RIONE SANITA'

Rebirth. There is no more appropiate word to describe what is happening to the Sanitá district, the area between Capodimonte and the back of the Archeological Museum.

In the past, this part of the city was very dangerous and very poor. Famous to be the set of many old movies and to be the birth place of the most popular Neapolitan comedian, actor and poet of all time ‘Totó’, where today you can visit his old home.

Situated in the Stella-San Carlo quarter, Sanitá as we see it today was developed in the 16th century on land north of Napoli outside the walls of the city.

Originally, Sanita was a wooded area with springs of pure water (probably from this it took the name Sanitá, health) and it started off as a greek-roman burial area and this is where you can find the greek and early christian catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso and also the Fontanelle Cemetery, where victims of the plague were buried in 1656. This might be another theory about the origin of the name. Not only the health of the living but also of the dead. This is explained by the deep connection between Neapolitans and the after life. The Fontanelle cemetery is a typical example of this where people used to come to the cemetery and ‘adopt’ a skull or a skeleton in order to look after it and ask for a ‘miracle’. You can read more about the cemetery here.

Centuries after centuries, Sanitá became very poor and dangerous, even though royalty and aristocratic families built their palaces in the area and many religious orders settled there too. This is the reason why Sanitá has the highest number of churches in Napoli.

Only in recent years have things started to change for the better in Sanitá. Inhabitants started to tire of the increasing crime rate and decided to try and improve the area themselves. This part of Napoli, completely abandoned by institutions and politicians for so many years, is improving thanks to the courage and industry of many young Neapolitans, who instead of move abroad (like many) decided to work hard and make the area a better place to live and more pleasant for tourists to visit and see all the amazing things this zone has to offer.

Fontanelle Cemetery.

Lots of things to see in Sanitá then. First of all the Fontanelle Cemetery, which is planned to reopen soon after a restyling of the entrance by the world renowned Italian architect Lorenzo Piano.

As I have already mentioned, the key of this rebirth is the younger generation which made possible the restoration and the reopening of the San Gennaro and San Gaudioso catacombs. It is called the Cooperative of the Paranza. To know more about the catacombs and this project visit their official website here: Catacombs of Naples.

This Cooperative is also responsable for the restoration of Sant' Aspreno ai Crociferi church, where the sculptor Jago based his studio and his permanent exhibition of sculptures. His art is deeply inspired by the classical sculpture of the greatest Italian sculptors such as Michelangelo. Jago is so deeply inspired by this area and and Napoli which is visible in his works of art, in particular the Veiled son, a clear reference to the Veiled Christ in the Sansevero chapel. Jago is also working on a very ambitious project for Sanitá: making a giant David statue like Michelangelo’s statue in Florence, but in the guise of a woman.

Fontanelle Cemetery. 

The model of Jago's statue in Sant' Aspreno ai Crociferi church.

You can visit the the Jago Museum and the catacombs with the same ticket and it is valid for one year.

There is also the restoration of the abandoned church of Santa Maria Maddalena ai Cristallini (also known as Chiesa dei Cristallini). The church reopened as an art gallery after being closed for 40 years. Locals contributed in creating their own works of art inspired by the life and people of the area. It is filled with portraits of the same residents you can see on the streets of Sanitá, who have lived here with their families all their lives.

A little hidden gem of Sanitá is the Palazzo dello Spagnolo, in via dei Vergini. The Palace was built in 1738 for an aristocratic family and is an exquisite example of Neapolitan Rococo style. Today the palace is divided into apartments although it is open to the public for guided tours.

Palazzo dello Spgnolo.

Details of the Palazzo dello Spagnolo.

Details of the Palazzo dello Spagnolo.

Details of the Palazzo dello Spagnolo.

The younger generation as well as students moving in and immigrant communities settling there as well as tourists visiting is creating a new dynamism in Sanitá then. Thanks to them many abandoned churches or convents have now been converted into bed and breakfasts and hotels in order to attract tourists. This definitely seems to be working! A big advantage of Sanitá is that is a cheaper area to stay in although at the same time it is very central. This has led to many a new opening of pizzerias and typical Neapolitan food restaurants. One pizzeria even has a Michelin star ‘Michelin da Concettina ai Tre Santi’. Enjoy!.

Life in Sanitá. 

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PRESEPE NAPOLETANO

The Christmas tree in many parts of the world is the symbol of Christmas. Not in Napoli. Here we have a very old and deep tradition: The Presepe, the Nativity.

There’s no Neapolitan house that doesn’t have their own version of the Presepe: small or large, simple or elaborate, modern or classical. In fact, one of my oldest memories as a child was of my grumpy uncle who turned into a happy child when he showed you his presepe, ‘his masterpiece’, which he displayed the whole year round in the living room.

Some people go mad decorating their homes and lawns with Christmas lights and decorations. Neapolitans go crazy with the nativity.

We need to go back in history to really understand the deep connection between this tradition and the Neapolitans. The 17th century is the golden age of the Presepe, however the origins date back far longer, as they were first documented in the 11th century.

The first known church to display a Presepe was in the 15th century when San Domenico Maggiore church displayed the Nativity scene inside a cave made with real stones rumoured to have been brought from Palestine. Since then until now every church in Naples displays its own Presepe.

The figures of the Neapolitan Presepe include the traditional statues of the Holy Family and also of the ‘Pastori’, which are made up of the shepherds, as well as lots of characters found on the old streets of Naples such as fishermen, merchants, bakers and ordinary men, women and children. Eventually these Presepe became status symbols where aristocrats and rich merchants began to commission pastori with their own features to display in their extravagant nativity scenes and a whole industry sprung up to meet this growing demand. Many workshops started to specialise in making these statues and you can still find them in the old town on the street known as San Gregorio Armeno. Even King Charles III of Bourbon was a fan who actively encouraged the practice. The 17th century was when the technique of making the statues was perfected. The faces were made with terracotta, which could give them a realistic range of facial expressions, then glass eyes were added. The bodies were constructed of bound string, richly dressed in expensive fabrics.

Today in the shops on San Gregorio Armeno you will find statues of figures from contemporary life such as footballers which include of course Maradona, the royal family, celebrities from the world of music and film and even pizzaiolo’s (pizza makers). Here you can also purchase the scenes to place them in which often resemble Neapolitan alleyways. If you go in the month of December expect to encounter large crowds. Be warned, it gets very busy!.

Nowadays, some of the most magnificent Presepe in Napoli are the ones exhibited inside the Museum of San Martino and at the Royal Palace on Piazza Plebiscito. The most spectacular one in San Martino is known as Presepe Cuciniello named after the nobleman who commissioned it in 1879 and it still sits in its original position. This Presepe is a unique example of the technology of its day. It sits inside a cave behind huge glass windows and a machine recreates the different stages of the day, from sunrise to dusk and throughout the night-time, all in a matter of minutes. The Presepe includes all manner of figures and every type of animals, as well as exquisitely crafted fruits and vegetables and meats and fish.

See more in the section I wrote about San Martino here.

Presepe Cuciniello, dated 1879 in San Martino.

Part of the collection of the Presepe section of the museum in San Martino.

Part of the collection of the Presepe section of the museum in San Martino.

The Presepe on display at the Royal Palace, belongs to the Banco di Napoli and it is a collection of several Neapolitan artists, like Giuseppe Sanmartino (sculptor of the breathtaking Cristo Velato in the Sansevero Chapel). It is a 17th century Neapolitan scene in which all the figures wear oriental and elegant clothes and which even includes Vesuvius in the background.

If you want to make your own Presepe, these are some of the characters of the tradition which you must be include in your scene. Benino (or Benito) is the young sleeping shepherd, which represents the awareness of the birth of Jesus. The vintner, to represent the wine, the blood of Jesus. The fisherman, always a reference to the Gospel. I due compari, two men at the tavern playing with cards, who represent Carnival and death. Last but not least i Re Magi, the three kings, which according to tradition, arrived in Jerusalem with gifts for the baby Jesus. For those fanatical about Presepe, it is very common to place three small kings in the background at the start of the festive period as they are coming from far away and then every few days they are replaced with bigger and bigger statues until January 5th when they finally arrive at the stable to visit baby Jesus, whose statue is only put in the scene at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Benino (or Benito), the sleeping shepherd.

The Three Kings.

Details of the precious clothes of some pastori.

As I previously mentioned, you can visit the San Martino museum and the Royal Palace Presepe, but the best way to experience the real Presepe Napoletano is to visit ‘Christmas Alley’ San Gregorio Armeno. This is one of the alleys in the old town, famous for all its shops where they sell and make all the statues of the presepe. You can find here any type of statues, from the cheapest (only few euros), to the most expensive (thousands of euros). You can also find elaborate pieces such as waterfalls with real water, mills, ovens, and all you can put in a nativity scene.

The famous Christmas alley, San Gregorio Armeno.

The amazing shops in San Gregorio Armeno.

You don’t need to be religious to appreciate The Neapolitan Presepe. When you walk around San Gregorio Armeno and all the other Presepe in Napoli, I’m sure you will be amazed by this fascinating world of tradition and modernity and by the the skills and the dedication of the artists who have created these wonderful things, generation after generation. These shops are open all year round and every January these presepe makers start to plan and work on the new presepe for the next Christmas.

Details of the making of a pastore.

Artist hands.

One of the oldest workshops in San Gregorio Armeno.

Statues of varying sizes.

Statues.

Sacro e profano. Sacred and profane.

You can make your own presepe with some barn/villages.

Barns like a traditional Neapolitan house.

Different types of pastori.

Vegetables & fruits. All hand made and painted.

The smallest Presepe inside a walnut.

The incredible expressivity of the pastori in the San Lorenzo church.

Details of the pastori in the San Lorenzo church.

The Underground City

Napoli is definitely a city with many wonders and thousands of secrets.  Every century left an important mark on the city making it how we see it today.  Napoli is not just a unique city on its surface, but also in its depths.  Napoli was founded by the Greeks around 500BC. and by physically going down under the streets of Napoli you can discover remnants of the original Greek city. This area is called decumani (decumans), from the old term indicating the main streets that ran through the city (today via Tribunali, via Constantinopoli and via Benedetto Croce).  You can still visit the Greek tunnels underground where the population used to hide during the bombing of WWII. 

There are different sites where you can book your excursion under the city offering different tours (available in other languages as well). 

One of the most famous is the Napoli Sotterranea, near via dei Tribunali, one of the busiest streets of the old part.  The guide will take you down to the very depths under the centro storico (old town). 

The entrance of Napoli Sotterranea in via dei Tribunali.

The steps down.

There are 136 steps down to the tunnels. They are 40 metres below ground. Warning: it is always advisable to bring a jumper as the temperature drops dramatically (or otherwise it can also be a nice refreshment from the heat). One of the best parts to see is the Greek-Roman Aqueduct, big cisterns of water which used to supply the city, and the the remains of the Roman theatre, accessible through a typical Neapolitan house.  During WWII, these tunnels were used by the Neapolitans as shelter from the aerial bombing that was destroying and damaging the city.  Many objects of daily life were found, like children's toys, clothes and books.  There is even a Hypogeum Garden,  a scientific project dedicated to the power of the Earth. The garden, is in fact a great attraction not only for tourists but also for scientists and botanists.  Here there is a variety of vegetable plants, which were able to grow despite the absence of natural light.

Overall, this tour is very interesting and I really suggest to do it if you have the time. Although, i must warn you if you are claustrophobic!  During the visit you will be able to walk through very narrow tunnels carrying only a candle!  In case you don't feel comfortable to continue, the guide can take you back to a certain level where you can wait for the rest of the group to come back.  To know more about this excursion, visit the official website of Napoli Sotterranea or go to the bottom of the post for tickets and timetables.

The Pozzari were men who used to carry vases to supply the city with water.

Cisterns of water.

The Hypogeum Garden.

The only way to get around the tunnels.

Some of the caves were used as shelter from the bombing during WWII.

The narrow underground tunnels.

Not far from the Napoli Sotterranea in piazza San Gaetano, there is the San Lorenzo Maggiore church, here you can have a guided tour of the archeological site under the structure of the church. The excursion starts at almost 10 metres under the city from the medieval remains of the church, continuing to the remains of the Greek and Roman city where there are still the visible ruins of the market, a temple, shops, houses, marvellous mosaics and marble architectural remains.  Archeologists have outlined a map of the ancient city where the church now is.  More info about the excursions on San Lorenzo Maggiore or visit the official website or go to the bottom of the post. 

Greek and Roman streets of the ancient city under the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore.

Shops of the ancient underground city.

Temples and private habitations under the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore.

Another interesting tour under Napoli is the Bourbon Tunnel.  In 2007, a group of geologists discovered a tunnel long about 84 meters of carafa caves just under Piazza Plebiscito.  The construction of the tunnel started in 1853 and finished in 1855 for king Ferdinand II of Bourbon.  The underground tunnel linked the Royal Palace to the sea, its purpose was as a secret tunnel to move the royal troops. The tunnel was divided in two sections, the Royal Gallery and the Road Regia, one for carriages and the other one for all the pedestrians.

In the years of WWII, the Bourbon tunnel was also used as an air raid shelter.  The geologists found a large amount of personal items and objects, cars, motorbikes and vehicles, even statues and funeral monuments.

There is also a tour around the Catacombs of Napoli where you will find the the final resting place of thousands of Neapolitan skeletons from centuries past .  There are different tours, one of the most popular is to visit the San Gennaro catacombs.  San Gennaro is the saint protector of the city, and here is where his remains where originally found.  Today his remains are in the Cathedral (Duomo). The area of the catacombs is quite spacious and it is divided in two levels: covered in tuff (tufo, typical Neapolitan stone that covers most of the underground tunnels) there is the lower catacombs, with a baptismal basin, and an upper level were the tomb of San Gennaro was.  Probably originally these spaces were used as a sepulchre of an aristocratic family and then used by the christian community around the 2nd century A.D.  Later additions were made in order to keep the remains of Sant Agrippino, the first patron of Napoli, in the 4th Century A.D.  Another interesting place to visit is the Bishops Crypt and the underground cathedral. Miglio Sacro is in the area of Sanitá, which links all the churches to the catacombs. 

All these different tours of underground Napoli are very interesting journeys through the history of the city.  I really suggest to try and do at least one of these tours, if you can, first because it's a unique experience ( in no other city it is possible to see, even in Rome) and also because it is a different way to understand what's below the surface and to discover the centuries of history buried under Napoli. 

Official website: Napoli Sotterranea
Piazza San Gaetano 68 Napoli
Tel.: 0039 081 296944 / 0039 081 0190933
Mobile: 0039 392 1733828 / 0039 334 3662841
Email: info@napolisotterranea.org

Timetable excursions: in English 10,00-12,00 / 14,00-16,00 / 18,00

Also tours in other languages (french, german, spanish). 

Duration of the tour: about 2 hours.

You can book online on the official website or on the official app.

Official website: San Lorenzo Maggiore - La Neapolis Sotterrata   

Piazza San Gaetano 316 Napoli

Tel.: 0039 081 211 0860 / Whatsapp 0039 389 1091 865

Email: visite.sanlorenzo@libero.it

Timetable tours:  9.30 - 17.30  (everyday) Timetable excursions: in English 11,00 / 13,15 / 15,15 / 17,00

Tickets: € 9 /  € 7 with Artecard, for teachers, university students and Over 65 /  € 6 Under 18 / € 4 School groups / Free under 6.

Official website: Bourbon Tunnel - il Tunnel Borbonico. 

Tel.: 0039 366 248 4151 / 0039 081 764 5808

 Email: mail@galleriaborbonica.com

The tour to the tunnel has three different entrances and for each entrance there is a different tour with different fees.  Some tours are not suitable for children. 

Official website: Catacombs of Napoli - Catacombe di Napoli. 

Via Capodimonte, 13  (Entrance near the Basilica del Buon Consiglio).

Tel.: 0039 081 744 37 14
Email: info@catacombedinapoli.it

Napoli - THE RENAISSANCE

If you have been in Napoli these past months, you must have seen an explosion of blue & white banners, flags and pictures of Maradona around the city. Probably you must have thought ‘what’s going on here?’. It’s a very simple explanation. Napoli football club won the serie A, which is the the main football championship in Italy.

It is very hard for me to explain what this victory means for the city.

Because is NOT just a game, but it is much much more. A lot more.

Napoli is feeling like it’s a city on the up. The successful football season gave the city a new vibrant, self confident feeling. Yes, because you might think ‘It’s just a game’. Probably true, but not in Napoli. We live everything to the extreme! Including football.

We need to go back a few years to fully understand why football is so important to the citizens of Naples.

Precisely 33 years ago there was a man called Maradona. You can love him or hate him, surely as a human being he can be criticised, but as a football player (except for the English) he was a God, at least in Napoli.

I am old enough to remember what he did for the city. When he arrived in 1984 the city was in a sorry state of decline and the football team were a real disaster. But he gave Neapolitans hope. It was like David against Goliath, the hopeless Neapolitan team of the south against the big boy rich teams of the north, such as Juventus, Inter & AC Milan. No one believed in us, but Maradona took Naples to two league championships and to UEFA cup glory.

Maradona was the catalyst that initiated Naples steady ascent from the dark days of urban decay and crime to a reawakening of what Naples had to offer the world. Beauty, passion, life and vitality. Since the pandemic this renaissance has accelerated. Improvements in infrastructure and ambitious civic projects are finally unlocking the potential of the city. Today it is a safer more business friendly city. Tourism as well is growing rapidly. Once, not so long ago, tourists would only fly into Naples to use it only as a gateway to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. But now all that is changing. People from all over the world are finally discovering what an incredible city Napoli is and it is becoming a destination city like Rome, Florence or Venice.

Going back to the football, that is why it is so important. Because it has given the city a new optimistic and joyful vibe. Even the elderly ladies at the market were talking about it like they were professional managers! Around March this year, despite the famous superstitious nature of the Neapolitan people, we started to decorate the streets with blue and white flags even before it was certain that Napoli would win the championship!. It didn't really matter, Neapolitans were happy to be doing so well anyway. We were determined to enjoy the moment we had been waiting 33 years for.

Believe me, in all my life I’ve never seen my city so beautiful and joyful, and studying art I feel proud that tourists are discovering and loving Napoli with its amazing architecture, its incredible treasures, its beautiful landmarks and traditions, and of course food.

It is safe to quote Goethe ‘See Napoli and then die’ (‘Vedi Napoli e poi muori’) because there’s no other place like it.

From the Opera House San Carlo ……

to Piazza Dante….

Banners and flags all over the monuments and buildings.

From the pizza…..

to chocolates…..

to pasta. Everything is merchandising!

I asked my artist husband to make banner ……he made a masterpiece!

In loving memory to my dad (big Napoli fan), his favourite flag!

Old kings……

New kings…..

Underground Napoli: The Metro.

Toledo station in via Toledo. 

Napoli is not only a unique city on the surface, but also going into its depths you can discover another fascinating city.  Under Napoli, there is a universe that goes from the greek foundations through the roman ruins and up to the modern day Metro.  I will write about the complex city of catacombs, tunnels and aqueducts in my next post, but In this one I will talk about the metro underground train system, or metropolitana which is how we call it in Italian.  Considered one of the most beautiful underground systems in Europe, the metro has received a lot of recognition all over the world, including pieces in the British Daily Telegraph and America's CNN. 

You might say "but it's only a metro station!". Well, it is far from being an ordinary metro station.  it's stations are definitely different from any other city in the world.  Every station of the Linea 1 is a unique contemporary 'art gallery' with each station displaying contemporary art from some of the the most recognized and celebrated artists of the present day.  A labyrinth of tunnels and art galleries with references to the history and culture of the city.

Linea 1 (Line 1), which connects Vomero with the centre of the city, started in the 1970's but was often interrupted due to earthquakes and archealogical finds. In 1995, The Comune di Napoli (Council of Napoli) decided to create spaces of "beauty" in the every-day-neapolitan-life.  The new metro stations offered the perfect space in order to make people more engaged to the contemporary artistic scene, so it was called the 'Stazioni dell'arte' (Stations of art).  Along the stations of the metro there are more than 200 works of art created specifically for those spaces.

The Municipio station, started in 2003 and still going on for over a decade is definitely the most problematic and challenging of all the stations of the metro.  The station is now opened but there are still archealogical works still going on due to the incredible and enormous number of archeological artefacts found in the area.  In fact, this area was in roman times the port and during the centuries the sea has reseeded where now the square is.  Archeologists have found the remains of a thermal spa, the old fortifications of the city, a tower of the Aragon era, a palace and even five roman ships.  Many artefacts are on display inside the station. 

The first station opened was Vanvitelli station, at the top of the Vomero hill and one of the busiest stations of the metro.  Here artificial and natural light combine with signage in shades of blue, purple, yellow and grey.  The corridors that take the people from the streets to the trains are decorated with works of art by Neapolitan artists.

In 2001, more art stations were opened including Museo, Salvator Rosa and Quattro Giornate. 

The Museo (Piazza Cavour) station, the stop for the Archeological Museum,  was a project by the architect Gae Aulenti.  The theme is related to the museum and the artefacts inside: corridors and tunnels in red and glass harking back to Pompeiian villas, a copy of the Hercules at rest, made by the Art Academy nearby.  The corridors that lead from the train to the museum are darker with the photographs of roman statues by the artist Mimmo Jodice. At the entrance of the station is a copy of the roman statue 'Laocoön'.  In the other corridors on display are artefacts found during the building works of other stations. 

Salvator Rosa station is the perfect example of the connection between the metro and its surroundings, where even the buildings outside have been decorated in the style of the station.  Here many important Neapolitan and Italian contemporary artists have collaborated, just to name a few; Ernesto Tatafiore, Gianni Pisani, Mimmo Rotella, Mimmo Paladino and Renato Barisani.  Mosaics, volcanic stones, red, blue and brightly coloured tiles and golden marble welcome every day, workers, students and tourists.  The entrance is through a playground where there are art installations by Alex Mocika, Augusto Perez, Renato Barisani, Lucio Del Pezzo, Nino Longobardi, Riccardo Dalisi, Ugo Marano.  From here the entrance to the station is through a huge pyramid in glass that references the guglie, the columns with saints in the city. 

Quattro Giornate station is on the eastern part of the Vomero, where the old stadium is.  Outside the station are statues in bronze and steel of athletes by Lydia Cottone.  The name quattro giornate is related to the historical event of the uprising of the Neapolitans against the Nazi's in September 1943.  At the entrance of the station there are statues by Nino Longobardi which remembers this episode. 

In 2002, two more stations were opened: Rione Alto station and Piazza Dante.

The Piazza Dante station is another busy station that serves the historical centre.  The architect Gae Aulenti created a station which echoed the  17th century square.  The result is quite impressive; the architect created many entrances to the station from every side of the square, transparent walls contrast with the volcanic stones of the square created by the architect Vanvitelli.  Once inside the station, the artist Joseph Kosuth welcomes people with his neon quotes on the walls by the famous writer Dante, who the square is named after.  While going through the escalator there are works by Jannis Kounellis and Michelangelo Pistoletto. 

Entrance to the ticket hall with neon quotes by Dante.

Colourful walls os Dante station. 

Installation in Dante station. 

Materdei station was opened in 2003, and is another interesting metro station.  Outside is an area completely closed to the traffic with a playground, a little park and many art installations.  Inside the station are many symbols of Neapolitan culture and characters from folklore of the city.  Platforms are decorated with wall drawings by Sol LeWitt and photographic installations. 

Materdei station platform. 

Bright colours and photographic panels.

Photographic installation.

Platform level. 

Under the pyramid of Materdei Station. 

The Universitá station which serves the university area was opened in 2011 and is a project by the architects Karim Rashid and Alessandro Mendini.  Here different materials are used, such as glass, steel and mirrors, with pink, purple and lime green colours.  Going down to platform level the space is created with digitally designed tiles and a light box with the words of the florentine poet Dante.  Again, past and present, Renaissance and contemporary collide. 

One of the most impressive and my personal favourite is, Toledo station designed by the Spanish architect Óscar Tusquets Blanca, opened in 2012.  Not a coincidence that the architect is Spanish as from the station it is possible to get to the Spanish Quarters (Quartieri Spagnoli)  one of the oldest parts of the city.  It is a journey into the depths of the city (50 meters), like into the depths of the sea.  The outside of the station is Via Toledo, the main shopping street of Napoli, here is the statue of The Knight of Toledo by the artist William Kentridge.  

The internal space of the station is decorated with volcanic stone and big orange circles with the first floor down echoing the ancient town walls of the Aragons.  There are mosaics by William Kentridge (Naples Procession) picturing the opening of the first train station in the city in 1906.  As you go deeper down into the station you come across another important element of the city, the sea.  On the second floor down, the walls become dramatically calm with the colours of blue and white . The more deeper you go the more bluer it gets becoming dark blue like the abyss of the ocean.  Looking up you can admire the impressive cone, Crater del luz, crater of light that with a display of LED lights gives the impression of the waves.  The artist Robert Wilson created the panels of the corridors to the platforms named "By the sea... you and me", which are series of lenticular photographs of the sea in movement.  The artist Achille Cevoli created a panel dedicated to the builders who made this station possible entitled Men at work. 

The mosaic 'Naples Procession' by William Kentridge at Toledo station. 

Toledo station: from the ground down to the sea. 

The crater of lights in Toledo station. 

Waves inside the Toledo station. 

"By the sea... you and me" by Robert Wilson at Toledo Station. 

The newest station is Garibaldi.  This is the connection at the main train station and was a project by the French architect Dominique Perrault.  The space is all in one structure, full of lights where the escalators and the people look like they are suspended on the mirrored walls.  The internal part is decorated with shiny panels in steel.  In here are two installations by the artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.  In this station the platforms are inspired by the London Underground. 

The newest metro line is Linea 6, connecting Municipio, Chiaia, Mergellina and Mostra (Fuorigrotta area).

The Chiaia metro station has been curated by the film director Peter Greenway and for its architecture and design has been given the award for the most beautiful metro station in the world by the Prix Versailles organisation.

Exit to the street from Garibaldi station. 

The metro, like in all other cities, will always be extended and improved, connecting more areas with the centre of the city and it will give more chances for artists to collaborate in a unique project.  The metropolitana of Napoli has became famous all over the world.  Neapolitans and tourists love it and of course, artists enjoy the opportunity to create unique spaces that can inspire the travelling public.  It is actually a very romantic notion to think how these works of art connect with so many people, wherever they are going to and wherever they are coming from, on Napoli's unique Metropolitana.  

For further info about timetables and stations click here in the section TRAVEL INFO.