Today is the feast day of St Andrew Avellino, one of the patron saints of Naples. 10 things you might not know about Naples.
Naples was founded 2,500 years ago in the 6th century BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world. Ironically, it name is taken from the Greek Neapolis which means “new city” or “new town”. Naples residents are referred to as Neapolitans, or Napoletano in Italian. The distinct Italian dialect spoken here is called Neapolitan.
Naples is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan. It was once the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
It is credited with being the home of Pizza, and especially the classic Margherita. The very first pizzeria in Italy and indeed the entire world, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, opened in Naples in 1830. It was some years later, in 1889 that pizza maker Raffaele Esposito was asked to make a pizza for the Italian King Umberto I and his wife Queen Margherita. He decided to keep it simple with fresh Tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and Basil. Nowadays there is a festival in Naples dedicated to pizza which lasts 11 days.
It was also the birthplace of the iconic song, O Sole Mio (the song from the 1980s Cornetto advert). The song was written in 1898 in the Neapolitan language, by Giovanni Capurro and the music was composed by Eduardo di Capua. The title translates literally as "my sun" or "my sunshine".
The city has three large castles: Castel Nuovo, Castel dell’Ovo, and Castel Sant’Elmo. Castel Sant'Elmo was completed in 1329 and is built in the shape of a star, and there’s a legend attached to Castel dell’Ovo (Egg Castle). The legend states that somewhere in the castle, in a secret location, there is buried a magical egg with protective powers.
Naples is located right next to Mount Vesuvius, the volcano which erupted in 79 AD and destroyed the city of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The Teatro di San Carlo, opened in 1737, is the oldest continuously active Opera house in the world.
Naples is known for its street art, and there’s also art underground. Underground art galleries showcase contemporary art in hidden tunnels and underground spaces.
In 1995, the historic centre of Naples was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The famous saying, “See Naples and die” is usually attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, during his grand tour of Italy in 1786. It basically suggests that Naples is the most beautiful city on Earth and once you’ve seen it, you don’t need to see anything else and you can die in peace.
NEW!!
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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