“Naples is the birthplace of pizza,” explains our tour guide Rafael. “We are experts! 90 per cent of the pizza you eat here will be very good, 5 per cent will be amazing — and the other 5 per cent is terrible.”
And he’s right. Neapolitan pizza, from the traditional margherita to the deep-fried pizza fritta, is delicious everywhere we go.
The best places are easily identified by traditional ovens and long queues, where diners also tuck into spaghetti with fresh cherry tomatoes and delicious local desserts, including rum-filled babas and sweet Caprese cakes.
But it’s also a diverse city. “Because we are by the sea, we have always had people from different cultures and backgrounds in the city of Naples — and yes, we also have migrants here,” says Rafael, as we pass an African troupe performing by one of the most famous gelato stations in the area. “We had a Jewish community here too.”
Today, there are around 200 members of the Jewish community in Naples, though it dates back two thousand years under the Romans — followed by a turbulent history of expulsion and return under different rulers.
Still, the Synagogue of Naples (once backed by members of the Rothschild family) still stands, paying tribute to those who founded it.
There are other reminders of the region’s historical Jewish community kept in the unmissable National Archaeological Museum of Naples, most famous for storing artefacts uncovered after the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which choked the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash in 79CE.
You can also find evidence of Jewish life dating back to the 4th century in its collections, including a tombstone from the Jewish catacombs of Monteverde in Rome, using the word rabbi, and stone fragments that bear Jewish religious symbols, including a menorah, lulav and shofar.
The city’s own Christian catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso are still open to the public too.
In modern-day Naples, historical sites sit next to run-down areas where locals live, washing lines hanging out of windows and protests taking place through the streets. The city is one of the poorest parts of Italy, with 40 per cent youth unemployment.
This gritty reality, and the city’s historic reputation for pickpockets, is one reason many visitors bypass Naples, although recent crackdowns hope to change that. We are advised not to venture too far from our hotel, the five-star Romeo Hotel near the port, at night though.
The location does mean that the ferry to Sorrento is only a short walk away, and this gorgeous town with its antique stores, traditional shops and great restaurants, becomes our base to explore the Amalfi Coast.
Checking in to the five-star Grand Hotel Royal, with its wonderful seaside views of Mount Vesuvius and great service, we couldn’t have chosen better. Part of the Alberghi Storici d’Italia historic hotels group, the family-run hotel is one of four from the collection in the region, dating back to 1878.
Along with the Grand Hotel Ambasciatori, the Grand Hotel Capodimonte and the Grand Hotel De La Ville in Sorrento, they’re owned and run by the Manniello family, whose aim is to give guests a personalised experience.
Our suite — painted blue to complement our sea-view overlooking the stretch of the Amalfi Coast — is wonderful. Downstairs, the lift from the citrus-scented garden takes guests to the private beach, or there’s a heated outdoor pool with a sea view plus the spa to relax in.
But we’re keen to explore, asking the helpful staff — mostly locals — for advice on the best way to get around. By train to the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii, where a tour guide points out the ancient food stalls, bakeries and brothel, before explaining the ongoing efforts to restore, preserve and uncover the ancient sites.
Then a bus up to Mount Vesuvius itself, where we tackle the short hiking trail — a 50-minute round trip — that lets you look directly into the volcano’s heart. The views are spectacular although it is striking to realise it is still active.
The last eruption was in 1944, but it’s considered one of the world’s most dangerous, with over three million people living nearby.
The next day, we opt for a more traditionally scenic experience from Sorrento’s port, where ferries run towards Capri and Positano.
We head to Capri for a private boat tour around the famous white, green and blue caves of the island, peeking up at the grand homes belonging to stars including Sophia Loren and Giorgio Armani.
Back on land, we drink in the views from Capri’s funicular and wander the streets of the centre, spotting a group of Orthodox Jews as we pass a kosher hotel and its Terrazza Tiberio restaurant; unfortunately shut when we arrive.
The high fashion shops and seafront stalls that have made Capri so desirable are still there — although I find my own souvenir, a divine reversible coat by an Italian designer back in one of Sorrento’s small stores.
Ultimately, it’s to Naples we return, on a bus from Sorrento to the airport, with our driver saving us the challenge of navigating the winding coast roads. But I wouldn’t have enjoyed the serene charm of the coast without enjoying the life and bustle of the city first.
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