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Mainstream theatre and touring international musicals (usually in English) are featured here, as well as dance, local musicals and concerts. Recent international productions have included Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Fiddler on the Roof .

The philosopher, historian and statesman (1866–1952) spent much time in Naples.

In 1734, the kingdom of Naples as an autonomous entity was re-established and Charles of Bourbon was chosen to rule. He ordered notable public works, and presided over the age when Naples was high on the list for Grand Tour enthusiasts.

Lively local productions, often in dialect. A typical season might include titles such as Una moglie coi baffi (A Moustachioed Wife) or Le sorprese del divorzio (The Surprises of Divorce).

With the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the area was overrun by tribes from the north, particularly the Goths. In 553 the Byzantine emperor Justinian’s chief general Belisarius conquered the zone.

The ancient Greeks called the area Pausilypon (“respite from pain”) due to the great beauty of the place. Down through the ages, it retained its appeal through a succession of inhabitants and visitors, from religious communities in medieval times to holiday resorts for the Spanish aristocracy in the 17th century. The spartan years of the 1950s, however, finally put an end to that famous beauty in large swaths with the unregulated spread of ugly apartment buildings. Fortunately, parts of the area down by the water still retain considerable charm, mainly the 17th-century Villa Volpicelli, appearing like a floating castle at the water’s edge.

This impressive royal palace is home to important works by some of the greatest masters of all time, including Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, Mantegna, Bellini, Fra’ Bartolomeo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt and Dürer, as well as by every great painter working in Naples during the 17th and 18th centuries, including Caravaggio and Ribera.

Remains of imperial villas that once enjoyed vantage points atop the cliffs can be seen here.

The fabled isle has had its detractors – it has been called “nothing more than a rocky cliff with over-priced cafés” – and, in ancient times, the notorious shenanigans of Tiberius gave it an enduring reputation as the ultimate in decadence, as did the party life here in the 1950s. Yet, if you choose to stay awhile, you will discover the real Capri beyond the hype – a world of traditional farm life, scenic hiking terrain and sparkling azure waters for swimming and boating. A place with undeniable allure for those who love the best of what life has to offer.

This Baroque master (1571–1610) created a lasting artistic revolution with his dramatic use of chiaroscuro (light and shade). He spent a year or so in Naples; among the works he completed here is Flagellation of Christ , originally in the San Domenico Maggiore church but now in Capodimonte.