One of the first mosaics I see in the Archaeological Museum is this momento mori, a reminder that we all meet the same fate. The plumb line above the skull’s head holds in balance images of poverty on the right and wealth on the left. Under the skull is a butterfly signifying the soul and …
I decide today to visit the Catacombs of San Gennaro, which are located under the Capodimonte hill. I am familiar with the area, having passed the catacombs a few days ago on the way to the Capodimonte Palace and Gardens, but the bus whips along quickly and passes the stop before I know it. A …
I spend most of today getting organized, because traveling this way requires some planning. But I have reserved a spot with Dominic Cioffi at his family-owned dairy, home and gardens for this evening. Sharing the experience is a Swedish couple, a woman from Romania, a young man from Egypt and another from Massachusetts. Dominic picks …
This afternoon I go on a food walking tour of Naples. I pick the afternoon tour over the morning because I figure I’ll eat enough to skip dinner. Fortunately the tour includes only myself and another woman my age. We have the guide to ourselves, making for a small and intimate experience. After a snack …
I’m off to visit a medical museum called the Museo delle Arti Sanitarie in the Complesso Monumentale Santa Maria del Popolo degli Incurabili. Big long names. It’s a complex of historic buildings, including a hospital founded in 1521. Naples has funded restoration of the complex, much of it in progress. As with most everything in …
Today I visit Capodimonte, high on a hill above the historic center of Naples. I take the Metro to the Museo stop, the Archaeological Museum, where I pass these images lining the Metro passageways. I aim to get back to this museum another day. After leaving the Metro, I take a bus high up into …
Today I head out to the center of historic Naples. I’m not sure why these banners are flying, but it appears they might refer to San Gennaro and the liquifaction of his blood, which signifies that Naples will once again survive adversity. That’s just a good guess, because the device held by the Cardinal looks …
Today I visit the Castel Nuovo, also called Maschio Angioino, first built in 1279 by King Robert of Anjou. During his reign, the Castle became a center of culture attracting artists, doctors, and writers, including Giotto, Petrarch and Boccaccio. The Castle was a royal seat for kings of Naples, Aragon and Spain until 1815. A …
The train trip from Rome to Naples on the Frecciarossa fast train takes a little bit over an hour. Nearing Naples, we pass large agricultural fields. A large display in the Naples train station contains a presepio, the nativity, but the scene also shows Christmas in Naples 1843. Naples is not so different today. I …