DK Travel : Naples & the Amalfi Coast

From one perspective, this area is an anomaly, at once one of the earth’s most beautiful and yet most accursed places. It has been the choice of the great and wealthy as their playground, while also being the scene of some of the greatest natural disasters and the grittiest human misery. Perhaps these irreconcilable twists of fate are at the root of the Neapolitans’ famously optimistic cynicism. The city of Naples itself is a vibrant urban setting, almost non-European in its intensity, while the beauty of the surrounding coast has been known to make grown men weep.

Petronius

In his saga The Satyricon , only a fragment of which survives, this author (d.AD 66) captures the decadence of the Roman Empire in the villas of Naples.
Phlegraean Fields

Underground cities, craters and mythic ruins all attest to the zone’s rich archaeological heritage.
Piazza Bellini

This square is one of the most appealing places in Naples, lined with inviting cafés, bookshops and the façades of palaces. Of particular note is the monastery of Sant’Antonio a Port’Alba, incorporating 15th-century Palazzo Conca and adorned with busts of the Spanish royal family. At the centre of the piazza, in addition to a statue of the eponymous composer, is an archaeological excavation, revealing 5th-century BC Greek walls of large tufa blocks .
Piazza Bellini

Sections of 5th-century BC Greek walls are found on this square.
Piazza Bellini, Naples

Without a doubt, this is central Naples’ most inviting square. With café tables lined up on the sunny side and elegant architecture facing all around, it’s a favourite spot for intellectuals, artists, students and anyone who wants to take a break.
Piazza Dante, Naples

Following Italian Unification, a statue of the poet Dante was placed in the centre of the broad curve of this square which was accordingly renamed. Before that, the area was known as Largo del Mercatello, when it was a major marketplace. Today it is still a busy focal point of the old part of the city.
Piazza Duomo, Amalfi

Dominated by the steps up to the cathedral and the black-and-white design of the building and its belltower, this square is a hub of café life.
Piazza Duomo, Ravello

Any visit to Ravello will begin and end in this charming piazza, so perhaps most significant are the several choices of direction you can take from here. Staircases and ramped walkways lead off in all directions around the town.
Piazza Plebiscito, Naples

In recent years this vast, magnificent urban space has been restored to its original grandeur. On one side is the church of San Francesco di Paola, and on the other the Palazzo Reale. The royal equestrian statues on the square are all the work of Canova.
Piazza Sannazzaro, Naples

The nautical theme of the mermaid and turtles fountain here is appropriate, as the nearby port is the main one for embarking on a trip to the islands of Capri, Ischia or Procida.