14C.

• Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo): 1294-1323 but with mostly 19C/20C façade. Near Capella di Santa Restituta is Museo de Tesoro (Capella) di San Gennaro with valuable objects; entry fee and might need to pre-book.

• Porta Capana: Late 15C gate.

• Pio Monte della Misericordia: Spectacular Caravaggio work plus other art, classical and contemporary.

  • Gallerie d’Italia, Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano: 17C merchant’s home reconfigured early 20C, now housing small but stunning collection of 17C-20C art.
    

More to come.

As acraven wrote there is much to see within Naples. We just spent 8 nights there and could have stayed longer. Enjoyed just walking around various neighborhoods, including the seafront. And of course really enjoyed trying different pizza restaurants.

More on Naples:

• Castel Sant’Elmo e Museo del Novecento: Fortress with decent modern art museum (Museo del Novecento—works by 20C Neapolitan artists) and great city views. Use transit or get walking directions from Google Maps to avoid excessive stairs.

• Certosa e Museo Nazionale di San Martino: 14C church redone in Baroque style. Beautiful chapels. Complex has paintings, sculptures, Naval Museum (including ceremonial gondolas), excellent collection of presepis (Nativity scenes) and 17C garden cloister (behind presepis). Much to see here. Use transit or get walking directions from Google Maps to avoid excessive stairs.

• Walk along Spaccanapoli. Eat street food.

• Galleria Umberto, Via Toledo: historic shopping mall.

If you plan a lot of sightseeing in Naples and the surrounding area, the Campania Arte Card might pay off. Easist to download the app and buy card within the app. Record purchase/card number in case app doesn't open when you enter a museum. You can get museum entry by showing the purchase/card number.

A few places I haven't been to:

Palace of Caserta (probably half a day)
Caves of (a couple of ... ) Sybills
(alleged) Tomb of Virgil

Do not fail to visit the Farnese Marbles if you go to the Archaeology Museum.

As another poster noted, I question whether a shared tour of a large area will give every visitor sufficient time in Pompeii. I'm not saying how much time YOU need, I'm just suggesting that you look at some photos and read a little to see if you want more time. Note that there are at least three other sites besides Pompeii and Herculaneum, only one of which I've been to, Oplontis. It's an easy Circumvesuviana ride from Naples, and is quite different from Pompeii. It is art-, and architecturally-significant on its own.

All, Grazie!

Tim & Allen, you have swayed me to drop the Mondo idea and focus on a well-guided Pompeii visit and to look into Oplontis, as well. The Archaeology Museum in Naples has always been part of our planning. Walking the Centro Historico and other neighborhoods of Naples, absolutely! I think you have talked us out of the logistical nightmare of the Amalfi Coast, though a ferry trip to Ischia or Capri with much of that day on one or the other of those islands is still alluring. But which one? Perhaps the glitz of Capri is good reason to choose Ischia?

Acraven, your advice is always insightful, though your list of museums and churches is daunting! With the Capodimonte and Archaeology museums, I think that may be enough for 3 days and 4 nights in total minus the side trips out of the city, unless you have a small gem in mind, like London's Wallace Collection or Santa Trinita Church in Florence. When we visited Paris for our second time (Spring 2023, 4 nights and 3 days at the end of 4 weeks in France), we avoided the BIG museums (and crowds) that we had seen some years earlier. And so, we could enjoy the Sarah Bernhardt exhibit at the Petite Palais, a special exhibit on Monet's brother at the Museum at the Luxemboug Gardens, Maison Balzac (a wonderful, quiet spot with many wood blocks for the original illustrations in his Comedie Humaine novels), as well as a series of Passages Couvertes in the 2nd and 9th Arrondissements.

I look forward to more perspectives/ideas and any glimpses through the back-door.

I bolded the names of a couple of places commonly recommended--the Capella Sansevero and the Treasure of San Gennaro. Neither would take very long.

In addition to Pompeii, there is also Herculaneum. While they are definitely different, they both suffered from the same event. With an early start, it is possible to do both in the same day. Perhaps you can get a "package deal" with one guide to do both.

You should look into your Naples car return. Driving anywhere in the city of Naples would be pretty scary and difficult. Not comparable to driving in Sicily, for example.

I question whether you have time for both a full day of ancient Roman sites, and a ferry trip to an island. A big reason for chosing Capri in that case is that it's likely to have more boats in a day. Possible bad weather cancellations, too. I have not been to Ischia, but I have been to an Aeolian island, I think Lipari. Your southern Italy stops seem to call for Ischia rather than Capri, but you are wrong about "glitz" ruining Capri. IMHO, "glitz" ruins Positano. I bring this up because Capri has some high viewpoints which are stunning, and this would make up for your missing Ravello. I am inclined to guess that Capri has much more to do, and much more to see than a one-day runout to Ischia. (guess, not "fact") I mean, how many artisanal vinegars do you need to shop for? We just ignored the international luxury boutiques on HIGHLY PEDESTRIANIZED Capri. In its own way, a full-day on Capri is as physically grueling as Pompeii, with more level changes, and NO transport option for some locations.

You didn't ask, but your other locations suggest that you should not try to see Sorrento. It's a purpose-built postwar resort, if immensely popular. Excellent public transport there, however.

Fred if you like art, then Capodimonte is absolutely spectacular. On a par with more famous European art collections. For, me apart from the fish in Pignasecca market , it was the best thing about visiting Naples. I've copied by blogpost onto my facebook page for you, or this is the direct link with advice about visiting:
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2022/01/naples-in-october-capodimonte.html

Hi Fred, I've been watching your plans evolve & it really looks like a great trip! I liked visiting the Naples Archeological museum before going to Pompeii, somehow it helped things come alive for me. As for Capri, I've been several times & stayed a few nights. Take the bus up to Anacapri, visit Villa San Michelle (AMAZING mansion & views), others say they liked the chairlift but instead I did a few hikes along the cliffs. Plenty to do, easy to get away from the crowds who always seem to just hang out on the piazza in Capri town. I think it's a very worthwhile day trip. (PS, you could easily spend 2-3 days in Naples, it's a chaotic but fun place to visit.)

a ferry trip to Ischia or Capri with much of that day on one or the
other of those islands is still alluring. But which one?

I didn't make it to Ischia but went to Capri and loved it. If you leave early enough you can beat the crowds for awhile. I think the people that complain about the crowds show up at noon and don't leave the main street.

I liked visiting the Naples Archeological museum before going to
Pompeii, somehow it helped things come alive for me.

I'm pretty sure there is no wrong answer, but in my Trip Report last Spring my recommendation was to visit Pompeii first and then the museum for the same reason that it helps bring it to life.

I just returned from Naples a few weeks ago and took two day trips to Casserta and Herculaneum. I loved them both and would highly recommend both to you. Casserta is the perfect blend of amazing interior of a palace and a very scenic exterior garden. Herculanuem I thought was better preserved than Pompeii and easier to get to. Both are easy to access via train from Naples.

I just returned from a trip to Naples with my kids who are young adults. We went on a private tour of Pompeii with Ciro who I can't recommend highly enough! The entire tour group was great to work with from start to finish. They picked us up and dropped us off so it was very easy.

I had no idea Pompeii was so big and there is no way you could manage on your own. But we didn't have to waste time with a huge tour group either. We got to see all of the best parts and that really made it worth every penny. Ciro also knew the best places for pictures and offered to take some of us. It was an amazing experience and will be something we talk about for years. https://www.pompeiitourguide.com/

Jarandom ... thanks for bringing me back here. Gaetano & Ciro is one of two operators that have caught my eye. Askos is the other. Thanks to Allan (#1 post, above), I have tentatively ruled out RS' connection to Mondo Guide.

Acraven, This is an overdue follow-up Grazie Mille for your magnificent list which will lead us to places other than Capodimonte & the National Museum of Archaeology. Since we will be staying a little north from the Universita Metro stop, we are likely to make it to Pio Monte della Misericoda, the Tresoro di San Gennaro, the Duomo and the Museo Cappella Sanservo. The Galleria is also on our list (if only to compare to Milan's) as well ... and near there, as you note, Caravaggio's Il Matirio di St Orsula (Martyrdom of St. Ursula) is on display at Palazzo Zevallos. The Royal Palace (and Biblioteca), Piazza del Plebiscite and ferry terminal to Ischia are all not far, so with three or four nights for passeggiatas (certainly we will stroll Spaccanapoli), three mornings in Naples and at least one full day in the city, we can hope to see quite a bit, subject to open hours and day trips to Pompeii/Herculaneum, as well as Ischia (or Capri?). I fear Castel St. Elmo may be a bit beyond our range and scope of time.