One of the most important parts of Naples technically has many names, but everyone just calls it Spaccanapoli. Why? Spacca means “to split,” and Spaccanapoli literally splits the historical center in two! The narrow street has its ancient roots in the Greek era of the city. It was one of the original decumani, or east-west streets, from when Naples...

The wealthy Roman patrician Gaius Antonius lies on the terrace of his magnificent villa high above the Gulf of Naples and looks out at the sea. A slave serves him wine and exquisite food. Just a few days earlier, Antonius had fled the July heat of Rome to his country estate, which lacks nothing in luxury and amenities. The Senate of the Roman Empir...

Cristoforo Ventura has spent the past four decades dutifully tending a memorial he helped create to honor the sacrifice of 38 U.S. Army paratroopers and a Navy nurse killed in Sicily during World War II. Now in his 80s, Ventura remembers playing amid war trenches and bunkers near the site and hearing stories from farmers about fierce fighting betwe...

A century and a half after his birth, Italian tenor and opera legend Enrico Caruso is finally being celebrated by his hometown of Naples with a new museum. Long before Luciano Pavarotti, it was Caruso who represented Italian opera to the rest of the world, ushering in an era of music for the masses with his prolific recordings at the advent of the...

Naples has a lot of iconic eateries and shops, but one of the lesser-known city icons is the kiosk of the fresh-water-seller. Scattered throughout the city, the banks of the acquafrescai – some of which are very famous – sell various mineral waters and refreshments. These kiosks were born to provide relief in the summer months, and for that reason...

It would be easier to list what Italy doesn’t have (Domino’s and afternoon cappucinos) than to list everything this iconic country has to offer. Some visitors come for the spectacular food and wine; others for the history, the romance, or the breathtaking coastlines.  It’s no surprise that travelers today are flocking to Italy at 70% higher rates t...

The city of Naples sits nonchalantly in the shadow of Vesuvius, which has remained quiet – yet active – since the famous eruption in 79 A.D. that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. Despite its prominence, Vesuvius is not even the most powerful volcano in Napoli. That distinction belongs to the Phlegraean Fields, an underground caldera that forms th...

The NIAF Board of Directors Mission to Italy trip, which took place from June 11 – 21, 2023, was a resounding success. The trip began in Rome, where the board met with high-ranking officials of the Meloni government, members of the Italian parliament and attended a Gala dinner presented by We the Italians, in honor of NIAF, at the historic Circolo...

For many reasons, Vomero could be considered almost as a separate citadel that watches over Naples. The castle that dominates the top of this hill seems in fact separated from the rest of the city by a large green area. Its history is also different from that of the more central districts, since the Vomero district is much more recent. In fact, the...

Roughly two years after his return to Naples for “The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino is heading back to his hometown for another movie steeped in the lore of his native southern port city. The still untitled film is about a woman named Partenope “who bears the name of her city but is neither siren nor myth,” the Oscar-winning auteur has revealed to...