Royal and Cultural Capitals Archeology Parks and Museums Caves and Volcanoes
Royal
and Cultural Capitals
Caserta is best known for its 18th century royal palace and gardens and the medieval borgo of Caserta Vecchia. Equally and historically important are the San Leucio silk works, a Unesco site, and the Living Silk Museum with its original looms and machinery showing all the phases of silk productions.
Naples is
best defined by the stratification of the various periods in
the city’s history that can be viewed in the historic center, the oldest
continuously inhabited urban community in the Western World. It corresponds to
the ancient city founded by the Athenians around 450 B.C. as Neapolis, through
Roman and Medieval times. It includes over 250 churches, palazzi from the 13th
through the 20th century and countless art treasures.
Your
exploration starts from the Forum, then under the Gothic Church of San Lorenzo
Maggiore to view the ruins of the Roman streets and the Macellum, the food
market. Then on to San Gregorio Armeno, where the world famous Neapolitan Crib
art are made, and the Cappella Sansevero and the sculpture of the Veiled
Christ. A few square miles with three castles, a royal palace, world class
museums, the world’s second oldest university and bank. Also, an underground
city with ancient aqueducts, caves, catacombs, myths, legends and a modern
subway system whose stations are covered with art.
Salerno
is renowned for its medieval historic center and the world’s first medical
school. Under the rule of the Sanseverino family, it became a center of
learning, culture and the arts. The city was also briefly the capital of Italy
in 1943, following the Allied invasion of southern Italy.
Benevento
occupies the site of the ancient Maleventum,
the site of bad events, and a major
defeat by the Roman army. It was supposedly founded by Diomedes after the
Trojan War. Santa Sofia Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of a group of seven historic
buildings dating from the Longobard era – 558 to 774 ad. The historic center is
an open air museum.
Experiential Tourism in Naples Italy with the Traveler as Protagonist
Experiences designed around multiple
interests that ensure unique emotions; the traveler participates alongside
local cooks, artists, craftsmen, and expert tour guides in activities:
o rooted in the territory; it
can happen only here, and
o with uniquely local events, including
food and wine tastings
o specifically modified and
tailored to your preferences
memorable
unique and unrepeatable!
Archeological
Parks and Museums
South
of Naples the road and railway along the
slopes of Mount Vesuvius that connects Naples with the Sorrento Peninsula and
the Amalfi Coast is known as the Golden
Mile and is replete with archeological parks and museums. Pompeii’s excavations, begun
in the 18th century, are still being carried out today. Strolling
through some of the ancient streets, you can see baths, forums and villas built
by the prosperous Romans in what was the empire’s second most important city.
Poppea’s
imperial villa in Oplonti features magnificent wall decorations and Stabia was
home to luxury villas. The Boscoreale Museum is dedicated to Roman
era daily life, including the excavation of a suburban factory. Also, the MAV - virtual archeological museum – with 3D videos of the Vesuvius eruption.
North of
Naples the bays of Miseno, Baia
and Pozzuoli were the home port of the Roman Navy, Baia’s Imperial Palace featured baths with waters of volcanic origin and the Flaegrean Fields Archeological Musem includes finds from Baia’s
submerged city.
In Pozzuoli, the Temple of Serapide, is famous for the cyclical sinking of its
grounds and the Flavian Amphitheater was the third largest arena of the empire.
In
Naples, the Botanical Gardens feature Living Roman Plants and seeds to bring
back Pompeii’s plants. Charles of Bourbon put the largest art collection in
Italy, the Farnese collection inherited by his mother Elisabeth, into the
National Archeological Museum. Over the years, the largest archaeological
collection of all time, relics from Pompeii and the villas buried under the
ashes of Vesuvius in 79 BC, were brought here, including mosaics, paintings and
jewelry.
The Cilento Coast is littered with
hilltop medieval villages, olive groves and spectacular beaches. Paestum’s
Museum and Archeological Park is a Unesco site and the heart of Magna Grecia.
Further south, Velia and its famed pink door.
Caves
and Volcanoes
Solfatara is located in a park near Pozzuoli and features boiling mud lakes and fumarole.
Pertosa Grottoes a fascinating cave complex; you enter the grottoes with a boat.
Castelcivita Grottoes a surreal and geogolically active underground excursion.
Amalfi Windmill Valley the medieval maritime superpower’s paper mills powered by windmills.
Science
Solfatara Geo Lab interactive, multimedia geophysics and
volcanology labs with the following programs: Vesuvius eruptions; shake like a
leaf; yesterday, today and tomorrow; Flegrean Fields; a super volcano at
Naples’ doorstep.
Portici Botanic Lab a unique educational workshop in the Portici Royal Palace; small plants kits are issued to children to transform their schools’ window sills and flower beds into mini botanic gardens.
Portici Botanic Lab a unique educational workshop in the Portici Royal Palace; small plants kits are issued to children to transform their schools’ window sills and flower beds into mini botanic gardens.
Castelcivita Speleo Lab workshop and tour of Caving equipment and
techniques, Carsius caves characteristics and Castlecivita Neanderthal.
Vesuvius Minerological Lab workshop, walking tour and souvenir mineral kit.
ENEA Research Center solar energy and environmental technology applications at Italy’s energy and Environment Institute.
Eolic Park San Marco dei Cavoti historic center tour and visit to one of Italy’s most important wind energy parks.
Vesuvius Minerological Lab workshop, walking tour and souvenir mineral kit.
ENEA Research Center solar energy and environmental technology applications at Italy’s energy and Environment Institute.
Eolic Park San Marco dei Cavoti historic center tour and visit to one of Italy’s most important wind energy parks.
Food Traditions
Educational Workshops
carried
out by local small businesses specializing in the culinary traditions of
Campania region includes: warm bread covered with hazelnut cream, mozzarella,
black pig salame and cheese filled panini and panuozzo. The workshops follow
five themes: the five senses of food; food chemistry and fraud; Campania and
international recipes; insects and bio-agriculture; digesting food; fruits and
vegetables.
Making Pasta
in
Gragnano, a town nestled between Pompeii and the Sorrento peninsula, it’s an
ancient art form that involves history, culture, patience, secrets and
traditions. The town’s main street was laid out to capture the mountain breeze
mixed with sea air back when pasta makers hung spaghetti on drying rods. Today,
it is dried with heaters at 122F for two days.
Making Pizza in a workshop by the slopes of the Vesuvius; practical
and food tasting experience.
Theatre
and the Divine Comedy
Hell Dante’s
Inferno portrayed in the Castelcivita Caves; an underground itinerary filled
with music, lights, multimedia reconstructions and 30 actors that bring alive
Italy’s literary masterpiece.
Purgatory the journey continues in the gardens of the Padula Chartreuse where you meet Catone Uticense, Purgatory’s keeper.
Purgatory the journey continues in the gardens of the Padula Chartreuse where you meet Catone Uticense, Purgatory’s keeper.
Paradise the performance concludes in the enchanting
settings of Salerno’s Arechi Castle and the Amalfi Coast, guided by Dante in
person!
