Touring Naples!

October 1st a walking tour of Naples. Talking about getting your steps in is an understatement.  

So much history to take in. 

The history of Naples, Italy, stretches back over 2,500 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban environments in the entire world. Founded by ancient Greek settlers in the first millennium BCE, the city evolved from an important maritime trading hub of Magna Graecia into a favored, elegant retreat for the Roman elite. Throughout its long history, Naples has uniquely preserved its ancient past by literally stacking new eras of architecture, culture, and infrastructure directly on top of its ancient foundations.

🌋 A City Built in Layers

What makes ancient Naples truly spectacular is its physical stratification. Because space was limited by the surrounding volcanic landscape—nestled between Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields—the city grew by recycling itself.

Instead of tearing old structures down, generations built directly on top of older Greek and Roman foundations. To solve practical space problems, the Romans dug underground. They carved a massive 450-kilometer network of tunnels, aqueducts, and cisterns deep into the tufo (a soft, yellow volcanic ash rock). These underground networks were later repurposed as early Christian catacombs, storage, and even air-raid shelters during World War II.

Here are some photos of our day.