We didn’t;t get off the ship today as it was pouring rain when we docked and it continued to rain all day. Fortunately we have a room in the aft of the ship and the captain backed into port so we were able to see some of the sites from our covered balcony.

In ancient times, Naples was called the “city of the seven castles” because it was the only city in the world that boasted seven castles within its boundaries: Castel dell’Ovo, Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino), Castel Sant’Elmo, Castel Capuano, Castello del Carmine, Castello di Nisida and Forte di Vigliena. These castles were located in such a way as to provide powerful defense to the Gulf of Naples from naval attacks.

Right outside of our balcony was Vomero’s hill. On the top of this hill is located Castel Sant’Elmo. This fortress overlooks Naples and is built where the Saint Erasmus church used to be. The castle has medieval origins and was built between 1336 and 1343. Over the years the castle has been owned by several groups and has had many roles including a prison and currently a museum.

Just to the left of us was Piazza Municipio and the Maschio Angioino (or Castel Nuovo) which overlooks the piazza. It has a trapezoidal layout and includes four piperno stone towers and one tuff tower. Its construction began in 1279, under Carlo I D’Angiò’s request. Later when it was renovated at the request of Alfonso of Aragon, the castle-palace became a modern fortress known as Castel Nuovo and this is why the castle is now known by both names.

The last castle we could see only partially from our balcony so I had to venture to the upper decks to see if completely. This was Castel dell’Ovo which is the oldest castle in Naples. Its location offers an excellent view of the Naples waterfront and the surrounding area. Castel dell’Ovo (“Egg Castle”) is a seafront castle located on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula. The castle’s name comes from a legend about the Roman poet Virgil, who had a reputation in the Middle Ages as a great sorcerer and predictor of the future. In the legend, Virgil put a magical egg into the foundations to support the fortifications. It remains there along with his bones, and had this egg been broken, the castle would have been destroyed and a series of disastrous events for Naples would have followed. Thankfully the egg has yet to crack 🙂

Until next time from a sunny castle day!