Things to Do in Campania Italy - Travel Guide & Information

This description page of Campania, Region Of Italy, will guide you in planning your trip to Italy and help you to find useful travel information about the Things to Do in this Italian Region.

Every trip to Italy is an endless journey into culture and beauty. No other country in the world can boast the cultural and artistic treasures of Italy. More than half the's historical and artistic heritage is found in Italy. Evidence can be seen in every village. There are so many art treasures of such quality, spread across the country that Italy can rightly be considered an “open air” art gallery.

Each year is packed with special events, some linked to festivals of the Catholic Church, others to the changing seasons. Every little village in Italy has its own wonderful festivals. Many are associated with the harvest (especially wine) or to local products (polenta, prosciutto). The remaining events tend to be historical re-enactments linked to jousting or to costumed cavalcades.

Art and culture, the pleasures of good food and music, traditional crafts and expressions of collective religion, folklore and contemporary art, opera and operetta, concert and theater seasons—in Italy the calendar of festivals and events is practically endless.

Side trips

Ischia

Since Roman times the island of Ischia, the largest of the island in the Bay of Naples (Napoli), has been world famous for its thermal waters and mud, produced by its volcanic origins. The Romans built baths here and regarded it as a place for cure and rest.

This health resort has also become a famous seaside and holiday resort, offering visitors all the charm of marvelous marinas, breathtaking views, and wonderful gardens. The intense scent of vineyards, citrus groves and pine trees blends with that of sea salt and spreads through the air. Praised by poets and celebrated by painters, the island bewitches visitors with its unforgettable beauty of its creeks, the emerald intensity of abundant vegetation, and the deep blue color of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Ischia’s most popular beach is at Maronti, on the island’s southern coast. Or you may prefer the beach at Citara, which has fine sand and windswept rocks. The hot springs at Sorgeto on the far side of the island range from tepid to boiling; the beach is the perfect spot to lounge and soak aching feet! Locals say that the cleansing lather formed by rubbing the light-green porous rocks together is fantastic for the skin. Lacco Ameno and Casamicciola Terme are densly packed with the thermal baths that originally attracted visitors to Ischia.

Or you may also want to visit the spectacular Cast'Ischia, a 14th century castle situated on a rocky cliff overlooking the sea.

Procida

Procida has a genuine and reserved beauty all of its own. A peaceful island where the green vines and gardens stretch out towards the blue sea and sky, daily life is slow and laid back and time seems to stand still. Visit its churches, go for a stroll past viewpoints and gardens, or go to its old town, where the fis's houses, with their colorful pastel walls, stand one on top of the other, opening out here and there in order to make room for stairs, arches, alleys, and little squares. The town is overlooked by the old 15th century Aragonese Castle, which dominates the small island beneath with its imposing mass.

Mt. Vesuvius

Mt. Vesuvius is the best-known volcano on earth; it is famous for the catastrophic eruption in 79 AD that buried the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Dominating the Bay of Naples (Napoli) with its characteristic cone, it is the only continental volcano still active in Europe and is now a national park. Rising 3,944 feet, the slopes are green with vineyards—Lacrima Christi (the Tears of Christ) wine made here is very famous. Before reaching the top, at 1,994 feet, you can visit the Vesuvian Observatory, which has observed the volcano’s activity day by day since around 1815. Closer to the top, the path becomes lava, the typical black-and-purple rough pieces of stone. From the top on a good day, you can enjoy a fantastic view over the Bay of Naples (Napoli), from the Sorrento peninsula to Cape Miseno, Procida, and Ischia. It is also possible to note the large number of buildings that have been built on the vulnerable flanks of the mountain.

Pompeii

An earthquake in 62 AD shook Pompeii and damaged many buildings. Statues fell, columns were broken, and some buildings collapsed. However, the people did not believe there would be more danger, and they repaired their cities. However, this was merely a prelude to the tragic day in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the town in 20 feet of pumice and ash.

Pompeii was a thriving city, and when it was buried with so little warning, it was literally frozen in time. Although this tragic event ended the lives of 20,000 Pompeian residents, the ash that buried the town served as a sort of “mummification” for the entire city and captured a moment in time. Under the ash everything remained as it was at the time of the eruption. Artwork was preserved, buildings were preserved, along with several important clues that give us a glimpse into the past.

For hundreds of years the city lay buried under cinders, ashes, and stone. Emperor Titus considered rebuilding Pompeii towards the end of the first century AD, but no work was carried out in earnest. I't until 1784, in the time of Charles of Bourbon who had an interest in archaeological treasures, that substantial excavation was initiated. Credit for the major discoveries is due to Guiseppe Fiorelli, an archaeologist whose work was supported by the Italian government.

The remains of about 2,000 victims out of a population of about 20,000 have been found in excavations at Pompeii. Some of the victims were trapped in their homes and killed by hot ashes. Others breathed the poisonous fumes and died as they fled. Archaeologists find the shells (molds) of the bodies preserved in the hardened ash, giving us an archaeological snapshot of a Roman town. By carefully pouring plaster into the shells, they can make a detailed copy of the individual, even the expression of agony on his or her face. And in some buildings, paintings and sculpture have survived, and graffiti is still visible on street walls.

The excavated site of the Roman town of Pompeii is the most popular tourist site in Italy. Best visited as a day trip from Naples (Napoli), you’ll be able to wander the streets at leisure, exploring the temples, theater, and houses where people lived until disaster struck. You can see the remains of the Temple of Apollo, the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Vespasian, the public buildings that housed the principal magistrates, and the Sanctuary of the Lares Publici (the gods which were meant to protect the town).

The many complex streets, laid out on a grid plan, are lined with houses large and small. The most impressive are the House of the Tragic Poet, the Villa of the Mysteries, House of the Vettii, and the House of the Dioscuri. Beautiful frescoes, mosaics, and statues were preserved, as well as the bodies of former inhabitants who were struck down by lava as they tried to flee, encased in volcanic stone.

The main shopping street was the Vi' Abbondanza, one of the original and most important roads through ancient Pompeii. There’s also the Macellum, Pompeii’s market place fronted by a portico with two moneychangers’ kiosks. You can view the public baths, large patrician villas, and even a bakery where carbonized loaves of bread were found.

You can see many of the finds on display in Naples (Napoli)’s National archaeological Museum.

Herculaneum

Smaller than Pompeii, much of it still lies under the present-day town and has never been excavated. Herculaneum was a seaside resort for rich Romans, and many of Herculaneum’s buildings were more elaborate than Pompeii’s. Visit the two sets of terme (thermal baths), particularly the smaller but more elegantly decorated Terme Suburbane (Suburban Baths).

The average townhouse was built around an uncovered atrium. Some of the private homes include the Casa del Bicentenario (House of the Bicentenary), Casa a Graticcio (House of the Latticework), Casa del Tramezzo di Legno (House of the Wooden Partition), and the Casa di Nettune (House of Nepturne), which contains the most striking mosaic found in the ruins. The finest example of how the aristocracy lived is the Casa dei Cervi (House of the Stags), named because of the sculpture found inside.

Outdoor markets

Cusano Mutri

Old historic town, last week of each month

Discover all sorts of objects in wood, stone, and wicker.

Telese Terme

Piazza Minier, last Sunday of the month

A unique occasion to see artists work and to customize your souvenirs, you can watch artisans “at work.”

Naples (Napoli)

Corso Malta, every Sunday morning)

A colorful and animated flea market, you’ll enjoy looking for antique objects like old furniture, prints, pictures, clocks, or books.

Naples (Napoli)

Villa Comunale viale A. Dohrn, third weekend of the month and following Saturday)

You’ll discover about 200 stands at one of the most important market of the region.

Salerno

Piazza Alfano I, second weekend of the month

A great market for collectors, you can shop at about 50 stands.

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