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Naples is a large, sprawling city divided into 22 areas each with its own personality. Through the ages each group of inhabitants rebuilt the city so the Naples of today consists of many layers with only a few of them excavated. It is debatable whether the generations improved the state of the city but they certainly surpassed each other rendering the city an exuberant display of urban development entwined in botanic enthusiasm. Luckily they respected the general layout of the original city so churches replaced temples and roads follow the same path and shops replaced well, shops. Around the back of the area known as Santa Lucia, you can find a prime example of traditional Neapolitan life bursting out of the steep and narrow lanes that define the region. The area from Piazza Garibaldi to Via Toledo makes up part of the historic centre or cento storico. The layout of this area is still the same as in old Roman times the roads or vias follow the same floor plane. On one side of this area is lively and very down town while on the other side of Via Toledo are beautiful houses such as the Palazzo Reale and museums such as the Museo Nazionale Archeologico that lead into other areas opening up onto the waterfront and the sun drenched bay of Naples towards Capodimonte. This name will familiar to many as the origin of the fine porcelain figurines of the same name. From here the land rises along with the class level and you find the homes of the upper class in the areas of Chiaia leading into the areas of Mergellina and Posillipo. |