[Dec. 2024] Sightseeing in Naples, the third largest city in Italy.
First, our guide Ivan took us to a pastry shop to fill our stomachs.
The first choice shop was too crowded, so we went to a humble shop on a street corner.
Our purpose was sfogliatella, a specialty of Naples.
This is a baked pastry that I’ve seen not only in Naples but even in London, and it contains ricotta cheese.
I was expecting something heavy, but what I ate here was light, crispy, and delicious.
After filling our stomachs, we went into the old town.
In Piazza Guarino, we saw a large mural of local singer Nino D’Angelo.
This is the work of a local street artist named Jorit, who apparently adds red lines to everyone’s faces.
By the way, there is a large mural with lines on a face right next to the Airbnb where we are staying in Sorrento, and it seems that this is also a work by Jorit.
This mural is of another Neapolitan singer, Lucio Dalla.
We also saw murals of football player Maradona here and there in Naples.
He is Argentine, but he led the Naples team to victory, so he is said to be an inseparable and important figure in history here.
We walked through the crowded streets and entered the Cathedral.
This church has a history dating back to the 13th century, and it is said that the blood of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples, is kept there.
This blood is supposed to liquefy three times a year, and it is believed that disaster will occur if it is not liquefied.
It was a solemn and weighty church.
According to Ivan, until about 10 years ago, there were few people visiting the Cathedral.
And the side exit where we passed was a garbage dump in the past.
Ivan was so happy to see Naples changing for the better, and that was a major theme in his life.
After that, we visited the churches of San Lorenzo, Santa Chiara, and Gesu.
All of these are in the area of ​​Spaccanapoli, a straight street that divides the old town of Naples in two.
As we were leaving Santa Chiara, we came across a Liceo (high school) named Eleonora Pimentel Fonseca.
This is the name of an 18th century female revolutionary who was one of the key figures in the Neapolitan Republic, which lasted only six months in 1799.
She was arrested and hanged in the end.
I was impressed that such a courageous woman existed in Naples.
By the way, the coral shops had disappeared from Sorrento, but there were still quite a few in Naples.
And what stood out was a small, red, squiggly thing.
Apparently it was modelled after a chili pepper and is a talisman for the people of Naples.
Ivan was also wearing a small one around his neck and showed it to us.
