traveldk.com

The island of Ischia is surmounted by an extinct 788-m (2,585-ft) volcano, Monte Epomeo, and the many hot mineral springs here (some of them radioactive) have drawn cure- and pleasure-seekers to their soothing sources since ancient times. Green and rugged in appearance, the island also benefits from fine, long beaches. Like Capri, Ischia has had its share of famous residents – in the 19th century the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt during a stay here, while in the 20th century the English poet W.H. Auden and his homosexual circle scandalized the locals. The island was also the first place in the area to be colonized by the Greeks, in the 8th century BC.

The Spanish painter (1590–1652) spent much of his life in Naples, where he created powerful and original works. These include his San Sebastiano in the Certosa di San Martino.

In 1734 the Spanish king arrived in Naples. He was heir to the Farnese clan, who were Italian by birth, and transformed his new home town into a city of the Enlightenment.

Napoleon’s brother-in-law ascended the throne of Naples in 1808 but was executed in 1815.

The ancient statue of the Nile on this square was once thought to be that of a woman suckling her young.

On 27–30 September 1943 Neapolitans showed their true character. After the occupying Nazis threatened to deport all the city’s young males, four days of rioting by the populace kept the Germans so busy that the Allies were able to get a toehold and rout the enemy.

One of the most prolific of Naples’ Baroque artists (1632–1705). His paintings and frescoes are ubiquitous in the city, adorning churches and museums. Most significant is Triumph of Judith on the Treasury ceiling in the Certosa di San Martino.

The sister of Marie Antoinette was the power behind the throne of her husband, Ferdinand IV (1768–1811).

A 15th-century Crucifixion by this Tuscan painter (1401–28) is one of the treasures of the Capodimonte Museum. The work is a blend of the formal medieval tradition and the vitality of the Renaissance. Of note are the anatomical accuracy of Christ’s torso and the sense of drama created by the outstretched arms of Mary Magdalene.