Naples and its bay is truly an inseparable combination! According to legend, in fact, the city was founded where the sea carried the lifeless body of the mermaid Partenope, who threw herself off a cliff in desperation at not seducing Ulysses with her voice.
Sinuously lying on the homonymous bay and guarded by the Mount Vesuvius and the imposing Castel dell'Ovo, Naples is a dynamic city, rich in artistic heritage (the historical center is protected by UNESCO since 1995), a strong sea culinary tradition (such as small fry - frittura di paranza -, pizza with anchovies and spaghetti with clams), folk, melodic music, crafts and typically Neapolitan creativity.
Many other important cities are located at the foot of Vesuvius:
- Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, charming resorts of the Roman nobility, destroyed by a burning rain of lapillus and ash in 79 AD. However, the eruption of Vesuvius gave eternal life to these cities, showing us the high level of civilization of these population in the I century AD;
- Torre del Greco, famous all over the world for its superb craft jewels in coral and mother-in-pearl;
- Torre Annunziata, with its beautiful view and the interesting archeological finds from the Roman period;
- Castellammare di Stabia, with its thermal baths, the active harbor and the ancient shipbuilding tradition;
- Portici, with the Bourbon Royal Palace and many of the XVIII century villas, part of the so called "Golden Mile";
- Pozzuoli, with the beautiful promenade, the impressive Solfatara, the Rione Terra, the underwater archaeological finds and the land ones, where signs of bradyseism are still visible.