DK Travel : Naples & the Amalfi Coast : Spaccanapoli to Capodimonte

Spaccanapoli to Capodimonte : Overview & Top 10

The ancient heart of the city is celebrated for its striking juxta-position of chaos and consummate artistry, but most of all for the sheer, boundless energy of the Neapolitan spirit. In many ways, it is an atavistic realm, ruled by its past, including innumerable disasters, but in recent decades a new awareness of its abiding glories has dawned and Old Naples is ready to open anew to the world. Its narrow streets are much safer and cleaner than before and its erstwhile dilapidated, shut-away treasures are now restored and far better organized, without losing any of the uniquely vibrant feeling. Spaccanapoli is the colloquial name for the long, narrow street that runs from Via Duomo to Via Monteoliveto and is the remnant of an ancient Greco-Roman thoroughfare.

Pensione Margarita, Via D. Cimarosa 29, Tel. +39 081 5567044

This is a great little pensione, with lots of old-style, traditonal Italian atmosphere and lovely staff. It's a bargain for the location: in Vomero, on a hill, overlooking the sea with views towards Capri from some of the rooms. Vomero is much quieter than most districts in Naples yet it's only a short (and not to be missed) ride into town on the funicolare.