The Southern Italian port city of Naples is home to a rich and complex history stretching back to its foundation by Greek colonists in the 8th century B.C.E. Across the centuries, Naples evolved into a vibrant cultural, political and economic center of the Mediterranean world, first as a part of Magna Gracia, and later, under successive periods of Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Angevin, and Spanish rule, on route to becoming the capital of the independent Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1816. In 1861, Naples’s incorporation into the newly unified Italian nation-state as a part of the Risorgimento initiated an era of modernization and adaptation that persists to the present day.

In this six-week class, we will examine la storia e tradizioni of bella Napoli—a city famously pieno di contradizione (“full of contradictions”). Aimed at students and travelers alike, the course offers a virtual “grand tour” of Naples through a close examination of a dozen Neapolitan monuments/ historic sites reflective of milestones in the city’s historical development from its origins through today, including: Castel dell’ Ovo, Spaccanapoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Castel Nuovo, the Duomo, Santa Chiara, i musei Capodimonte e Archeologico Nazionale, Palazzo Reale, Teatro San Carlo, and the Galleria Umberto I among others (including “side visits” to the city’s best pizzerias, food stalls, pastry shops and cafes!)