1936 On the Continent

be all that is unpleasant and repulsive. They are said to be lazy, cunning, dishonest. All this is untrue, or at any rate true only in the sense that there are lazy, cunning and dishonest people in every human community. Since Naples has ceased to be one vast slum (thanks to the Government), the good qualities of the people of Naples have become increasingly apparent—their intelligence, benevolence, charm and courtesy. The foreign visitor walking round the town should not approach them with a prejudiced mind, though he is at the same time advised to exercise caution, particularly towards those inviting him to nocturnal adventures.
    It takes several days to see Naples and district properly. In the city itself the busy, colourful life of the port is of particular interest. You can begin your inspection of the art treasures of Naples near the port, close to which is the Castel del Carmine and the Castel Capuano (dating from 1231) and the Porta Capuana, which is decorated with thereliefs of Giuliano de Maiano. In the same district you will find the lovely church on the Via S. Giovanni Carbonara and, close to the Dome, on the Largo Donna Regina, the church of S. Maria di Donna Regina with the sepulchre of Queen Mary of Hungary. S. Gennaro’s church, also known as the Duomo, is another notable sight.
    Walking in the old Centro quarter you will see a number of interesting churches, including the S. Anna de Lombardi, the S. Chiara, and the S. Filippo Neri, which contains Giordano’s famous picture “Christ Driving out the Merchants.” On the edge of the sea you will be interested to go over the vast, recently restored medieval rooms of the Maschio Angioino and the Aquarium. Even those who are otherwise not interested in museums should not fail to inspect the magnificent collection of antique sculptures at the Museo Nazionale, which were brought to light during the excavations in Magna Grecia.
Night Life
    Night life in Naples, which was rather dull before the African war, has experienced a fillip during recent months. A few passable dance halls have been opened on the Via Partenope and in the centre of the town. The most noted
osterias
are the “Zi’ Teresa” and the “Bersagliera” on the Via Partenope, close to the sea, and the “Rampe di Sant’ Antonio” and the “Porta Capuana” in the centre of the town, where excellent Neapolitan specialities are served. At midday and in the afternoon the terrace of the “Café Esposito” (formerly known as the “Gambrinus”) is a good vantage point from which to view the life of the town. At the Neapolitan Opera House, the famous “San Carlo,” you can listen to excellent singers who, in most cases, appear in indifferently produced operas.
    If at first Naples fails to enchant you, you will nevertheless leave it with regret after a few days, when you have become accustomed to the peculiar atmosphere of the city and become acquainted with its people, when you have seen the gorgeous Possilippo and have climbed up to the monastery of Comaldoli in order to survey the Bay of Naples, which presents the loveliest panorama in the world.Providence has assembled so much beauty in and around Naples that mere human imagination can hardly grasp it all.
    You must devote a whole week to the district of Naples, and you may be sure that it will be an unforgettable week. You can reach most points of the surrounding country by trams starting from the centre of the town.
La Solfatara
    On the first day of your tour of the district of Naples you will visit the volcanic fields of mythology. Tram No. 52 from the Piazza Vittoria in Naples will take you to Pozzuoli, one of the quaintest little towns in the Bay of Naples. The surrounding volcanic fields and mountains, where the heroes of Homer and Virgil lived and had their being, are full of mementoes of antiquity. The modern harbour of Pozzuoli still shows traces of the old Roman harbour, its amphitheatre is one of the most perfect in existence. An interesting sight is the Solfatara, a half-extinct volcano which has been in the same condition for 2,000 years, and which can be reached from the Piazza Municipio in twenty minutes. You may see the volcano on payment of 5 lire.
    Having seen Pozzuoli and the Solfatara, you can continue by train to Baia, the most fashionable and elegant seaside resort of Imperial Rome which, according to legend, was named after Ulysses’ helmsman Baios. From Baia you can travel by horse cab to Bacoli, little