10 things to see in Spaccanapoli in Naples

Spaccanapoli is the street that runs from the Spanish Quarters to the Forcella district, cutting straight through the city of Naples. You'll understand better why it is called that if you see it from San Martino in the highest part of the city. This artery has ancient origins: it is one of the three decumani (the one closest to the sea) where the Romans, based on Greek construction, organized the city.

**A stroll through Spaccanapoli is a journey (with obstacles) through the millennia of the city's history and is absolutely one of the must-see things in Naples.

Here you won't find only ancient buildings and churches, but also legends and the unmistakable smells of Neapolitan cuisine. Don't be surprised by anything: along the Spaccanapoli route, you'll encounter stunning churches and families living in apartments, artisan artists, and street vendors selling everything.

For a few years, small hotels and bed and breakfasts have sprung up along the route, allowing tourists to experience Naples just like the locals do. Spaccanapoli is a narrow alley where Neapolitans, tourists, and scooters coexist, not very peacefully.

But there is no place in the city that can tell you better about the soul of Naples, its essence revealed here without tricks. Spaccanapoli is not a tourist postcard: it is Naples.

1

Born by chance, while the city expanded westward, Piazza del Gesù is one of the most important squares in Naples.

The square suddenly opens along the Spaccanapoli route, revealing at a glance three jewels: the Church of Gesù Nuovo, the Obelisk of the Immaculate, and the Monastery of Santa Chiara. The Church is a typical example of Neapolitan Baroque, with marbles, decorations, and paintings.

**A legend says the building was constructed with magic stones **capable of attracting positive energies.

Not legends, but miracles, speak in the **chapel of San Giovanni Bosco **located inside the church. Thousands of ex-votos are hung on the walls, as thanks left by those who were healed.

The Obelisk in the square is also enveloped in a legendary aura: observed at certain times of the day, thanks to a play of light and shadows, it allows you to glimpse the image of death... sharpen your eyes!

Opening hours and ticket price for the Church of Gesù Nuovo

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM. Sunday and holidays: 7:45 AM - 1:30 PM and 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM. The Baroque Machine is open every day at 5:30 PM. Ticket price: free. How to get there: the church is located at Piazza del Gesù Nuovo 2, in the historic center.

2

Initially a Gothic building, then completely transformed into an example of Baroque art, and returning, after post-war restoration, to the charm and simplicity of its origins.

The Monastery of Santa Chiara was founded by Robert of Anjou and was, under the Angiòs, the focal point of civil and religious ceremonies.

Next to the monastery is the Majolica Cloister with pillars entirely covered in majolica where blue, yellow, and green predominate: colors that perfectly match the surrounding environment.

The cloister constitutes a true oasis of peace in the heart of chaotic Naples.

Opening hours and ticket price for the Monastery of Santa Chiara

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM Sunday 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM. Last entrance 30 minutes before closing The basilica is open Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM - 12:45 PM and 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM, Sunday 9:00 AM - 12:45 PM and 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM. Ticket price: adults €6, ages 8-18 €3.50, students under 30 and over 65 €4.50 How to get there: the monastery is located at Via Santa Chiara 49c, in the historic center at Piazza del Gesù. The nearest Metro stop for Line 2 is Montesanto, or for Line 1 is Dante.

3

Piazza San Domenico Maggiore rises in the center of Naples as a reality completely alien to the chaos and traffic surrounding it. Far from everything modern, the square captivates the gaze of those who pass by.

At the center is the **monumental obelisk commissioned by the Dominicans to thank for the end of the plague **in 1556, and then the Basilica in perfect Baroque style.

Tourists and young people populate the square both day and night, but if you find yourself here, besides admiring the harmonious diversity of architectural styles that compose it, it's worth stopping by Scaturchio, the most renowned Neapolitan pastry shop.

4

At San Domenico, walking up the hill next to the square, a small detour from the path brings us to a mysterious place in Naples: the Sansevero Chapel.

A legend tells of a man unjustly arrested who, while being transported to prison, near the wall of the De Sangro property, invoked the help of the Blessed Virgin.

At that moment the wall collapsed, revealing a painting of the Madonna. Cleared of the charges, the man restored the painting, which then became an object of devotion, around which the Chapel was built. The place soon became a pilgrimage site, and people turned to the sacred painting for various blessings.

But the story of this place continues, between history and magic. Read it on our page dedicated to the Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ.

5

Piazzetta Nilo was the home of the Alexandrians: here they cultivated their interests, here they had their shops and their homes.

To preserve the memory of their passage and their distant homeland, they had a statue of the Nile God built, depicted as an old bearded man, semi-naked, resting his feet on the head of a crocodile.

For over two thousand years the square has kept this name along with the statue, even though the Neapolitans prefer to call this place "Corpo di Napoli" because it stands right in the heart of the ancient center.

6

Maradona, El Pibe de Oro, embodies the spirit of revenge of the citizens, making them proud to be Neapolitan and uniting them in a single faith. The footballer has become a legend and continues to be loved by Neapolitans and beyond, to the point of becoming an object of devotion.

Right after Piazzetta Nilo, you will find an Altar built in his honor: a shrine holds a photo of Maradona and a lock of his hair. Some fans would come here before an important match to ask for a "favor". The altar is theoretically "managed" by the adjacent bar: queue up to take your photo and then grab a coffee as a contribution to expenses! At least that's what a sign encourages you to do!

7

The Sacred Mount of Piety is an old building dating back to 1539, when a group of noble Neapolitans wanted to create a charitable institution to provide interest-free loans.

An inscription on the facade states the beneficial purposes of the association, enriched by **sculptures by Pietro Bernini **and on the frieze by The Pietà by Michelangelo Naccherino.

The frescoes inside are wrapped in golden stucco frames, while the three rooms, once used for auctions, and the Chapel house the Museum that preserves furnishings and paintings from the Bank of Naples and a collection of liturgical objects.

Opening hours and ticket price for the Sacred Mount of Piety

Opening hours: the hours vary. Generally, it is open on Saturdays, 10 AM - 6 PM, and Sundays, 10 AM - 2 PM. Ticket price: free. How to get there: the building is located at Via San Biagio Dei Librai, 114, in the historic center.

8

And here we are at San Gregorio Armeno, the Street of Nativity Scenes, one of the most famous streets in Naples where the art of nativity scene-making reigns supreme. A street where even in the hottest months you can breathe the Christmas atmosphere thanks to the artisans who work all year round to create cork nativity scenes and terracotta figures.

Their creations are then displayed to a flood of citizens and tourists who crowd this street in the months leading up to Christmas. Not only canonical figures, but the figurines also depict characters related to current events. It is precisely the creative flair of these masters that has made the art of a Naples that still survives so long-lasting.

This street intersects Spaccanapoli vertically and, climbing it, you reach Via dei Tribunali, the other major artery that runs parallel to Spaccanapoli and leads from Port'Alba to the Cathedral of Naples.

9

At the end of San Gregorio Armeno, you will intersect with the Decumano maggiore, known as Via dei Tribunali. To the right, you will immediately notice the facade of San Lorenzo Maggiore, an important expression of Gothic art in Southern Italy. Many famous figures are associated with its name: many members of the Angevin family are buried here, as well as the musician Francesco Durante and the scholar Giovan Battista della Porta.

Moreover, the Church was the stage for the famous and pleasant meeting between Giovanni Boccaccio and Fiammetta and also Petrarch is said to have stayed in the adjacent convent for a few days. The Bell Tower that dominates the Church was a refuge for arms during the uprisings of 1647, hence it is called the Masaniello Tower. The church conserves important archaeological excavations allowing visitors to take a tour of the ancient Greek agora, one of the places from which the history of Naples began.

Opening hours and ticket price for the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore

Opening hours: every day 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM, guided tours available starting at 1:30 PM until Thursday. Ticket price: adults €9, students and over 65 €7, ages 6-18 €6. How to get there: the basilica is located at Piazza S. Gaetano 316, in the historic center.

10

There is an extraordinary place at the end of Spaccanapoli, a Doll Hospital that has been taking care of the favorite toys of little girls since 1840. If as a child you had trouble watching horror movies where the protagonist was a killer doll, you might want to just look at the hospital from the outside.

If not, step inside and enjoy this wonderful trip through time.

Heads, arms, feet, eyes, and an entire anatomy of dolls is available before your eyes: some dolls have been in treatment for a long time, while others are just passing through and will soon return to their children.

The brilliant idea came in 1840 from Luigi Grassi, a scenographer for the royal theaters and puppet theaters, who worked in a small street in "Spaccanapoli."

It was a mother who asked him to fix a broken doll, and from that day on, the hospital has not stopped treating its peculiar "patients."

The name came from a local person passing by who said in Neapolitan, "it really looks like a doll hospital". Luigi Grassi then took a wooden board and wrote "DOLL HOSPITAL" on it, also adding a red cross. For 170 years that sign has been there.

The Doll Hospital can also be visited with a guided tour that gives access to all areas of the museum and you can talk to the artisan-doctors who "treat the dolls."

Opening hours and ticket price for the Doll Hospital

Opening hours: every day 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM, Sunday 10 AM - 1:30 PM. Closed on Wednesday. Ticket price: adults €3. How to get there: the Doll Hospital is located at Via San Biagio dei Librai, 39, in the historic center.