One day in Naples is hardly enough to do justice to such a city rich in history and heritage. From earliest times, this great city has lived under the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, the world's most famous volcano, which erupted in 79 a.d., covering Pompei and Herculaneum among other cities in the area. The last eruption of Vesuvius was in 1944. Naples boasts an archaeological museum with most of the artifacts taken from those excavated sites, which began in the 1800s. The collection was created as a result of the foresight of King Charles I of Bourbon when he ruled the kingdom of Naples, after routing the Austrians. His recognition of the value of these objects has saved them from ordinary looting and preserved them for future generations.

Naples itself was named for the legendary "Siren" from Greek times Parthenope, who, as the story goes, threw herself into the sea when she failed to seduce Odysseus. Her body is said to have washed up on the shores, thus the name Neo-Nope, in her memory. The city was renamed under the Romans as Neapolis (new city). Occupations by numerous powers contributed to making Napoli one of Italy's most historically rich cities.

From the area of Sta. Lucia, it's possible to get a good view of the island where the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar was developed. And of course, Sta. Lucia became that subject of that famed Neopolitan folk tune by the same name. Neapolitan music, food, and culture made its way to America with the vast migrations to the US. For anyone interested, you can hear many fine examples of the music at www.italamerica.org

Of course, great pizza is abundant in all parts of Naples and the surrounding areas.

I only wish we could have spent more time there to wander and enjoy.