There was a settlement here as early as the 9thcentury BC, but it was first given the name Neapolis by the Greeks in 750BC.Since then, it has seen annexations by Normans, Angevins, Spanish and Frencheach adding to its cultural heritage; it was the final stop on the Grand Tour ofthe eighteenth century. Our tour begins in the Spaccanapoli, one of the mainstreets of the old centre, followed by a visit to the church of Gesu Nuovo, themost important Jesuit church in Naples, with a lava-stone façade. Opposite isthe church of Santa Chiara, a simple Gothic building, in marked contrast to themuch more flamboyant Gesu. A short walk from here is the Capella Sansevero, thetomb chapel of the di Sangro family. The centrepiece is a carving of a deadChrist, lying flat and covered in the most incredible translucent veil, carvedout of a single piece of marble. After a stop for lunch (not included), strolldown the Via Gregorio Armeno, a street famous for its shops selling ChristmasNativity cribs and renowned throughout the world. Finally, make your way to SanLorenzo Maggiore, a Gothic church but beneath which lie the excavations of theoriginal Greek city of Neapolis which later became the Roman Forum. You willwalk down a Roman pavement and pass a bakery and a laundry before arriving at whatwas likely to have been the town’s treasury, bearing a remarkable resemblanceto a modern bank, with its double security doors.
