Travel in Campania

Naples, and Campania beyond Naples.

Capri - Faraglioni - Photo © gennymac

The Neapolitan dialect is said to be the best known of the Italian language in the world.

This comes as no surprise: music, as we know, is a universal language and it is easy to remember the accompanying lyrics.

And Neapolitan songs are known throughout the world.

Who has not heard or sung "O sole mio" at least once? And yet, the diffusion of the Neapolitan dialect hides another truth: Neapolitan is not a dialect, it is a true and proper language that expresses and transmits an autonomous culture, formed and consolidated over the centuries.

A fascination and ability to enchant, throughout the whole of Campania, the region of which Naples is the capital: in the splendid Neapolitan islands of Capri, Ischia, Procida, on the spectacular Amalfi coast, in the magnificent Reggia di Caserta, in the archaeological site of Paestum (in the province of Salerno) and so many other beautiful centers of Campania. The ancients called this land "felix" (happiness) with good reason. 

Naples, in short, has a history apart. And it is for this that it is so well-known, beloved and visited: because there is no other city like it in the world, with its inimitable characteristics. It fascinates and conquers whoever stays there even for a short time. And how could it be otherwise when confronted with the beauty of its sea, the allure of its history, the good comedy of its people, and the beauty of the countless architectural treasures of all eras and all styles that grace the city?

© 1997-2010 Enrico Massetti
TangoItalia - Food, Wine, Travel, and... tango in Italy.