Naples

For many Neapolitan couples who are planning to tie the knot, the octagon under the 187-ft (57 m) high... glass dome of the monumental Galleria Umberto I is the ideal backdrop for their wedding photographs. This comes as no surprise as the shopping arcade, which was opened in the heart of Naples in 1892, is not only an exclusive shopping mile but also one of the most impressive monuments in the city. In competition with Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, the four-winged arcade was built in the classical style following designs by Emmanuele Rocco and Paolo Boubée and immediately became the highly fashionable center of Naples. With its elegant boutiques, bars and restaurants, Neapolitans still use it today as an extended salon in which to take their Saturday stroll. The dome, which rests upon glazed barrel vaults, is reminiscent of Neapolitan church structures, lending the "shopping cathedral" a sense of fragile weightlessness. Directly under it, artistically designed circular animal emblems adorn the marble floor of the arcade, which was named after the second Italian king, Umberto I. more

Behind the plain austere façade of Chiesa Santa Chiara, visitors can discover the rococo salon under... the open sky. The enchanted garden of the former Convent of the Poor Claires belongs to the Santa Chiara complex and is a delightful place to stroll under olive, lemon and orange trees while recuperating from the hectic of the bustling city. In 1738, the Saxon Princess Anna Amalia had the cloister of the nuns decorated with pergolas and cheerfully-coloured majolica tiles which still cover columns, benches, walls and fountains today. The Church of Santa Chiara was built in the gothic style at the beginning of the 14th century from the yellow tuff stone which is typical of the region. Although the Anjou Crown Prince Charles, Duke of Calabria, described the church as a "stable" because of its simplicity, it served as the preferred burial place of the Anjou dynasty for many years. The magnificent royal graves rise up in front of the choir wall. Three kings of Naples and Sicily were buried under the altar of the church. In the 18th century, the church was decorated with baroque stucco, which, however, did not withstand the bombing raids in the Second World War. As the 14th-century walls resisted destruction, Santa Chiara was nevertheless able to be reconstructed in its original gothic form. more

The brick-red façade of Palazzo Reale dominates the monumental Piazza del Plebiscito, which was declared... a car-free zone again in the 1990s and is the center point of city life in Naples. In the 17th century, the early absolutist royal palace and power center of the Bourbons was built by Domenico Fontana, the master builder of St. Peter's Basilica. In the 19th century, the eight larger-than-life statues of the most important kings of Naples were added to the main façade, including Friedrich II of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, Napoleon's brother-in-law Joachim Murat and King Victor Emmanuel II. They are a testimony to the many changes of rule in Naples. The Museo di Palazzo Reale is housed in the rooms of the palace together with the National Library and state offices. Thirty former royal apartments of the Bourbons, including items of furniture dating from the 19th century, and a court theater from the 18th century are available to visit. Paintings from the important Neapolitan Ribera and Giordani baroque school are also on display in the museum. more