Lonely Planet Southern Italy

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN:
  9781838690021
• Print ISBN:
  9781787016545

Naples & Campania

Naples

South of Naples

Herculaneum (Ercolano)

Mt Vesuvius

Pompeii

Sorrento

The Islands

Capri

Ischia

Procida

The Amalfi Coast

Positano

Nocelle

Praiano

Amalfi

Ravello

Salerno & the Cilento

Salerno

Cilento Coast

Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano

Historical Riches

Naples & Campania

Why Go?

Campania is a rich ragù of Arabesque street life, decadent palaces, pastel-hued villages and aria-inspiring vistas.

Few corners of Europe can match the cultural conundrums here. Should you spend the morning waltzing through chandeliered Bourbon bedrooms or the frescoed villa of a Roman emperor’s wife? And which of Caravaggio’s canvases shouldn’t you miss: the multiscene masterpiece inside Naples’ Pio Monte della Misericordia, or the artist’s swansong inside the city’s belle époque Palazzo Zevallos?

Campania’s rugged mountains, steaming fumaroles and ethereal coastline offer their own plethora of options, from horse-riding the slopes of Mt Vesuvius to sailing the Amalfi Coast and soaking in thermal waters on Ischia. Afterwards, local feasts await: wood-fired pizza in Naples, long lunches at Cilento agriturismi (farm stays) and lavish pastries at celebrity-status Amalfi Coast pasticcerie (pastry shops).

When to Go

• May Best month to visit. Warm days, with many special events.
• Jun & Sep Summer heat without the August crowds and traffic.
• Aug Hottest month; many shops and restaurants close for a few weeks.

Best Places to Eat

A La Palette, Capri

A Ristorante La Caravella, Amalfi

A President, Pompeii

A Casa Mele, Positano

A Concettina Ai Tre Santi, Naples

Best Places to Sleep

A La Minerva, Capri

A Casa Mariantonia, Capri

A Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello

A Agriturismo i Moresani, Cilento

A Magma Home, Naples

Naples & Campania Highlights

1 Pompeii Channelling the ancients on the ill-fated streets of this erstwhile Roman city.

2 Grotta Azzurra Being bewitched by Capri’s ethereal blue cave.

3 Sentieri degli Dei Walking with the gods on the Amalfi Coast.

4 Cappella Sansevero Re-evaluating artistic ingenuity in Naples.

5 Procida Lunching by lapping waves on the pastel-hued smallest island of the Bay of Naples.

6 Negombo Indulging in a little thermal therapy on Ischia.

7 Villa Rufolo Attending a concert at this dreamy Ravello villa and its cascading gardens.

8 Reggia di Caserta Pretending you’re...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Southern Italy
• Southern Italy’s Top 11
• Need to Know
• First Time Southern Italy
• What’s New
• Accommodation
• Getting Around
• If You Like…
• Month by Month
• Itineraries
• Activities
• Eat & Drink Like a Local
• Family Travel
• Regions at a Glance
• Naples & Campania
• Puglia, Basilicata & Calabria
• Sicily
• Understand Southern Italy
• History
• The Southern Way of Life
• The Mafia
• Art & Architecture
• Directory A–Z
• Transport
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers