On the hills to which the two funiculars and tramway No. 7 (p. [137]) ascend from the lower town lies the new quarter of Rione Vómero (Pl. C, D, 5). On its E. side rises the old Castel Sant’ Elmo (Pl. D, 5; 817 ft.), fortified with huge walls and with passages hewn in the tufa rock, and now used as a military prison. From the outer gate of the castle, at the tramway-terminus, we descend to the E. to the suppressed Carthusian monastery of—
*San Martino (Pl. D, 5; adm., see p. [137]), a Gothic building of the 14th cent., tastefully restored in the baroque style about 1650. The church, the old farmacía (Room III), and the cloisters are interesting. The other rooms contain Neapolitan memorials and art-industry collections. Rooms XV and XVI (once the library) are filled with Neapolitan majolicas and porcelain. From Room XXX, to the right, we enter a *Belvedere (XXXII), whose balconies offer a superb view of the city, Vesuvius, the bay, and the fertile plain extending to the Apennines (best by afternoon light).
A famous view (clear weather necessary) is obtained from the old monastery of **Camaldoli (1503 ft.), founded in 1585 on the highest of the hills to the N.W. of Sant’ Elmo. The rough road to it (carr. about 6, with two horses 9–10 fr.; there and back 4½ hrs.) leaves the city near the Porta San Martino (Pl. A, B, 2), the N.W. gate of the Cinta Daziaria or wall of the octroi (town-customs). If on foot or on donkey back (2–2½ fr. and fee to attendant; 5–6 hrs.), we go from Rione Vomero (see above) through the suburb of Antignano (Pl. B, C, 4, 5) to the little customs-office of l’Archetiello (Pl. B, 4), near which the bridle-path begins.
The monastery (suppressed, and now private property, but still occupied by several monks; fee 30–50 c.; ladies not admitted) offers little attraction. Straight through the garden we reach a point of view which commands the bays of Naples and Pozzuoli, the Phlegræan plain with its numerous extinct craters, and the Bay of Gaëta as far as the distant Ponza Islands (p. [133]).
When ladies are of the party we turn to the right, near the N.W. angle of the monastery-wall, and descend a little to the (8 min.) gate of the Veduta Pagliana (adm. 20 c.), where the view is similar.
Travellers whose time is limited may at least visit the *Strada Nuova di Posílipo (tramway No. 1; p. [137]). It is approached, beyond the Villa Nazionale (p. [141]), by the Strada di Mergellina (Pl. B, 7), from which the Corso Vittorio Emanuele (p. [141]) diverges. The Strada Nuova di Posilipo, gradually ascending from the sea, leads between villas with luxuriant gardens round the broad hill of Posílipo, which bounds the Bay of Naples on the W., and offers, especially by evening light, superb views of Mt. Vesuvius, the peninsula of Sorrento (p. [154]), and the island of Capri. A walk of 10 min. straight on from the tramway-terminus brings us through a cutting to the Bella Vista, a point of view near the restaurant of that name (p. [136]), where we have an unimpeded view of the bay of Pozzuoli and of the islands of Procida and Ischia (p. [135]).
An interesting circular trip may be made from the Corso Vittorio Emanuele (p. [141]), up the Via Tasso (Pl. C, B, 6), with its fine points of view, to the top of Posilipo, then along the crest of the hill to the S.W. to the tramway-terminus, and back by the Posilipo road (a walk of 3½–4 hrs., or a drive of 1½ hr.; a cab should be taken by the hour).
For Naples and its Environs comp. also Baedeker’s Southern Italy, or Italy from the Alps to Naples.
25. From Genoa to Tunis viâ Leghorn and Cagliari.
620 M. This route forms part of the ‘Linea Circolare della Tunisia e Tripolitania’ (Lines XVIII-XX) of the Società Nazionale, a circular tour which offers interesting glimpses of Sardinia, Malta, and the E. coast of Sicily, as well as of Oriental life at the N. African ports (RR. 64, 27, 24). The steamers usually leave Genoa on Frid. evening, Leghorn on Sat. night, and Cagliari on Mon. evening, and arrive at Tunis on Tues. forenoon. (In the reverse direction they leave Tunis on Mon. at noon and reach Genoa on Thurs. evening.) Fare 111 or 83 fr. (or for the whole round 303 or 212 fr.). As some of the steamers are hardly up to date, inquiry as to the best should be made beforehand. Office at Genoa, see p. [114]; at Leghorn, Piazza Micheli (p. [143]); at Tunis, p. [331].