Square in Naples
Piazza del Plebiscito is the grand semicircular square at the heart of Naples, framed by the Royal Palace on one side and the Church of San Francesco di Paola with its Pantheon-like colonnade on the other. Free. The square was once a parking lot and is now a pedestrian space that feels like a Roman piazza. Budget travelers cross it at dusk when the colonnades are lit and the Bay of Naples glows in the distance.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
The Cappella Sansevero is a small baroque chapel in the historic center housing the Veiled Christ, a marble sculpture of such technical mastery that the veil appears to be real fabric laid over the body. Entry is paid at a modest price.
Castel dell'Ovo is a seaside fortress on the tiny island of Megaride, connected to the Naples waterfront by a short causeway. Entry is free.
Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) is a 13th-century castle on the waterfront between the port and Piazza del Plebiscito, with a triumphal arch entrance carved in white marble. The courtyard is free.
The Circumvesuviana is the cheap regional train connecting Naples to Pompeii (Pompei Scavi station, 35 minutes), Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi, 20 minutes), and Sorrento (1 hour). A single ticket costs a few euros.
The Cloister of Santa Chiara (Chiostro Maiolicato) is a 14th-century cloister behind the Basilica of Santa Chiara on Spaccanapoli, famous for its colorful majolica-tiled columns and benches depicting garden scenes, pastoral landscapes, and mythological figures. Entry is paid at a modest price.
The Forum was the civic heart of Pompeii, a rectangular open space surrounded by temples, markets, and public buildings with Vesuvius rising behind. Included in the park ticket.
Working out what Naples costs?
The whole of Naples