Gail Crow

The fourth regular meeting of the 2025-2026 season of the Fredonia Shakespeare Club was hosted at the home of Beckie Huber-Ross. President Karin S. Cockram welcomed Club members to the meeting.

After a brief business meeting concluded, a paper by Gail Crow on the historic center of Naples, Italy was presented. The following is a summary of that paper.

Tucked beside the sparkling waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea and watched over by the mighty Mount Vesuvius, Naples has a history extending almost 3,000 years. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world.

It began as Parthenope, a Greek colony established by sailors in the 9th century BC, named for a Siren in Greek mythology. A Siren was a half bird / half woman who lured sailors by the sweetness of her song.

Naples’ history is vast: to quote a 2017 report by the BBC, Naples is “the Italian city with too much history to handle”.

The Naples that we see today rests its foundations on an ancient network of underground roads, including tunnels excavated by the Greeks when they began to extract clay from the subsoil to strengthen the city walls. Over the centuries, the underground Naples has been in ferment almost as much as that on the surface.

During World War II, the underground Naples was modified to accommodate the population during the bombing. During the war years, about four thousand people populated the underground city, waiting for the war to allow their return to daily life.

 In 1995, UNESCO listed the Historic Centre of Naples as a World Heritage Site, the criterion being:

“Naples is one of the most ancient cities in Europe, whose contemporary urban fabric preserves the elements of its long and eventful history. The rectangular grid layout of the ancient Greek foundation of Neapolis is still discernible. The grid has continued to provide the layout for the present-day Historic Centre of Naples, one of the major Mediterranean port cities. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, Naples was a focal point in terms of art and architecture, expressed in its ancient forts, the royal ensembles such as the Royal Palace of 1600, and the palaces and churches sponsored by the noble families.” In addition, the Neapolitan dialect is so distinct, it’s recognized by UNESCO as a cultural treasure.

The artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (not to be confused with the renowned Michelangelo of Vatican fame) was an artistic genius whose relationship with Naples further enhanced the great Neapolitan city. Thanks to him, and the artistic revolution he inspired, Naples is considered the capital of Baroque style. According to the 20th century art historian Andre’ Berne-Joffroy: “What begins in the work of Caravaggio is, quite simply, modern painting.”

We see in the long history of Naples much high drama, and superb examples of genius and creativity; conversely, as during World War Two, we see tragic instances of mankind’s inhumanity and its drive towards destruction. Yet there coexists mundane life, with its many diversions.

Pizza’s origins, for example, trace back to Naples. By the late Medieval era, flatbreads eaten with toppings were common throughout the Mediterranean region. In 16th-century Naples, flatbreads were referred to as “pizza”; known as a dish for the poor and meant to be eaten while walking. The Neapolitan style is recognized as the precursor to the staple we all love today.

And Neapolitan ice cream refers back to Naples. Neapolitan ice cream became popular in the United States in the late 19th century, coinciding with the influx of Italian immigrants.

In December 2009, the pizza napoletana was granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Union.

In December 2017, the pizza napoletana was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

Naples isn’t just a destination – it’s a massive experience for history lovers, foodies, and art enthusiasts, hand in hand with the ancient cathedrals and artistic treasures, and the tales of witches, ghosts, curses, and legends that haunt its residents still.