Castel dell'Ovo. A Naples legend on the sea.

About Naples, Goethe said "From that, which is spoken, narrated, or even painted, Naples is better in all aspects: the bay, the gulf, Vesuvius, the city, its nearby countryside, the castles, the walks... forgiven are those who lose their senses in awe of its sight." In actual fact, the German writer wasn't all there, in himself. The things to see and do in Naples are many and each leaves an important mark on visitors. Amongst the beauties of the city of Partenope, we are dedicating a chapter to the Castel dell'Ovo, the castle on the sea with its foundations on the very core where, in the VIII century B.C., the whole city was born. Many historical figures have neared this city since the Roman times, from Romulus Augustus, the last emperor of Rome, who was guest at the time of the falling of the western empire, to the Bourbons, passing for Frederick II of Svevia.

It's name is due according to the legend Virgil, the Roman poet in the Middle Ages who was considered a magician. Legend has it that Virgil had hidden an egg in its foundationsand if this egg was broken, the city would have experiences a series of catastrophes. In the XVI century parts of the castle collapsed and people immediately thought that was due to the egg being broken. The queen of the city Joan of Angio, to avoid panic spreading, was constricted to swearing that she replaced Virgil's egg.  

Since Medieval times, therefore, Naples has been a city with legend and history are combined, giving life to something special and unique, such as the hospitality of Neapolitans, which is hard to find elsewhere. For this reason, staying in Naples is advisable with one of its Naples B&Bs, giving you the opportunity to get to meet Partenope up close and personal.

If you start your Naples visit at its core, from Castel dell'Ovo, you can proceed towards via Caracciolo, the Naples seafront, which runs all the way to Mergellina where you can visit Chiaia, the neighborhood that houses many barocche churches.

With Virgil's  legend of the egg and the history that has passed from there, a visit to Castel dell'Ovo must not be missed amongst your list of "must sees" in Naples.