I receive more and more requests for help from tourists arriving in Naples and not knowing how to organise their time in the city. I have therefore chosen to come up with a short Two Days in Naples itinerary from Plebiscito’s Square to Spaccanapoli.
Two Days in Naples, Italy: itinerary from Plebiscito to Spaccanapoli
My Two Days in Naples itinerary starts from the city’s most famous square: Piazza del Plebiscito. With an area of about 25,000 square metres, Piazza del Plebiscito is the largest in Naples and among the largest in Italy. It is bordered on one side by the colonnade of the Basilica of San Francesco da Paola and on the other by the Royal Palace. It is located in the centre of Naples, nestled between the Pizzofalcone hill, via Toledo and the Santa Lucia district. In the centre of the square, we find the two equestrian statues by Canova depicting Charles III of Bourbon and his son Ferdinand I.
Before getting into the heart of this Two Days in Naples itinerary, stop to visit the Basilica di San Francesco da Paola, one of the most important examples of neoclassical architecture in Italy, commissioned by Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies after Murat’s ouster, as a votive offering to St Francis of Paola for protecting him and returning him to the throne of Naples. It took almost thirty years to build and was completed in 1846. The architecture is reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome, while the colonnade was inspired by that of St. Peter’s. Furthermore, it was expressly ordered that the height of the dome should not exceed that of the Royal Palace located directly opposite.
The Royal Palace
Our itinerary continues with a visit to the Royal Palace of Naples. Commissioned in 1600 by Viceroy Fernando di Castro as the residence of the King of Spain, the Royal Palace of Naples was designed by architect Domenico Fontana. Of great visual impact is the monumental entrance staircase, designed by architect Gaetano Genovese and completed in 1858.
At the top of the grand entrance staircase, a wide gallery leads to the royal flats: from the King’s Apartment to the Queen’s Apartment, from the Throne Room to the Court Theatre, ending with the Royal Chapel and the Viceroys’ Salon. The rooms of the Royal Palace also house the National Library, named after Victor Emmanuel III, with a collection of about 19,000 manuscripts, 4,563 incunabula, 1,792 Herculaneum papyri, about 1,800,000 printed volumes and more than 8,300 periodicals.
Leaving the Palazzo Reale, you will find yourself in Piazza Trieste e Trento, where the famous Fontana del Carciofo stands out. Right here, you will find the historic Caffè Gambrinus, a compulsory stop for poets, intellectuals and the various Presidents of the Republic, and the real Bar del Professore. Not far away, there is another place that symbolises Naples in the world: the San Carlo Theatre.
Two days in Naples Itinerary: the San Carlo Theatre
I challenge anyone to deny the supremacy of beauty of the San Carlo Theatre in Naples. A record that is also historical, since, having been founded in 1737, it is the oldest opera house in the world. It bears the name of the sovereign who had it built, that Charles III of Bourbon, who wanted to strengthen the image of his Kingdom in this way. The project was entrusted to the architect Medrano, who planned a theatre with 184 boxes arranged in six tiers and a large royal box seating up to 10 people. In total, the theatre’s capacity could reach 1379 seats. 
Leaving the San Carlo Theatre behind, heading down towards the port of Naples, is the Maschio Angioino, also known as Castel Nuovo.
Exploring the Maschio Angioino’s Castle
Maschio Angioino is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved castles in Naples, built by Charles I of Anjou in 1279. In recent years, however, thanks to the initiative of several cultural associations operating in the area, new and unmissable routes have been introduced within the castle walls, allowing visitors to discover its most hidden and mysterious corners.
There are three routes run by as many associations: an esoteric route that, on the basis of interesting research, links the Hall of the Barons, the ancient Throne Room, to the Valencian Cathedral and the Holy Grail, revealing a phenomenon that occurs on the day of the summer solstice; a historical route, which allows you to take a journey through time, starting from the Arc de Triomphe commissioned by Alfonso of Aragon in 1443 and continuing in the castle dungeons, where the ancient prisons are located; finally, an adventure route that allows you to descend into a well up to 30 metres deep.
Leaving the Castle, continue straight ahead along Via Santa Brigida and enter Galleria Umberto I.
The Umberto I Gallery in Naples
Majestic and fascinating, the Umberto I Gallery was inaugurated in 1892 and was built in just three years. In a short time, it became a meeting place for socialites, the city’s salon. Today, it is still one of the undisputed symbols of Naples. The beautiful main façade is located on Via San Carlo, but the Galleria has no less than four entrances. It was designed, in fact, with four buildings connected by a large glass and iron roof, surmounted by a dome 57 metres high. The idea was to create an indoor public space in the heart of the city that would serve as a meeting place for citizens, a shopping arcade but also have a monumental appearance.
Two Days in Naples, Italy: itinerary from Plebiscito to Spaccanapoli
Leave the gallery by the entrance that leads onto Via Toledo, also known as Via Roma, and continue your walk by turning right.
Via Toledo is the most famous shopping street in Naples, bordered to the north by the Quartieri Spagnoli and to the south by the San Ferdinando district, commissioned in 1563 by the Spanish Viceroy de Toledo. What today is Naples’ main commercial artery was the centre of nobility at the time of its creation. Evidence of this are the beautiful palaces that line the street, some of which now house museums and art galleries.
Zevallos Stigliano Palace
One of these is Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano, built in the 1600s and repository of a truly fascinating history. First, it was the residence of the wealthy Spanish merchant Giovanni Zevallos, then the home of the Vandeneynden, merchants originally from Antwerp, until the property passed to the Colonna di Stigliano family, who kept it until the late 19th century. In 1898, the Banca Commerciale Italiana purchased the first piano nobile and several other rooms, redesigning the face of the building.
In addition to the monumental entrance portal made of ivory-coloured marble and piperno, the palace saw the addition of a large glazed ceiling covering the central courtyard, with an imposing marble grand staircase leading to the upper floors and new Art Nouveau balconies on the mezzanine floor.
Toledo metro station
Continuing towards Piazza Carità, you will come across the square where the Toledo metro station is located, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful metro stops in the world. While Neapolitans would prefer a working underground rather than a beautiful one, tourists, on the other hand, perceive it almost as an attraction.
Toledo, together with the Materdei station and the new stations of Line 1, represent a true circuit known as the Stations of Art of the Naples metro. The project bears the signature of Catalan architect Oscar Tousquets Blanca while the interiors are enriched by works by William Kendridge, Bob Wilson and Achille Cevoli.
Discovering the Spanish Quarters
Right at Toledo station is one of the many alleys that lead into the microcosm that is the Quartieri Spagnoli, created around the 16th century to accommodate the Spanish troops stationed in Naples. Imagined as a temporary encampment, it ended up becoming one of the most densely populated areas of the city. The best way to visit the Spanish quarters is to get lost in its intricate network of narrow, steep alleys between the typical ‘bassi’, i.e. the houses facing directly onto the street, and the artisan workshops.
Continuing along Via Toledo, you come to Piazza Carità, pass in front of the Carabinieri barracks and go down to Piazza Monteoliveto, where there is a fountain of the same name. Go back up Calata Trinità Maggiore and you will find yourself in Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, with the Immacolata spire.
We have come to the end of our itinerary to discover Naples in 2 days. This is where Spaccanapoli begins, the long street that bisects the historic centre of Naples and includes Via Benedetto Croce and Via San Biagio dei Librai.
