This is why you should visit Naples, Italy! – Evening Walk through the Spanish Quarter

This is why you should visit Naples, Italy! – Evening Walk through the Spanish Quarter

Via Toledo: The historic main street of Naples, originally built in 1536. Welcome to Naples, a history-rich, dynamic city in southern Italy undergoing a transformation. We begin our walk on the wide, shop-lined Via Toledo, now filled with people taking their early evening ‘passeggiata’. The street was created by Spanish viceroy Pedro de Toledo, 2nd Marquis of Villafranca, in 1536. Spanish Quarter: A grid of narrow streets built in the 16th century as military barracks. Taking one of the side streets leading off Via Toledo, you enter an area known as the Spanish Quarter. This neighborhood, perhaps more than any in the city, exemplifies the rapid change that has transformed Naples over the last decade. An enthusiastic pizzeria owner! Until around a decade ago, tourists were often warned to steer clear of this grid-plan area of narrow streets and tall apartments. But the area has soared in popularity in recent years, becoming safer and filling up with al fresco restaurants and street art. As my taxi driver told me on a recent trip to Naples, “If you want to eat well and inexpensively, head to any place in the Spanish Quarter!” Of course, one of the essential dishes to have here is pizza, along with seafood prepared in all kinds of ways. Watch out for the zippy scooters! This is a pedestrianized area, but they are a vital part of Neapolitan life. It may be a pedestrianized area, but still watch out for the zippy scooters! Many eateries here are called ‘trattorie’, meaning an informal and often family-run restaurant. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Via Toledo gained even more importance after becoming a stop on the Grand Tour. The Spanish Quarter is not the place for minimalists! The Spanish Quarter was built in the 16th century as military barracks. The area was commissioned by Spanish viceroy Pedro de Toledo, who housed garrisons here to repress any revolts by the Neapolitan population. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, Via Toledo was modified by the construction of taller buildings, especially near the area of Piazza Carità. Follow @ArdaPazir! Via Toledo is one of the most important tourist destinations in Naples, lined with a large number of religious buildings and palaces, and connecting two important city squares. When first built, the Spanish Quarter also offered public housing for the numerous local inhabitants who, in those years, had settled in the capital of the kingdom from the surrounding countryside. A preview of what’s to come! This area’s previous reputation for crime was a hangover from the ‘entertainment’ provided to the soldiers living here. Neapolitan street food is some of the best in Italy. Here you can buy o’ cuoppo, a paper cone filled with deep-fried delicacies. You may have already noticed an abundance of light blue and white decorations in the Spanish Quarter. This is because these are the colors of the Neapolitan football squad, revered and passionately supported in the city. The Spanish Quarter is something like a giant shrine to the team… and one player in particular. This section of the street is colloquially known as Largo Maradona… And here in a small square is a giant mural to the team’s star player. There is a stunning mural of Iside Velata, a veiled bust of the goddess of magic, fertility and maternity. ‘Apercena’ refers to an abundant aperitivo, i.e. a drink plus a generous buffet. Diego Maradona was an Argentine professional football player who played for Naples between 1984 and 1991. Maradona has been elevated to a god-like status in the city because he helped the team win their first Serie A title for 33 years. The Spanish Quarter is filled with murals of Maradona, some depicting him as a saint, or even as Jesus with a crown of thorns. Naples recently won its fourth Serie A title, and many supporters donned Maradona shirts to watch. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, this area offered cheap housing and was a hub for immigrants and artisan workshops. Urban developments were proposed in the 20th century but never executed. Outdoor Dining Atmosphere: Tonight, the alleys are filled with al fresco restaurants and street music. It is not uncommon to have your meal serenaded in the Spanish Quarter! A song about Maradona! Today, around 14,000 people live in the neighborhood, spread over a surface area of ​​around 80 hectares. In 2012, the Toledo station of Line 1 of the Naples metro was opened near the Spanish Quarter, sparking the tourist revival. The myriad independent workshops, fruit and vegetable stores, small cafés, and lively restaurants now make this area one of the top to visit in the city. In recent years, the area has begun to welcome lots of university students, both Italian and foreign, thanks also to its proximity to some of the Neapolitan universities. Neapolitan pizza is characterized by a soft, thin dough with high edges. The tomatoes are traditionally either San Marzano tomatoes or pomodorini del Piennolo del Vesuvio, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and the cheese is traditionally mozzarella di bufala campana or fior di latte di Agerola. On the right is a mural of Scott McTominay, who recently led the Naples team to its Serie A victory. The Spanish Quarter has plenty of examples of a type of housing known as a ‘basso’, a one or two-story building with direct access to the street. Via Toledo is almost 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi) long and starts at Piazza Dante and ends in Piazza Trieste e Trento, near Piazza del Plebiscito. This street is mentioned in the writing of several important figures, including Stendhal and Herman Melville. Passione di Sofi sells all kinds of Neapolitan street food, including fried pizza and cuoppo. Galleria Umberto I is a public shopping gallery built between 1887 and 1890. The gallery was the cornerstone in the decades-long rebuilding of Naples. This rebuilding effort was called the risanamento (lit. “making healthy again”) and lasted until World War I. The gallery was designed in the Stile Umbertino by Emanuele Rocco, who employed modern architectural elements reminiscent of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. Of the four iron and glass-vaulted wings, one fronts on Via Toledo and another opens onto the San Carlo Theatre. This road is taking us in the direction of the sea, which is just behind the castle ahead. Castel Nuovo—meaning “new castle”—is also often called Maschio Angioino. Its scenic location and imposing size make the castle, first erected in 1279, one of the main architectural landmarks of the city. The project was designed by the French architect Pierre de Chaulnes, and was finished in just three years, a very short time considering the techniques of construction of the period and the overall size of the work. The castle was commissioned by Charles I of Anjou, but the king never lived there. The War of the Sicilian Vespers cost the House of Anjou the crown of Sicily, conquered by Peter III of Aragon. The palace remained unused until 1285—the year of the death of Charles I—after which Charles II moved his family to the residence. The castle was a royal seat for kings of Naples, Aragon and Spain until 1815. The Real Teatro di San Carlo (on the left) is the oldest continuously active venue for opera in the world, having opened in 1737. The Galleria was named after Umberto I, King of Italy at the time of construction. The Galleria is a high and spacious cross-shaped structure, surmounted by a glass dome braced by 16 metal ribs. The gallery has recently returned to being an active center of Neapolitan civic life after years of decay. Via Toledo remains a key thoroughfare where Neapolitans shop, hang out and socialize. This is the side of the San Carlo Theater, whose opera season runs from late November to July. The name Gambrinus is a legendary somewhat tipsy figure of joviality, and his name is used for various brands and many establishments. The historic coffeehouse was founded in 1860 by Vincenzo Apuzzo. The lavish artwork dating from 1889-1890 still graces the elegant Art Nouveau interiors, which evoke the spirit of the Belle Époque. Piazza del Plebiscito is one of the most important public squares in Naples. The Royal Palace, built from 1600 onwards by the architect Domenico Fontana, lines one side of the square. Adjacent is the Palace of the Prefecture. Via Chiaia, together with Via dei Mille, is one of the most elegant and well-known streets in Naples for luxury shopping. The street straddled two district, San Ferdinando and Chiaia. Brandi Pizzeria on the left claims to be where Margherita Pizza was born. According to Brandi Pizzeria, the iconic tomato, mozzarella, and basil pizza was invented there in 1889 to honor Queen Margherita of Italy. The ingredients of the Margherita Pizza are red, white and green to reflect the Italian flag. This road follows the path of a natural riverbed that wound along the foot of Mount Echia. Via Chiaia runs along the edge of the Spanish Quarter, with streets on the right-hand side leading into the neighborhood. Pizza fritta, or fried pizza, is a must-have in Naples: a crispy deep-fried dough with a cheesy tomato melted filling. This bridge was built in 1636, commissioned by viceroy Manuel de Acevedo y Zúñiga. Like Via Toledo, this wide street of shops and bars is a popular place to take an evening passeggiata, or stroll. The passeggiata is an Italian tradition particularly common in the south—it is very little about exercise and much more about socializing and being seen! Translating as Martyrs’ Square, it was originally dedicated to Santa Maria a Cappella. The square took on patriotic significance when Italy was united in 1861. At this point, the central column was repurposed, and atop it now stands a bronze statue depicting the Virtue of the Martyrs, designed by Emanuele Caggiano. This square is named for the victory of the Christians over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto. The statue is by Neapolitan sculptor Francesco Jerace and depicts Nicola Amore, mayor of Naples between 1888 and 1889. The broken column is a monument to those who died at sea. In the distance you can see Castel dell’Ovo, the oldest castle in Naples dating from the 12th century. Work began in 1869 to extend the land here into the sea and create Via Partenope. Ermanno and Oscar Du Mesnil were brothers of Belgian origin who designed the main buildings that today overlook Via Partenope. Several of the city’s most prestigious hotels are located along this promenade, including the Grande Albergo Vesuvio and the Excelsior. Along with the hotels, Via Partenope is now home to several trendy restaurants and clubs. The name Via Partenope refers to an ancient name for Naples. The earliest city in this area was founded by Greeks from Cumae around the 8th century BC and named after the mythological siren Parthenope. Legend says that after failing to seduce Odysseus with her song, Parthenope drowned herself in the sea, and her body was washed up on the coast where the city now stands. Little archaeology for Parthenope has come to light, but a necropolis of the 7th century BC was discovered in Via Nicotera. Neapolis (New City) was founded by the Cumaen aristocracy expelled by the tyrant Aristodemus after the victory of Aricia in 507 BC. The oligarchs decided to establish Neapolis as a “second Cumae.” The original center of Parthenope on the Pizzofalcone hill was simply called Palaipolis, the “old city,” and survived as a second peripheral pole of Neapolis. Naples has a much-beloved music style known as ‘Neomelodica,’ characterized by emotional vocal performances, colloquial lyrics, and hybrid musical elements combining Neapolitan melodies with global pop influences. Songs often address romantic conflict, family dynamics, and working-class life, and are typically performed in the Neapolitan dialect. Castel dell’Ovo is located on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula. This bridge now connects the island to the promenade. The castle’s name comes from a legend about the Roman poet Virgil, who had a reputation in the Middle Ages as a great sorcerer and predictor of the future. In the legend, Virgil put a magical egg into the foundations to support the fortifications. The egg remains there along with his bones, and had this egg been broken, the castle would have been destroyed, and a series of disastrous events for Naples would have followed. The island of Megaride was where Greek colonists of Magna Graecia from Cumae founded the original nucleus of the city in the 6th century BC. In the 1st century BC, the Roman patrician Lucius Licinius Lucullus built part of a magnificent villa, later called Castellum Lucullanum, on the site. The castle is surrounded at its base by a characteristic village of restaurants and a few houses called Borgo Marinari. If you want good seafood, try one of these restaurants, but remember to book first as they are very popular! According to legend, the body of the siren Parthenope was buried here on Megaride. Fortified by Valentinian III in the mid-5th century AD, this island was the site to which one of the last Western Roman emperors, Romulus Augustulus, was exiled in 476. A couple of bars and restaurants have very atmospheric locations along the edge of the little port. Roger the Norman, conquering Naples in 1140, made Castel dell’Ovo his seat. The importance of the Castel dell’Ovo began to decline when King Charles I of Anjou built, Castel Nuovo, which we saw earlier, and moved his court there. The causeway, measuring a little more than 100 meters of length, is a popular location for newlyweds to have their wedding photos taken. In subsequent years, Castel dell’Ovo was used as the seat of the Royal Chamber and of the State Treasury, and later a prison. The castle’s present form dates from the period of the Aragonese domination (15th century) in Naples. Underwater archaeologists have discovered what appears to be a 2500-year-old harbor associated with the origins of the first Greek settlement of Paleopolis (which preceded the ancient city of Neapolis) in the sea next to the castle. Four tunnels, a 10-foot-wide street demonstrating furrows consistent with cart traffic, and a trench likely built as a defensive structure for soldiers were submerged immediately adjacent to the castle. The building ahead is Grand Hotel Vesuvio, a 5-star historic property. Hotel Excelsior opened at the end of January 1908, after being built in a record time of ten months. Naples’ founding by the Greeks in the first millennium BC makes the city one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world. This is a statue of Umberto I, who was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination in 1900. Naples was an important part of Magna Graecia, played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society, and has been a significant international cultural center ever since with particular reference to the development of the arts. Naples, one of the world’s cities with the highest density of cultural, artistic, and monumental resources, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

*🇮🇹 NAPLES at Night: You CANNOT Miss This VIBE! 🌙*

Join us starting at 8:00 PM on the bustling Via Toledo and immediately dive into the authentic, narrow, and atmospheric alleys of the Spanish Quarter. This 2-hour walk captures the sights and sounds of the evening, from local chatter and lively street performers to the grandeur of Neapolitan architecture.

*Walk Highlights Include:*
-Wandering the captivating, lit-up labyrinth of the *Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter).*
-The stunning glass-and-steel architecture of *Galleria Umberto I.*
-Passing the historic *Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino).*
-The monumental space of *Piazza del Plebiscito.*
-A stroll down Via Chiaia and along the beautiful *Naples Waterfront (Via Partenope).*
-Circling the iconic seaside fortress, the *Castel dell’Ovo*, ending at the *Rotonda di Via Nazario Sauro.*

This is a pure walking experience filmed in ultra-high definition (4K 60FPS) with ambient sound—perfect for relaxation, virtual travel, or background viewing.

📅 *Filmed on* Saturday, June 7th, 2025
🌞 *Weather* 28°C | 83°F 🌡
🗺️ *Map of the Walk* https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=19X3zTqHGmypTqQe4pFLMrD4g3L_4iJw&usp=sharing 🗺️

⏱️ *Video Timeline*
0:00 Via Toledo
2:35 Spanish Quarter Alleys
*31:29 Street Performer*
47:17 Galleria Umberto I
54:11 Castel Nuovo
1:05:14 Piazza Trieste e Trento
1:06:48 Gran Caffè Gambrinus
1:08:36 Piazza del Plebiscito
1:11:09 Via Chiaia
1:14:03 Talking with Restaurant Servers
*1:15:36 Street Performer*
1:27:13 Piazza dei Martiri
1:29:43 Piazza Vittoria
1:33:31 Naples Waterfront (Via Partenope)
1:42:51 Street Performer
1:47:09 Castel dell’Ovo
2:09:05 Via Nazario Sauro
2:12:47 Rotonda

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📽 *MORE WALKING TOURS*
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🌍 Complete List of Walks: http://www.prowalks.com/videos
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