- Posillipo
Posillipo is a residential quarter of
Naples , along the northern coast of theGulf of Naples ; it is called "Pusilleco" in theNeapolitan language .Geography
The houses at water's edge all have at least small piers or landings, and there are even a few small coves with breakwaters along the way. These small harbors are the nuclei for separate, named communities such as
Marechiaro andGaiola .History
It is mentioned in classical Greek and Roman sources. Indeed, the Greeks first named this rocky, wooded height at the western end of the Bay of Naples "Pausílypon", "respite from worry". There are Roman ruins at waters edge and just before the cape at the end of the Bay of Naples, one can even see the openings of the air-shafts that ventilated the tunnel that led to the residence of
Vedius Pollio . Those premises are partially intact upon the cliff, and include an amphitheater on a height.The area remained largely undeveloped until a road, via Posillipo, was built between 1812-24. That road starts at sea-level at the Mergellina harbor and moves up the coast, roughly parallel to the shore.
The area has been heavily overbuilt since the end of WWII, but contains some notable historical buildings and landmarks. Among these is the
Rosebery Villa , the Italian President's residence when he is in Naples. Posillipo has given its name toNaples 'waterpolo team, traditionally one of the most prominent in the world.Famous residents
Posillipo is the birthplace of
Franco Alfano , the Italian composer and pianist best known for completing "Turandot ".It may well also have been the residence ofVirgil , the Roman poet of, most famously, the 'Aeneid '.External links
* [http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~jmatthew/naples/blog18.htm#may30 Entry on "Posillipo" from Naples Encyclopedia.]
Notes and references
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