Naples

Did You Know?

• Naples lies between two volcanic regions: Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, the latter considered a supervolcano.
• The city's population declined by 26% from a peak of 1,226,594 in 1971 as residents moved to suburbs.
• As of 2025, immigrants make up 6.8% of Naples's population, with the largest foreign-born groups from Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh.

History

Naples has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. In the second millennium BC, a Mycenaean settlement appeared near the future site of Parthenope. Sailors from Rhodes established a small commercial port called Parthenope on Megaride island in the ninth century BC, and by the eighth century BC Cumaeans expanded the settlement to Monte Echia. In the sixth century BC the city was refounded as Neápolis and became a leading city of Magna Graecia.

It grew under Syracusan influence and allied with Rome against Carthage. During the Samnite Wars the Samnites captured the city, but the Romans soon took it and made it a colony. Its walls repelled Hannibal in the Punic Wars. Romans valued Naples as a centre of Hellenistic culture; residents kept Greek language and customs, and Roman villas, aqueducts, and baths were built.

Christianity arrived early: tradition holds that Saint Peter preached at San Pietro ad Aram, and Januarius, the patron saint, was martyred in the fourth century AD. The last Western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was exiled to Naples in the fifth century.

Architecture

Naples's long history has produced a wealth of buildings from medieval castles to classical ruins, as well as nearby sites such as the Palace of Caserta and the Roman ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The most visible architectural styles are Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque. The city contains 448 historical churches out of 1,000 total, making it one of the world's most Catholic cities in terms of places of worship. In 1995 UNESCO listed the historic centre as a World Heritage Site.

The main square, Piazza del Plebiscito, was begun by Joachim Murat and finished by Ferdinand IV; it is flanked by the Royal Palace and the church of San Francesco di Paola. Nearby stands the Teatro di San Carlo, Italy's oldest opera house, and across from it is Galleria Umberto. Naples is known for its castles: Castel dell'Ovo, built on the islet of Megarides where Greek colonists first settled, later held Romulus Augustulus, Empress Constance, Conradin, and Giovanna I. Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino), built under Charles I, was the site of Pope Celestine V's resignation and the election of Pope Boniface VIII.

Castel Capuano, constructed by William I in the 12th century, was expanded by Frederick II and later became the Hall of Justice.

Economy

Naples is Italy's fourth-largest economy within its administrative limits, after Milan, Rome, and Turin, and ranks 103rd globally among urban economies by purchasing power, with a 2024 GDP of €28.4 billion (€30,804 per capita). The port of Naples is one of the Mediterranean's largest and busiest cargo terminals. Since World War II the city has seen significant economic growth, but joblessness remains a major problem, and high levels of political corruption and organised crime persist.

Tourism is a major industry: Naples became a destination during the 18th-century Grand Tour and now attracts about 20 million visitors annually (as of 2025), recovering from a prolonged slump linked to its industrial image, the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, and the waste crisis. Many tourists stay in surrounding coastal areas and make daily visits to the city. The service sector employs most Neapolitans, though over half of these workers are in small enterprises with fewer than 20 employees; about 70 companies have more than 200 workers, and about 15 have over 500.

The growing tourism sector raises the risk of gentrification in the historic centre, similar to what has occurred in Venice and Florence.

Transport

Naples is linked by several major motorways: the A1 connects it to Milan, the A3 runs south to Salerno, and the A16 (the "Motorway of the Two Seas") runs east to Canosa, connecting the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas. Suburban rail services are operated by Ente Autonomo Volturno and Trenitalia through the Naples metropolitan railway service. The main railway station is Napoli Centrale in Piazza Garibaldi; other significant stations include Napoli Campi Flegrei and Napoli Mergellina, while Napoli Afragola handles high-speed trains that do not start or end at Centrale.

Since 2007, 300 km/h trains connect Naples to Rome in under an hour, with direct high-speed services also to Florence, Bologna, Milan, Turin, and Salerno, plus overnight boat trains to Sicily. The port runs ferries, hydrofoils, and SWATH catamarans to Capri, Ischia, Sorrento, Salerno, Positano, Amalfi, Sicily, Sardinia, Ponza, and the Aeolian Islands, handling over 6 million local passengers and 1 million cruise passengers annually. The Metrò del Mare hydrofoil service operates from July to September.

Naples International Airport, in San Pietro a Patierno, is southern Italy's largest, with about 250 daily flights. The average public transit commute on weekdays is 77 minutes; 19% of riders travel over two hours daily, and the average wait time is 27 minutes.