Tips & Itineraries
Napoli, Sorrento and Vesuvius Area
Napoli up and down.
A city of secret stairs.
More than 200 outdoor stairways cross the city, leading up to Vomero hill. The citizens’ committee Coordinamento recupero scale di Napoli actively works to the restoration of these ancient pathways.
Pedamentina di San Martino
The Pedamentina (from latin pedemontanus, at the foot of the hill) is a complex system of stairways made of more than 400 steps connecting the Certosa of San Martino to the UNESCO World Heritage old downtown of Napoli. The Pedamentina, built in the XIV century, offers relaxing moments and a striking panorama of Napoli’s rooftops and bay.
Rampe del Petraio
On the opposite side of Vomero hill, a winding stairway leads from via Annibale Caccavello to Corso Vittorio Emanuele. This rock pathway, built in the XVI-XVII centuries, brushes both the elegant liberty-style buildings of Vomero and the Neapolitan “bassi”, the typical houses of popular neighborhoods, so called because they directly open on the pavement of the street.
Calata San Francesco
Calata San Francesco is a stairway connecting via Belvedere to Corso Vittorio Emanuele; it originally reached the sea and was part of a little borough called Casale del Vomero, which was mainly composed of stately mansions and farmhouses. Some local associations – such as Insolitaguida and Medeart – organize tours for tourists along this path and many others in Napoli.
Salita Cacciottoli
Salita Cacciottoli was named after an ancient Villa belonging to the Cacciottoli family in the XVII century. This stairway passes under the bridges of via Girolamo Santacroce and Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
