Napoli

Napoli, or Naples in English, is a city and comune in southern Italy. It is the capital of the Campania region and of the Metropolitan City of Naples. Located on the western coast of the Italian peninsula along the Tyrrhenian Sea, it sits near Mount Vesuvius and forms a large, historic bay. The city proper has roughly 970,000 residents, while the wider metropolitan area is home to about 3 million people, making Napoli one of Italy's largest urban areas.

Naples has a long urban history, dating back to ancient Greek times when it was known as Neapolis in Magna Graecia. It became a major port of the Roman Empire and later a center of medieval and early modern power in the region. The city’s historic center is one of the largest in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, notable for churches, palaces, and narrow lanes that connect squares and marketplaces.

Culturally, Naples is renowned for its arts, music, and cuisine. The city houses the National Archaeological Museum, the Castel Nuovo and Castel dell'Ovo, and the Royal Palace. The San Carlo Opera House is one of the oldest continuously active opera houses in the world. Naples is widely considered the birthplace of modern pizza; Neapolitan cuisine emphasizes seafood, pasta, and pastries. The port complex remains a major commercial hub and serves as a gateway to the Amalfi Coast and archaeological sites such as Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Educational institutions include the University of Naples Federico II, founded in 1224 and one of the oldest public universities in the world. The city continues to be a major tourist destination, with visitors drawn to its architecture, street life, culinary scene, and proximity to famous destinations in Campania.