Naples

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

in population, the chief city of Italy. It is situated on a beautiful bay of the same name, 160 miles southeast of Rome. The bay is nearly semi-circular in shape. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful bodies of water in Europe. See Naples and die," is an Italian way of saying the world has no prettier view. The city is situated on the northern border, occupying a shore line of about five miles. Mount Vesuvius rises in the immediate vicinity. The streets of Naples are paved with volcanic rock. In order to avoid danger from earthquakes the buildings are of unusual solidity and are flat topped. The greater part of the city is squalid. The business quarter and residence section are handsomely built. Cholera epidemics have aroused the authorities of the city to the necessity of waterworks and adequate sewerage. The public buildings are imitations of those at Rome. A national university occupies buildings formerly belonging to the nobility. There is a library of 275,000 volumes and a museum containing not only a large number of paintings and pieces of sculpture, but a number of relics from Herculaneum and Pompeii as well. The Farnese Bull and the Farnese Hercules are here. It is the most important collection in the world of Etruscan, Roman, and Italian antiquities. The university dates from 1224. There are over 6,000 students in attendance. Naples is a characteristic Italian city. A large population is packed within a small compass. The streets are thronged with itinerant venders, carrying their wares in baskets, in carts, or on mules. There is a perfect babel of noises. Bright costumes of various colors add picturesqueness to the scene. It is the second seaport of Italy. There are exports of olive oil, wine, wool, macaroni, raw silk, ribbons, and silk goods, tallow, dyestuffs, licorice, figs, coral, hemp, linseed, and chemicals. The city is noted for its manufactures of glass, chinaware, perfumery, artificial flowers, soap, musical instruments, silks, millinery, and macaroni. The fisheries are of importance. Tourists set out from Naples to visit Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri. Thousands of American and European tourists visit Naples annually. The climate in the winter season is delightful. The sea and the sky are unsurpassed. There are excellent hotels. There are beautiful drives. The city itself is a place of never ending variety. The shops and streets are of interest, both to scholars and to sightseers. Of a morning the milkman drives his flock around the narrow streets and milks his goats at his customer's door. Naples may be considered the center of coral manufacture. Crude coral from the shores of Sicily, Sardinia, Africa, and even from Japan is made into beads and jewelry. The raw material costs the jeweler from forty cents to $20 a pound, according to quality. A bewildering array of coral ornaments are pressed upon the attention of the traveler. Beautiful necklaces are offered at from $15 to $200 each. The population in 1907 was 563,540. See Vesuvius ; Pompeii ; Capri ; Earthquake