The Church Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova is attached to a convent of nuns belonging to the Franciscan order. The adjective Nuova or new is used to distinguish it from an earlier church of the same name that is located next to the building.

The Church Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova was designed by the architect, Giovanni Giacomo di Conforto, built between 1616 and 1627 and consecrated in 1669. It is the finest example of Neapolitan Baroque architectural design. The church and the nearby 14th century building were connected by a passage that extended between the apse of the old church and the tribune of the new one. The passage was demolished when the structures were restored between 1928 and 1934.

The Church Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova has a simple exterior and an ornate interior. The façade has a simple austere neoclassical design. The wide staircase leading to the entrance is flanked on either side by the statues of Saint Bartholomew and Saint Andrew. The interior consists of a single nave with three chapels on either side. The nave is completely covered with marble with a floral design. The splendid ceiling fresco was painted by Francesco de Benedictis and the apse is surrounded by frescoes portraying the life of Saint Francis by Francesco Solimena. The cupola of the church has a magnificent fresco by Agostino Beltrano.

Naples Cathedral’s construction began in the late 13th century under Angevin rule, on a site already occupied by earlier Christian basilicas and Roman structures. This complex past is still visible today: beneath and beside the cathedral lie the remains of early Christian churches, including the Basilica of Santa Restituta.

The cathedral’s main structure reflects Gothic architectural principles introduced from northern Europe, particularly in its soaring interior and pointed arches. Earthquakes, fires, and restorations reshaped parts of the building, introducing new artistic influences over time. The façade seen today dates largely from a 19th-century Neo-Gothic restoration, while the interior preserves medieval elements alongside Baroque chapels and artworks.

One of the cathedral’s most important spaces is the Chapel of the Treasury of San Gennaro, built in the early 17th century and entirely separate from the cathedral’s original structure. Facing the apse, entering the right side of the cathedral brings you close to the chapel. The entrance is easily recognisable thanks to its imposing scale and black gate. This richly decorated Baroque chapel houses the relics of San Gennaro, Naples’ patron saint. Several times a year, crowds gather here to witness the so-called miracle of the liquefaction of the saint’s blood, a ritual deeply embedded in local tradition. According to legend, failure of the blood to liquefy is seen as an omen of disaster for the city.

Directly opposite the entrance to the Chapel of the Treasury of San Gennaro is the entrance to the Basilica of Santa Restituta, the original church dating to the 4th century AD. Inside, the basilica preserves several remarkable elements, including a Greek wall associated with the ancient Temple of Apollo, a stretch of Roman aqueduct, and an inclined section of ancient Greek roadway.

While you are here, you can step from the main nave into earlier basilicas, observe medieval mosaics and tombs, and contrast the cathedral’s restrained Gothic lines with the dramatic Baroque intensity of the Chapel of the Treasury of San Gennaro.

Tribunal Street is one of the main historic arteries of Naples, running parallel to Spaccanapoli through the heart of the old town. Its origins go back to the Greek foundation of Neápolis in the 5th century BC, when the city was laid out according to a strict grid. Tribunal Street follows the line of the ancient decumanus maximus, the principal east–west road of the Greek and later Roman city, making it one of the oldest continuously used streets in Europe.

The street takes its modern name from the tribunals and administrative buildings that stood here during the Roman period. Over time, Tribunal Street remained a central route, adapting to each historical phase layered above it.

Some of Naples’ most important religious buildings open directly onto the street, including the Cathedral of Naples, with its blend of early Christian, medieval, and Baroque architecture. At the same time, everyday life unfolds at street level: food shops, bakeries, cafés, and small businesses occupy ground floors that have been in constant use for centuries.

Tribunal Street is also closely associated with Naples’ food culture, particularly pizza. Several long-established pizzerias are located along the street, making it a popular stop for visitors as well as locals.

The Excavations of San Lorenzo Maggiore show a complete Roman forum and earlier Greek Agora. They are located under the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore. The site was opened to the public after 25 years of painstaking work by archeologists.

The excavations of San Lorenzo Maggiore have revealed a wealth of details about the city of Naples in classical times. The site of Piazza San Gaetano near the church was once a Greek Agora or marketplace. Later, it became a Forum or Roman marketplace. Excavations have also revealed the great hall and three naves of a sixth century paleo-Christian church. Under the Sala Capitolare of the San Lorenzo Maggiore church are the medieval city halls. The excavated area has been opened to the public since 1992.

The excavations of San Lorenzo Maggiore are the only complete excavations around Naples. They show life in the city through the ages. Only half of the original Roman forum has been excavated and visitors can view it by entering the marked gate near the entrance of the church. One can see a whole ancient street from the 4th century BC complete with workshops, laundries and the public treasury. Most of the objects from the archeological finds are at a nearby museum, housed in a converted four story Palazzo.

San Gregorio Armeno Street, often called “Christmas Alley,” is known worldwide for its long tradition of nativity-scene craftsmanship. The street runs through the historic centre, connecting Spaccanapoli with Tribunal Street, and follows the line of one of the ancient streets of Greek Neápolis.

The street takes its name from the nearby Church and Monastery of San Gregorio Armeno, founded in the 10th century by a community of Basilian nuns who brought relics of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia, to Naples. Over time, the religious complex became one of the city’s most important convents.

By the early modern period, San Gregorio Armeno Street had become the centre of Naples’ presepe tradition-the elaborate nativity scenes that go far beyond the biblical story to include everyday Neapolitan life. Artisans set up workshops along the street, producing hand-crafted figurines made from terracotta, wood, and fabric. These figures range from classic shepherds and biblical characters to bakers, musicians, market vendors, and, in more recent times, contemporary public figures.

The street offers a highly concentrated sensory experience. The atmosphere becomes especially animated in the weeks leading up to Christmas, but the street remains active year-round, making it one of the few places in Naples where a seasonal tradition never truly pauses.

Naples Underground reveals a hidden city beneath the streets of Naples, where over two thousand years of history are preserved below ground level. This vast network of tunnels, chambers, and cavities began in ancient times, when Greek settlers excavated soft volcanic tuff to extract building stone for Neápolis. The same underground spaces were later expanded by the Romans, who transformed them into an extensive system of aqueducts and cisterns that supplied water to the growing city above.

For centuries, this subterranean infrastructure played a crucial role in daily life. Wells connected private homes and public fountains to the underground reservoirs, while maintenance corridors allowed access to the water system. When the aqueduct fell out of use in the 19th century, many of these spaces were gradually forgotten, sealed off, or repurposed for storage. Their strategic depth, however, gave them new relevance during the 20th century.

During World War II, large sections of the underground were converted into air-raid shelters. Thousands of Neapolitans took refuge here during bombing raids, leaving behind inscriptions, drawings, and everyday objects that document civilian life during the war.

Two unique sights worth seeing are the Greco-Roman Theatre and the Hypogeum Gardens. The former is notable for the presence of a private dressing room believed to have belonged to the Roman Emperor Nero. The latter’s name means “underground gardens”, and they represent an experimental project aimed at growing plants away from light and urban pollution.

Naples Underground offers a striking contrast to the city above. If you wish to encounter ancient Greek foundations, Roman water channels and improvised wartime rooms, you have to join a guided tour at the ticket office.

The Accademia di Belle Arti is a school of fine arts attached to the University of Naples. It is located in a building that once housed a convent and has its own art gallery with works by well known early artists and some of its illustrious students.

The building was constructed in the 17th century. In 1864, the architect, Enrico Alvino renovated the structure and added a neoclassical façade, a grand staircase and the sculptures of two lions to guard the entrance.

The interior houses a library, a collection of plaster casts and a picture gallery for academic purposes that is also open for public viewing. The art gallery has over 28 valuable works dating back to the 16th century. The main collection represents the 19th and 20th centuries. It also has 206 sketches and watercolors created by the faculty and students and 227 works donated to the academy by the 19th-century realist artist, Filippo Palizzi. Notable works by former students on display are watercolors by Giacinti Gigante and works by sculptor Vincenzo Gemito.

Why You Should Visit:
To immerse yourself in Neapolitanism and at the same time study art. The building stands in the historic center among many monuments, near the main tourist and gastronomic attractions.

The Piazza Dante or Dante Square in Naples is dominated by the statue of the renaissance poet, Dante Alighieri. It is a centrally located square in the city.

The Piazza Dante was once the site of a large marketplace. At the time, it was called the Largo del Mercatello or Market Square. The square was redesigned and renovated by the architect, Luigi Vanvitelli in 1765. After the modifications, it was called the Foro Carolina after Maria Carolina of Austria, the consort of the then reigning King of Naples, Ferdinand IV. After the unification of Italy in 1871, the statue of Dante Alighieri by sculptor, Tito Angelini was erected here in 1872.

The Piazza Dante today is a popular square for both locals and tourists. It is within easy reach of most of the important monuments in Naples and lies near the new first line of the underground station. There is also a well known food market at the Rione della Pignasecca nearby. The original modifications by Luigi Vanvitelli including a semicircle of highly decorated columns with statues are still located on Piazza Dante and form the western side of a boarding school. It is a popular venue for family activities in Naples.

Toledo Street is one of Naples’ principal arteries and has long functioned as a dividing line between different layers of the city. It was laid out in 1536 during Spanish rule by the viceroy Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, from whom the street takes its name. The project was part of a broader effort to impose order on a rapidly growing city, creating a wide, regulated thoroughfare that contrasted with Naples’ dense medieval street network.

From the outset, Toledo Street was designed as a prestigious urban axis. Noble palaces, churches, and administrative buildings rose along its length, while the densely populated Spanish Quarter developed immediately uphill, housing soldiers and working families. Over time, Toledo Street became a showcase for architectural trends, from Renaissance and Baroque façades to later 19th-century additions linked to Naples’ modernisation after Italian unification.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the street evolved into a commercial hub, a role it continues to play today. Shops, cafés, cinemas, and theatres line both sides, making it one of the city’s busiest pedestrian corridors. Despite modernisation, traces of earlier centuries remain visible in courtyards, side streets, and historic storefronts, especially where Toledo Street intersects with older routes such as Spaccanapoli.

The Santa Chiara Complex was founded in the early 14th century under the Angevin rulers Robert of Anjou and Queen Sancia. At its heart stands the Basilica of Santa Chiara, originally built in a sober Gothic style that stood in contrast to the ornate churches more commonly associated with Naples.

Over the centuries, the complex evolved alongside the city. Baroque additions gradually transformed the basilica’s interior, filling it with rich decoration and colour. This version of Santa Chiara was largely destroyed during World War II, when Allied bombing in 1943 caused a devastating fire. Rather than reconstructing the Baroque interior, post-war restorations chose to return the church to its original Gothic simplicity.

After you leave the church and stroll along the basilica’s eastern façade, you encounter a gated yellow arch that leads to the complex’s most celebrated space: the cloister, redesigned in the 18th century and decorated with vibrant majolica tiles. The tiled pillars and benches depict scenes of rural life, landscapes, and everyday activities. This cloister has become one of the most photographed places in Naples, valued not only for its beauty but also for the unexpected calm it offers within the historic centre. Contributing to this sense of calm are gardens planted with citrus and lavender, as well as a fountain set within what was once the medieval friars’ refectory.

Another sight worth seeing inside the cloister is the Opera Museum of Santa Chiara. It can be found on the opposite side of the cloister’s entrance. The museum displays the remains of a 1st-century Roman bath complex, allowing visitors to trace the site’s history back to ancient Naples.

The Zoological Museum is a teaching and research facility attached the University of Naples. It has some unique natural history exhibits on display.

The Zoological Museum of Naples was founded by Gioacchino Napoleone Murat, Napoleon’s brother in law and King of Naples between 1808 and 1815. The museum opened its doors in 1811 with Luigi Petagna as its first curator. It housed the natural history collections of the Royal House of Bourbon and the private collection of eminent physician, Giuseppe Saverio Poli. The building housing the museum was severely damaged during World War II. It was restored under the capable guidance of curator, Mario Salfi, between 1948 and 1970.

The donation of the collection of natural history exhibits by physicist and natural historian Giuseppe Saverio Poli greatly enriched the displays at the Zoological Museum. The collection includes rare species of southern European butterflies, fresh water and marine mollusks and marine organisms and sponges unique to the Mediterranean Sea. Other exhibits are from the royal collection with over 3,000 embalmed birds, a collection of vertebrates including the skeleton of a 20 meter long whale found on the beach of Naples, mummified crocodiles from Egypt and the skeleton of an elephant. Guides are available at the museum for the convenience of international visitors.

The Sansevero Chapel Museum was originally built in the late 16th century by Giovan Francesco di Sangro as a private family burial place, but it owes its present form to Raimondo di Sangro, Prince of Sansevero, who transformed it in the mid-18th century.

The chapel is home to nearly thirty important artworks. At the centre of the chapel lies its most famous work: the Veiled Christ, sculpted in 1753 by artist Giuseppe Sanmartino. Carved from a single block of marble, the figure is covered by a delicately rendered shroud that appears almost transparent, revealing the anatomy beneath with remarkable realism.

The chapel’s walls are lined with marble sculptures, each representing a moral virtue linked to members of the Sansevero family. Among these sculptures, two major highlights stand on either side of the Veiled Christ, toward the north-west. One of them is called Modesty, and it depicts a veiled female figure, celebrated for the delicate treatment of marble. The second is called Release from Deception, and it portrays a fisherman escaping from a fishing net with the help of an angel. The sculpture’s appeal lies in its extraordinary craftsmanship, as the intricate fishing net is carved entirely from marble.

Above, the painted ceiling, titled Glory of Paradise, gives the chapel a dynamic feel by illustrating a celestial vision of Paradise, filled with swirling clouds, angels, and radiant light, opening upward above the nave.

On the right side of the chapel, relative to the entrance, in the third archway, you will notice a narrow 19th-century spiral staircase that leads to the basement. There, you encounter the so-called Anatomical Machines: two preserved human skeletons displaying the circulatory system in extraordinary detail. While the bones are indeed human, the blood vessels are a highly intricate reconstruction made of metal wires, silk, and wax.

Spaccanapoli is one of the oldest and most defining streets in Naples, cutting a straight line through the historic centre and giving the impression of splitting the city in two. Its name comes from this very effect-spacca Napoli literally means “it splits Naples.” The street follows the route of one of the original decumani, the main east–west roads of the ancient Greek city of Neápolis, laid out in the 5th century BC and still forming the backbone of the historic centre today.

Because Spaccanapoli sits directly on this ancient grid, walking along it is a journey through multiple layers of history compressed into a single corridor. Roman foundations lie beneath medieval buildings, while Renaissance palaces, Baroque churches, and modest residential structures line the route. Over the centuries, the street has been known by different names along its length, but it has always functioned as a central artery for trade, religion, and daily life. Unlike larger avenues created by later urban planning, Spaccanapoli grew organically, shaped by continuous use rather than formal redesign.

Spaccanapoli offers one of the most immediate and unfiltered encounters with Naples. Churches such as Santa Chiara open directly onto the street, while small workshops, bookshops, bakeries, and family-run businesses operate at ground level. Laundry lines overhead and scooters threading through narrow gaps further reinforce the street’s lived-in character. One of the more unusual stops is the Doll Hospital, which specialises in restoring statues and antique dolls. Children are often drawn to the display of miniature hospital beds, while an adjoining museum showcases a collection of antique dolls and toys.

Tucked on a side street just off the Corso Umberto in one of Naples’ busiest central districts, Forcella, is the Antica Pizzeria da Michele, one of the oldest and most famous pizzerias in the world.

First opened in 1870, by Salvatore Condurro, the restaurant takes its name from his son Michele, who mastered the art of pizza cooking and made the place renowned both locally and internationally for offering what many regard as the definitive wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza. Today, the Antica Pizzeria is run by the fifth generation of the Condurro family.

There are only two pizzas on their menu: “Marinara” and “Margherita”. The latter comes with tomatoes, garlic, and oregano (and is a good choice for vegans), while the former (Marinara) represents a bit of a deviation from the standards set by the local association of pizza makers. It includes tomatoes, but then – instead of buffalo mozzarella – they put the fiore di latte cheese (a regional cow’s milk variety), fresh basil and, in lieu of cold-pressed olive oil, apply a drizzling of soybean oil. Despite some flouting of the rules and, or perhaps thanks to their menu simplicity (the choice of drinks here is equally barebones and includes the Italian lager Peroni, sparkling water, and house wines), the place has enjoyed a timeless success.

Indeed, this historic temple of Neapolitan pizza has had its army of fans outside Italy for decades. Still, it gained enormous popularity most recently thanks to the “Eat, Pray, Love” movie based on the eponymous bestselling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, in which Julia Roberts (playing Gilbert) visited the iconic restaurant and famously had a go at its pie. Coupled with the Antica Pizzeria chefs' conviction of being the best, such star power has resulted in long lines, especially around lunch and dinnertime.

Even outside the peak hours, the patrons have to queue up at least for a few minutes to grab a table. The whole process of getting in may appear somewhat confusing, at the beginning. First, you need to approach a staff member at the door to get a ticket and then wait for your number to be called-in Italian. If in doubt, you can always ask someone in line to tell you how to pronounce it in Italian, so as not to miss the call.

If the service at Da Michele is admittedly a bit chaotic, their pizza – of remarkable complexity, with an unctuous, melting quality – is well worth the wait and will leave you craving more almost immediately.