Adventures in Hervey Bay: Thursday, June 27, 2019

Thursday, June 27th

Today, the ship docked in Naples. We chose to follow Rick Steves’ Naples City walking tour (up to #17). After spending three hours walking around Naples, we met up with Salvatore from Ninebot Tours Napoli for a 90 minute segway tour. It was so much fun! We had planned to go on a segway tour in Dunedin when we were on our New Zealand cruise, but Mike had a really bad headache that day and so we didn't even get off the ship that day. When I found a segway tour with really good reviews in Naples, it was a go. Salvatore shared info about Naples with us through headphones we each wore. Mike and I were the only ones on the tour which was great - a private tour for the cost of a group tour! Our legs were tired after walking for three hours prior to the segway tour, but we managed to stay on them for the duration of the 90 minutes. We now look forward to going on more segway tours in the future.

Steps for the day: 21, 077

Castel Nuovo (New Castle) - a medieval castle first erected in 1279 - one of the main architectural landmarks of the city of Naples - was a royal seat for kings of Naples, Aragon and Spain until 1815

On the hill: Chiostri di San Martino (Cloisters of San Martino) - two monumental cloisters of Naples located within the complex of the Certosa di San Martino (Charterhouse of San Martino) - the first and only cloister of the Charterhouse (monastery) - built in the 14th century - took 50 years to complete - made using marble and magmatic rock - behind the Cloisters is Castel Sant'Elmo - a medieval fortress - the name Sant'Elmo derives from a former 10th century church dedicated to Sant'Erasmo, shortened to Ermo and finally altered to Elmo - documents date a structure at the site from 1275 - known originally as 'Belforte', it was likely a fortified residence, surrounded by walls - Castel Sant'Erasmo acquired its hexagonal star shape between 1537 and 1547 - the castle served an an autonomous military outpost - it continued to be military property until 1976 when a large restoration project began - the fortress now serves as a museum, exhibition hall and offices

The Runners of Herculaneum

Mike standing underneath a 'Welcome to Napoli' (Naples) sign

Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato e Agricoltura di Napoli (Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Artisanship of Naples) - Italian organization that promotes business activities

Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II (Vittorio Emanuele II monument) - an 80 ton statue in Piazza Giovanni Bovio - Vittorio Emanuele II was king of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title of King of Italy - he became the first king of a unite Italy since the 6th century

Piazza Giovanni Bovio (Giovanni Bovio Square) - named after the philosopher Giovanni Bovio who lived in a building in the square - Giovanni Bovio was also a politician of the Italian Republican Party

Wonderful Italian architecture in Naples

Laundry hanging between two balconies

Mike walking down a street in Naples

Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (National Archaeological Museum of Naples) - important Italian archaeological museum particularly for ancient Roman remains - its collection includes works from Greek, Roman and Renaissance times, especially Roman artifacts from nearly Pompeii and Herculaneum - the building was built as a cavalry barracks in 1585 - from 1616 to 1777, it was the seat of the University of Naples - during the 19th century , it became a museum

Chiesa monumentale di 'S. Maria di Costantinopoli' (Historical Church of Saint Mary of Costantinople) - a 16th century Catholic Church - construction began in 1575 and continued until completion in the early 17th century

Galleria Principe di Napoli - (Prince of Naples Gallery) - named for the first male child of the royal Savoy family - designed in 1870 - built from 1873 to 1883 - remodelled from 2007 - 2009 - built with masonry, cast iron, a glass roof and stucco walls with marble floors, carved woodwork and ironwork lanterns - the mall has suffered from economic stagnation that began in the late 1800s - even the ambitious renovations in recent years have failed to attract much business - currently the gallery houses both private and government offices

More fabulous Italian architecture

Statue in the facade of the Palazzo Firrao - a monumental palace - a palace existed at this site in the early 1500s - the palace was purchased in the early 17th century by Cesare Firrao, Prince of Sant'Agata and Luzzi, in Calabria - he commissioned a Baroque architect to rebuild the palace - the palace facade was completed by the 1640s - in modern times, it housed government offices

Mura Greche (Greek Walls) - in Piazza Bellini - ancient thick defensive walls that protected the city of Naples and its inhabitants for centuries - thought to have been built around the 4th century B.C.- the walls were discovered by chance in 1954 during the installation phases of an electrical substation - it is about three metres lower than the current road level

Cool artwork showing life in Naples 'back in the day'

Via Port'Alba

Mike standing near the book stalls in the passageway leading to Piazza Dante

Piazza Dante - a large public square in Naples named after the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri (1265 - 1321) - the square is dominated by a 19th century statue of Dante (inaugurated on 13 July 1871) - on the left is the Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II, a boarding school - it currently houses a primary school, a lower secondary school and three secondary schools - students attending the educational facility can take advantage of the service as boarders and semi-boarders

Statues on the top of the National Boarding School Complex

Great architecture on Via Toledo - Naples principal shopping street

Piazza Sette Settembre - (September Seventh Square) - on September 7, 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi, a famous revolutionary, celebrated his conquest of Naples, from this Neoclassical building overlooking the square - this building is the Palazzo Doria d'Angri (a palace built on commission of Prince Marcantonio Doria) - construction began in 1760 and was completed in 1778

Via Maddaloni - is the modern name for this straight and narrow street that, since ancient times, has bisected the city - it is nicknamed 'Spaccanapoli' which translates as 'Naples splitter' - from above, it seems to divide the city into two parts - it is 2km long

Fruit and Vegetable store on Spaccanapoli

Monumento a Salvo D'Aquisto (Salvo D'Aquisto monument) - in Piazza Carita - made from steel and marble in 1971 - Salvo D'Aquisto was a member of the Italian Carabinieri (a military police force) - was executed in 1943 after falsely confessing to sabotage saving 22 fellow Italian soldiers from a Nazi revenge massacre - he was 22 years old when he was executed by firing squad

Carabinieri vehicles

Piazza Monteoliveto (Monteoliveto Square) - the Fontana di Monteoliveto (Monteoliveto Fountain) - work on the sculpture began in 1668 and was completed in 1673 - at the top of the Baroque fountain is a bronze statue of Charles II of Spain (also known as the 'small king')

Piazza Gesu Nuovo (New Jesus Square) - one of the most important, famous and symbolic squares of the historic centre of Naples - the square is named after the church of the same name in the square - the 18th century Baroque obelisk in the square is the Obelisco dell'Immacolata (Immaculate Conception Obelisk) or more properly known as the Guglia dell'Immacolata (Spire of the Immaculate Conception) - erected in the mid-18th century - 22 metres high - covered in marble decorations - on top of the monument is a copper statue of the Immaculate (the Virgin Mary)

Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo (New Jesus Church) - originally a palace built in 1470 - it was sold to the Jesuits in the 1580s to build a church (1584 - 1601)

Inside the Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo

A wedding was being performed in the church when we went inside

Unexploded bomb from World War II - on August 4, 1943, a massive incendiary bomb fell on the church and bounced off the left cross - it ripped unexploded in front of the alter of St. Francis Xavier - the Jesuit fathers were very grateful to God and kept the shell of the bomb to remind them of the madness of war and the sanctity of peace

More photos of inside the Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo

Busts of 35 martyred saints in golden wood (there is another section of 35 martyred saints on the other side) - made in 1617

Looking up Via Benedetto Croce

A young man playing a stringed instrument which we have never seen before

Piazza San Domenico Maggiore (Saint Dominic the Greater Square) - this plaza is ringed by palaces from prominent families - in the background is Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore (Church of Saint Dominic the Greater) - Gothic, Roman Catholic church and monastery - founded by the friars of the Dominican order - built between 1283 and 1324 - some modifications were done in 1670 in the Baroque style - in the 19th century, the church was restored to its original Gothic design

Obelisco di San Domenico (Saint Dominic Obelisk) - a Baroque sculptural work in the centre of Piazza San Domenico Maggiore - it is topped by a bronze statue of Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order (placed at the top of the monument in 1747) - the obelisk was erected after the plague of 1656 - construction on the spire was started after the plague of 1656 and completed in 1737 -

Chiesa di Sant'Angelo a Nilo (Church of Saint Angel of the Nile) - Roman Catholic church - known for containing the monumental Renaissance-style tomb of Cardinal Rainaldo Brancacci - building began in 1385 as a chapel dedicated to Saint Angel and Saint Mark by the will of Cardinal Rainaldo Brancacci whose family had a palace nearby - its current appearance dates from a 1709 rebuilding

Great architecture of Naples

Castel Nuovo (New Castle) - a medieval castle - first erected in 1279 - completely rebuilt in its current form in the mid-1400s - has an irregularly trapezoidal plan and was defended by five large cylindrical towers - was a royal seat for kings of Naples, Aragon and Spain until 1815 - is now the headquarters of the Neapolitan Society of Homeland History and of the Naples Committee of the Institute for the History of the Italian Risorgimento (Italian unification) - in the complex, there is also a civic museum which includes the Palatine Chapel

Looking towards Mount Vesuvius

Love Italian architecture on Via Nazario Sauro

View of the Gulf of Naples

Fontana del Gigante (Fountain of the Giant) - monumental fountain - designed in the 17th century for the Royal Palace of Naples - from there it was moved to the site of the Palace of the Immacolatella - in 1905, it was moved to its present site near Castel dell'Ovo

Another view of the Gulf of Naples

Mike and Sue practicing on Segways before we took the 90 minute Segway tour of Naples

The Cassa Armonica (Sound Box) - designed in 1862 - built in 1877 - an architectural structure with a circular platform with cast-iron uprights and a dome in two-tone glass - the Band of the City of Naples performed here for many years - now it is used for musical concerts

Sue beside the Segway in front of Leopoldo - pastry shop - traditional Neapolitan bakery

Our Segway guide, Salvatore, treated us to an Italian pastry here - Sue had an Sfogliatelle Ricce E Frolle - she had read that it was a must try in Naples

Sue eating her pastry

Mike ordered an Capresina

Mike is eating his Capresina

Galleria Umberto I - an elegant Art Nouveau-style shopping hall - built from 1887 to 1891- was named for Umberto I, King of Italy at the time of construction - the galleria is a high and spacious cross-shaped structure with a glass dome - it was meant to combine businesses, shops, cafes and social life, with private apartments on the third floor

Piazza del Plebiscito (Plebiscite Square) - named after the plebiscite taken on October 21, 1860, that brought Naples into the unified Kingdom of Italy under the House of Savoy - occasionally the square is used for open-air concerts - in the background is the Basilica Reale Pontificia San Francesco da Paola (Royal Papal Basilica of Saint Francis of Paola) - completed in 1816 - is dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola who had stayed in a monastery on this site in the 16th century - the church is reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome - the facade is fronted by a portico resting on six columns and two Ionic pillars - the dome is 53 metres high