Campania is extraordinarily rich in remains of the classic antiquity
Territory:
The region faces the Tyrrhenian Sea and includes one of the finest coastlines in Italy. The hinterland is essentially mountainous, with irregular massifs broken here and there by valleys and plains. In front of the Gulfs of Naples and Salerno, we can admire marvelous and enchanting islands: Capri, Ischia, Procida.
Cities:Naples is the regional capital. Other important cities are Caserta, Benevento, Salerno and Avellino.
Art:
Campania is extraordinarily rich in remains of the classic antiquity, which can be found in Herculaneum, Pompeii, Paestum and Cuma. Amphitheaters, triumphal arches, villas, bridges and tombs of the Roman Imperial Age are numerous and remarkable. The Paleolithic art is present in Naples and Nocera, while architectural specimens of the Longobard Age can be found in Capua and Benevento. Cathedrals in the Byzantine and Arab-Norman styles are numerous and outstanding. The Royal Palace of Caserta is the most striking expression of Baroque.
Museums:
In Naples: the National Museum, which houses one of the most important archaeologic collections in the world (statues by the great Greek masters Policleto, Lisippo and Prassitele); mosaics and wall paintings from Pompeii; the collection of jewels, small bronzes, household goods and utensils. In the Museum and Galleries of Capodimonte, tourists can admire all-time pictorial masterpieces by Titian, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Caravaggio; sculptures, tapestries and ceramics. The National Museum of San Martino has historic, artistic and monumental sections. In Benevento, the Museum of the Sannio holds an important archaeological room with Samnitic, Italic, Italiot relics and an interesting collection of coins, with very rare gold coins of the Longobard Princes. Precious works of art can be admired in the Cathedral Museum and the Provincial Museum in Salerno.
To be visited:
The splendid Amalfi coast; the marvelous islands; the Imperial Villa in Capri; the Royal Palace of Caserta with its splendid Italian gardens; Herculaneum and Pompeii.
