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The city of Naples was probably
founded by the Greeks around the eighth century BC, just kilometres
from the older town of Partenope; this ‘new town’ or ‘Neapolis’ has
been absorbing the influences of its settlers and invaders ever
since. Romulus Augustulus, last emperor of the Roman Empire, was
imprisoned here after being overthrown in 476. In the sixth century,
Naples was conquered by the Byzantines, and it was one of the last
duchies to fall to the all-conquering Normans in 1039, as they
founded the Kingdom of Sicily. In 1266 Naples and the kingdom of
Sicily were given by Pope Clement IV to Charles of Anjou, who moved
the capital from Palermo to Naples. In 1284 the kingdom was split in
two, and stayed that way till 1816, when they would form the kingdom
of Two Sicilies. Naples is
the main city in the south of Italy, the capital of its home region
of Campania, and the third biggest town in Italy. It’s an
overcrowded and sprawling metropolis holding around a million souls,
with a further two million Neopolitans populating the suburbs. It’s
a major seaport, with shipyards, and thriving industries including
iron and steel, petroleum, and porcelain … Naples combines great
riches with some grinding poverty. |
