The Borgo Santa Lucia

About this activity

Nel quartiere San Ferdinando a Napoli sorge uno storico rione, il Borgo Santa Lucia. I suoi abitanti si chiamano luciani e prende il nome dal santuario di Santa Lucia: comprende Piazza Vittoria, Via Chiatamone, Via Partenope, l’Isolotto di Megaride con Castel dell’Ovo e il Borgo Marinari, i giardini del Molosiglio, Via Cesario Console e il caratteristico Pallonetto di Santa Lucia alle pendici del Monte Echia.

Why visit Borgo Santa Lucia

The ancient suburb is a continuous discovery, among narrow alleys, ancient remains and much more: here are some of the beauties of this historic district of Naples.

The Basilica of Santa Lucia a Mare

Erected in the second half of the 1700s, Saint Lucia a Mare is a monumental church in Naples that has always been a pilgrimage destination. It was elevated to diocesan sanctuary for Santa Lucia in the 1900s and is so named because it once stood on the seashore. The first to occupy it were Basilian monks who had a convent on theIslet of Megaride, then passed to the nuns of St. Patrick. In 1588 the abbess Eusebia Minadoa had almost the entire building remodeled, but in 1845 the rearrangement of the Chiatamone road caused it to be buried. The present temple was built here, bombed in 1943 and rebuilt after the war following the structure of the 19th-century church.

All’interno è possibile ammirare diverse opere come la statua settecentesca raffigurante Santa Lucia di Nicola Fumo, La tavola del Rosario di Teodoro d’Errico e Il ritratto del sacerdote Luigi Villani di Gioacchino Toma.

The Giant's Fountain

A short distance from Castel dell'Ovo, on Via Partenope, it is possible to admire the Giant's Fountain, by Peter Bernini and Michelangelo Naccherino. It was initially located in Plebiscite Square, first wide of Palace, as shown in so many paintings of the 1700s, a few steps from the statue of the Giant, removed in 1807.

Instead, the fountain was removed in 1815 and remained without a location until 1882, when it was moved near the Immacolatella Palace. Here it remained only a few years and in 1889 it was placed inside Villa del Popolo but its final location was finally in 1905, along Via Partenope.

It has three round arches above which there the coats of arms of the city: the viceroys of Naples and the king of the period. Under the central arch is the cup supported by two sea animals, and the side statues represent river deities clutching sea monsters.

The Villa of Licinius Lucullus

In the first century B.C., the Roman general and politician Lucius Licinius Lucullus moved to Neapolis and raised his imposing villa, which according to some findings, covered almost the entire district from the Islet of Megaride to Mount Echia. The villa had a very rich library, ponds, piers on the sea, moray breeding grounds and many peach trees imported from the Persia.

The general entertained himself by organizing numerous and plentiful banquets: this is precisely where the adjective lucullian che utilizziamo ancora oggi per parlare di un pasto abbondante e gustoso. Alla morte di Lucullo la villa passa all’imperatore romano perdendo rilevanza mentre Valentino III la trasformerà in una fortezza. Nel medioevo ne prendono possesso i monaci bizantini facendola diventare un monastero. Nel corso del tempo alcune sale sono state destinate a refettori, luoghi di scrittura o cimiteri per i monaci. Nel X secolo gli stessi napoletani la distrussero con la paura che potesse essere utilizzata dai Saraceni come avamposto militare e fu ricostruita in seguito dai normanni come la vediamo oggi.

The St. Lucy's Pallonetto

On the slopes of Pizzofalcone, a very short distance from the Islet of Megaride is the St. Lucy's Lobster, the most famous and oldest that together with that of San Liborio and St. Clare constitutes the three Naples balloons. Con pallonetto si parla delle zone della città caratterizzate da vicoletti e stradine ripide attraverso le quali si raggiunge il centro storico. Qui vennero costruite le prime abitazioni di pescatori poiché originariamente, prima del risanamento di Napoli, si trovava nei pressi del mare.

Octopus alla luciana, the village dish of Santa Lucia

Tied to the picturesque ward is the world-famous Octopus Luciana style, a traditional Neapolitan dish named after the luciani, the inhabitants of the village.

It is said that fishermen returning after a day at sea cooked freshly caught octopus: they cut them into coarse pieces, put them to cook in a large earthenware casserole covered with a damp cloth until they softened, making them tender and flavorful, and finally added tomatoes as a finishing touch. It was served as an appetizer or as a sauce for dressing pasta and today is a very famous dish served in the best restaurants in Naples.

History of Borgo Santa Lucia

A synthesis of a thousand intersections and histories, the origins of this village date back to the distant 7th century B.C., when the Greeks decided to found Parthènope: the territory ranged from the Islet of Megaride to Pizzofalcone and was renamed two centuries later as the Neapolis, new city.

From pre-imperial Roman times until today, the village has had periods of splendor and decay: the general Lucius Licinius Lucullus used to organize numerous banquets inside his villa, and later during the imperial era the area became famous for its proximity to the Platamonie caves, the site of magic rites. In the medieval period it declined profoundly, and it was with the arrival of the Spanish viceroys that the village was transformed into one of the most prestigious places of the time: it became a favorite destination for elite tourism, particularly during the period of the Grand Tour, educational trips for young aristocrats whose goal was to increase their education.

Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia was a young Sicilian noblewoman from Syracuse, betrothed to a pagan. When her mother, who had been sick with hemorrhages for years despite treatment, did not improve, Lucy decided to go on a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Agatha: the saint appeared to her in a dream foretelling her of her mother's healing and martyrdom. Back in Syracuse, her mother was healed indeed then she decided to consecrate herself to Christ, donated all her goods to the poor and renounced her marriage to a pagan. It was the time of Emperor Diocletian's persecutions, and her betrothed after refusing denounced her: condemned to death, she died on December 13, 304 A.D., the day on which she is venerated by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches as the bearer of light and protector of the eyes.

Curiosities about Borgo Santa Lucia

Il celebre comico napoletano Totò visitò la Basilica di Santa Lucia a Mare nel 1957, afflitto da un disturbo alla vista a causa del quale non poteva lavorare: dopo alcuni mesi e cure i suoi occhi migliorarono tanto da poter tornare a recitare. Santa Lucia è infatti la protettrice della vista, considerata patrona di tutti coloro che hanno problemi agli occhi. La Fontana del Gigante fu fonte di ispirazione per Manfredo Manfredi nella creazione dell’arco del Carosello nella sigla del celebre programma RAI tra il 1957 e il 1977.

Il Pallonetto di Santa Lucia è stata la location della fiction televisiva I bastardi di Pizzofalcone e diversi personaggi illustri hanno vissuto qui come l’attore Bud Spencer, lo scrittore Luciano De Crescenzo, il cantante Massimo Ranieri e l’architetto Lamont Young.