Naples

Naples and its rich tradition of Art and Crafts. Naples is a known the world over for being a totally unique bustling busy city, the life and soul of Southern Italy. One associates Naples with the mad beeping of car horns, waving hands, mandolin music, the scent of baking pizza and the smoke of Mount Vesuvius, this of course is part of its’ charm, but there is much more to it than meets the eye. Discover the real treasures of Naples but simply wandering it’s maze of streets, still bearing the names of the wealth of artisans who craft their wares here, the glover maker, the tailor, the lute maker, the printer and the goldsmith, all ancient crafts, yet most are still there, quietly working away in family workshops tucked down the tiny streets of the town. Skills have been passed down from father to son through the generations resulting in fine quality wares now evolved into a winning combination of tradition coupled with innovation. One of the most unusual crafts can be seen in the San Gregorio district of Naples, famous for the exquisite little handmade statues, usually carved from wood, and used in amazingly intricate nativity scenes. There are of course many others, the CapodiMonte ceramics, Corals of Torre del Greco, wooden inlays of Sorrento and the silks of San Leucio to name but a few. No visit to Southern Italy would be complete without a trip to Naples, it’s strong personality and spirit of initiative contrasting with the sensitivity to preserve ancient traditions whilst welcoming new. So much variety and charm, from silk flowers and chocolate sculptures, to the colorful Permanent street theatre and unusual dolls hospital. Naples can be easily reached from many of the properties that we feature on the Amalfi coast, with ferry connections from many of the coastal towns. From Sorrento there is a quick hydrofoil across the Bay of Naples to the town or a local train ‘Circumvesuviana’ that runs along the coast.