Attractions

Naples:

Galleria Principe di Napoli: This ornate shopping gallery filled with stylish boutiques was built between 1876 and 1883 as part of planned improvements to Via Fosse del Grano. The cast-iron and glass roof and solid masonry of the walls graced with splendid stucco decorations are a masterful combination of modern and traditional construction techniques. The gallery opens out onto Via Pessina, Via Broggia and the square in front of the National Museum.

Castel dell’Ovo: (Open hours are 9am – 5pm Mon – Sat, 9am – 1pm Sun.) Many believe the name Castel dell’Ovo is due to its unusual shape (“ovo” meaning “egg”); however, others maintain that the name is linked to medieval legend. Apparently, the poet Virgil hid an egg in an iron cage and left it to hang from a rafter in a secret place within the castle; if the egg was broken, both the castle and the city were doomed for destruction.

The Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte: This museum contains art collections including works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli and Caravaggio.

Teatro di San Carlo: This theatre, the oldest active opera house in Europe, opened its doors on November 4, 1737.

Sorrento:

Museo Correale di Terranova: Sorrento has been a resort town for two thousand years. Sorrento’s excellent museums include the Museo Correale di Terranova and the Inlaid Woodwork Museum. The relatively new Mineralogical Museum boasts a dinosaur collection containing baby dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs, and Permian reptiles that predate the dinosaurs by millions of years. Before you leave Sorrento, visit its historic city center, which includes some protective walls from the Middle Ages, the 14th century Saint Francis Cloister, and a much older neighboring monastery.

Caserta/Palace of Caserta (The palace is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site): Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Campanian Subapennine mountain range. The city is best known for the Palace of Caserta. It is one of the most visited monuments in the country. In it you can find more than 1200 rooms, decorated in various styles. It has been the set for famous movies, such as the first three episodes of Star Wars and St. Peter’s Cathedral in Mission Impossible III. The park is two miles long and contains many falls, lakes and gardens, including the very famous English gardens.

Palazzo Vecchio: The “Old Palace” is a construction of the 14th century, renovated by Luigi Vanvitelli as provisional residence for the royal court.

Amalfi Coast:

Positano: Positano is one of Italy’s most romantic and luxurious vacation spots. Built vertically on the face of a cliff, Positano started out as a fishing village and became popular with writers and artists in the 1950s. Today it’s a fashionable resort, yet still retains its charm. Positano is a pedestrian town (with many stairs) and its pretty pastel-colored houses and flowers make it very picturesque. Because of its mild climate, Positano can be visited year round, although high season is April to October.