Travel likes and dislikes are so personal. Someone has the best time and someone has the worst time. You shouldn't let someone else's experience alter your desire to do something without more research. That is all a disclaimer to say: today I was reminded of how much I dislike visiting the city of Naples. Naples can be an interesting city and it is a hub for visiting other places. I find it dirty, not all that safe and the traffic is the worst I have personally experienced. No one is safe on the streets when it comes to traffic. Looking at all the cars with scratches and dents and scrapes along the entire side of a car and the amount of duct tape on mirrors, there can't be but a few body shops in Naples. Why fix a car that will only be dented again 15 min after you drive away. Traffic lights, signs, rules aren't even a suggestion, they are completely ignored. Drivers are either ignoring the rules or yelling at another car for ignoring the rules. I have no idea how pedestrians find the courage to cross the streets.
I sit quietly in my taxi with my eyes closed for most of the ride as I am on a mission. I plan to visit the sculpture The Veiled Christ. Tickets in the summertime become available to purchase only 2 months before the actual date. Tickets are not available in high season if you travel to Naples and then decide you'd like to visit. Certainly, a perk of visiting in the winter as tickets were finally available.
The taxi kept turning down roads that were smaller and smaller. Cobblestone alleyways that were barely wide enough for the car to continue and not hit pedestrians as the roadway was not wide enough for sidewalks. Finally he stopped and indicated the Sansevero Chapel, the home of a sculpture considered one of masterpieces of sculpture was down an even smaller alley. The driver registered my surprise but was quite adamant - "yes yes, where the woman is standing". Such an unassuming start.
The Sansevero Chapel was constructed in the late 1700's as a mausoleum for the Sansevero family, one of Naples wealthiest families. The Veiled Christ sculpture was carved by Guiseppi Sanmartino and while the centerpiece of the chapel is but one of several extraordinary Baroque scupltures.
There were no pictures allowed with plenty of employees to stop bad behavior, so I 'borrowed' this from wikipedia (hope it works)
This sculpture is carved from 1 piece of marble depicting Chist after his death, covered in a shroud. It has been described as 'magical and terrifying'. The veil is transparent or illusionary, so all features are visible underneath it. The bulging vein on the forehead, the nail wounds, it both clings and billows from the body. Many rumors and legends later, it has indeed been verified it is 1 piece of marble and the veil is so thin in some places that light can shine through it. The technique, the art is amazing.
But this is not the only sculpture in the chapel. One statue is covered in a knotted rope net, of which he is trying to free himself from. Part of the net is over the body and some of it is away from the body. While it seems impossible, this is also 1 piece of marble. The story goes that the stone masons responsible for polishing the statue at the end, refused to polish the net as they were afraid it would fall apart in their hands.
There is so much information that I wanted to give the link to the Chapel if anyone is further interested.
As I have no other pictures of Naples (closed eyes remember?), I thought I would catch you up on the picture that was inadvertently left off the Catania post. This is the stream that flows underground but surfaces in this area of the Old Town square. oops!
Tomorrow is Savona, Italy. A rather small secondary port that is on the itinerary because it is a hub for Costa to board the final passengers. While the majority of passengers appear to have loaded in Trieste, more have boarded at the stops made to date. Once passengers from Savona are on board, all of the restaurants and services will be open. Who knows what is waiting in Savona.
I have trouble not being frustrated with myself when I am unhappy in a foreign city. Like- this is an adventure and you wanted to be here- why are you not over the top enthusiastic about everything. I appreciate your sharing your adventures.