places of interest

One of the most iconic places in the city is Castle dell’Ovo. It is surrounded by the “borgo marinaro” and by the small harbour of Santa Lucia.

Popular legends tell about an egg inside a bottle, hidden under the pillars of the castle by the roman poet Virgil himself. If the egg were to be found and broken, catastrophes would destroy the city.

The Castel is located on a small Island, “Isolotto di Megaride” which is the place where the first settlers from Cuma in the VII century founded the city that has now become Naples. It was during the Roman age that nobleman Lucio Licino Lucullo chose this island to build his Villa. Centuries later, Normans made significant changes to the remaining and began to build the stronghold that was to become the Castle we can now see!

A must see is the terrace of the cannons, from where you can have an amazing view of the whole gulf of Naples.

Via Eldorado, 3, 80132 Napoli

Villa Comunale stretches across Chiaia and through the seaside as one of the main historical garden of the city. Originally known as “Passeggiata Reale”, it was built on behalf of Ferdinando IV Bourbon, having as reference the “Tuilieres” of Paris. Starting from “Piazza della Repubblica”, just near the B&B, it’s more than 1 km long. Among the holm and the pines, the palm trees and eucalyptus, you can see Neoclassical statues and Renaissance fountains. Casina Pompeiana and the soundboard made up of glass and cast iron are really notable buildings in the villa. On top of that, in the middle of the park stands the zoological station “Anton Dhorn”, the oldest Italian aquarium.

Villa Comunale is the ideal place to enjoy yourself while taking a stroll and chill inside the bars on the seaside.

A very interesting park but unknown to most people, Parco Virgiliano is located just outside Piedigrotta gallery. It keeps monuments of priceless value: Virgil’s tomb and Leopardi’s gravestone. The park comprises also a gallery, dug by the Romans to link Posillipo to Pozzuoli, but it is now closed: Crypta Neapolitana. Nearby “Colombario” is a burial construction of the Augustan period, consisting of a cylindrical drum, with ten niches for the cinerary urns dedicated to Virgil. The site also offers visitors a botanical-literary journey, with the opportunity to observe plants and shrubs mentioned by Virgil in his major works, also accompanied by captions on majolica tiles. Last but not least, going up to the top the park offers evocative but lesser-known panoramic view of the city!

The entrance is free. Check the timetable on the website 

Salita delle Grotta, 80122 Napoli

Pignatelli museum is one of the few examples of historic house museums in Naples. The site comprises the historical apartment, the rooms dedicated to Casa della Fotografia, Coach and trapping museums in the Roatschild Palace and the wonderful gardens. The Villa was built by the architect Pietro Valente in a refined neo-classical fashion. It owns its fame to the aristocratic families who lived in it, namely the Acton, the Rothschild and the Pignatelli. Eventually Villa Pignatelli was made into a museum in 1955, when Princess Rosina Pigantelli donated to the italian state the park and the Villa with all its furniture, furnishings and painting collections. The garden is grown in an English fashion with narrow paths and a great fountain. Walk around rare and exotic trees such as Araucaria Excelsa, imposing Figs, holm oaks, mediterranean pines, specimens of Grevillea Robusta, as well as Strelitzia Augusta and Camelia japonica.

Riviera di Chiaia, 200 80121 Napoli

Gaiola “parco somerso” is a real paradise just within a few steps from the city center. It stretches from Marechiaro to Baia di Trentaremi. In its shallow water you can delight yourself with views of its particular fauna: “donzelle”, “saraghi”,“sardelle” and “guarracini”. They all swim among “margerite di mare”, yellow “gorgonie”, eel fishery and Romans nymphaeum. The name of the park refers to “caveola”, meaning cave, since the area, where Publio Vedio Pollione had his imposing Villa built around the I century B.C., had a large number of cavities.

The Villa and its premises reached the seaside and comprised harbours, stores and fish pounds. Because of the typical tectonic movement of the area, named bradyseism, buildings near the coast, are now underwater. The cultural association C.S.I Gaiola takes care of this area and arranges guided tours, didactic laboratories, snorkeling and birdwatching.

Dive into Gaiola’s sea where, if you are lucky, you will see the “murena Helena”, Helena eel, that roams around the remains of the ancient fishpounds.

Discesa Gaiola, 80123 Napoli from B&B Palazzo Mirelli with bus number 140

Parco Virgiliano is built according to a system of terraces and covers a wide area of around 92000 square meters. Located on the uppermost end of Posillipo hill, it overlooks the whole gulf of Naples, so that you will be able to see at a glance Mount Vesuvio, Sorrento, the island of Capri and the area of Campi Flegrei. Moreover, to take a stroll in the park means being immersed into the scents of the Mediterranean maquis: hundreds of trees and shrubs such as oaks, olive trees and underbrush made up of myrtle, rosemary and phillyrea. The park features playgrounds for children, bars, fields for athletics, fountains and spacious lawns where you can relax.

Viale Virgilio, 80123 Napoli from B&B Palazzo Mirelli with bus number 140 and then 10 minutes walk.