Italy, Naples

About Niples

Naples is a southern Italian city with a beautiful port.

It faces the Mediterranean Sea. Its name in Italian is Napoli which came from its Greek name Neapolis, meaning new city.

Ancient Greeks settled Naples in the 6th Century B.C. Later Romans conquered the southern Italy and took Naples.

Today Naples is the capital of Campania and the largest city in southern Italy.

It has a population of about 1 million. 300,000 people live in the area around Naples (including the habitans of Naples).

It is an important city for tourists.

History

Naples was founded between the 7th and 6th centuries BC by the Greeks and was given the name Neapolis.

During the period of Roman domination, the town preserved its Greek language and customs.

Following the Roman period, the city was dominated by many different groups of people (Byzantines, Lombards, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Spaniards, Austrians, Bourbons and revolutionary French).

Nowadays one can see the traces of all those rulers in the monuments, in the culture and in the habits of the town.

In 1266 the Angevins moved the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily from Palermo to Naples. Sicily soon parted and formed an independent Kingdom of Sicily.

After the Congress of Vienna Naples became the capital of the united Kingdom of Two Sicilies.

After a long period of decline following the creation of the Italian State over 100 years ago, the city is making strides in recovering its eminence as a center for culture.

Climate

Naples has a typical mediterranean climate.

This means mild winters and hot summers.

Rains concentrate during November and December and between March and April.

Average temperature during the coldest month is 8° C. (48 F. ) whilst average temperature in July is 24° C. (75,2 F.).

The mild climate and the geographical and morphologic richness of the bay of Naples made it famous during Roman times when emperors chose the city as a favorite holiday location.