Blood and Passion in Naples: A Guide to the City’s Fiery Heart

Neapolitans are loud, chaotic, and wonderfully friendly, and they have an undying passion for their storied city. On this walking tour, you’ll hear about the various chapters in Naples’ history, from its time as a Greek colony, to the era when it was a Roman city that was subject to continuous conquest and, finally, its incorporation into a united Italy.

The tour starts at the Porta Capuana Gate, where you’ll enter Naples as you would have during the Renaissance. As you wind through Via dei Tribunal, you’ll experience the sounds, smells, and tastes of the city where pizza was born. From there, you’ll observe the grandeur of Naples’ cathedral (the Duomo di Napoli) which houses the miraculous blood of San Gennaro, the city’s patron saint.

You’ll go on to appreciate the majesty of churches like San Gregorio Armeno and Santa Chiara, and then stroll down Via dei Presepi (the Christmas street) to see enchanting nativity scenes and statues with a humorous flavour. Finally, you’ll weave through the Spanish Quarter’s maze to discover a shrine to the Neapolitan religion of football and its greatest deity, Diego Armando Maradona.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• Walk past the noble palace that became the church of Gesù Nuovo, and see its unique facade
• Dive into Via Toledo’s bustling social scene and see trendy shops, or slip into a side road for an authentic slice of Naples
• Turn onto San Biagio dei Libra and browse through its multitude of bookstands and stores
• Hear the miraculous story of San Gennaro’ and his vial of blood, and its accompanying superstitions
• Learn about the city under Barbarian, Byzantine, Norman, Angevine French, Aragonese Spanish, Hapsburg, and Bourbon rule
• Get directions to the underground Roman market street where Neapolitans sought refuge to escape WWII bombs

You’ll also get answers to questions like:

• Why do Neapolitans have Viking blood running through their veins?
• Which series of streets form the “Naples Splitter” and where can you find them?
• Where can you see a Banksy work in the heart of the city?
• Which saint do locals believe protected the city from Mount Vesuvius?

By the end of this 90-minute Naples walking tour, you’ll have immersed yourself in the city’s history, mysteries, miracles, art, architecture, nightlife, style and, of course, internationally-loved Italian cuisine – all in one city, all in one tour.