The Upper Decumanus
The Upper Decumanus is perhaps the most revealing path through ancient Naples.
It borders the city’s academic and spiritual heart, where convents and universities coexist with art galleries and centuries-old memories.
This is a Naples that unfolds slowly — made of quiet corners, majestic domes, hidden courtyards, and vertical glimpses that connect the upper and lower parts of the city.
Walking the Upper Decumanus means entering a layered urban landscape, where every stone speaks of culture and resilience, and every church and palazzo reveals a precious fragment of the city’s history.
From museum to museum: a walk through Naples’ cultural soul
This itinerary connects two symbolic sites: the MANN – National Archaeological Museum of Naples, one of the world’s leading institutions for classical art, and Parco Re Ladislao, a lesser-known green space deeply rooted in the city’s collective memory.
Along the way, you’ll encounter religious complexes, museums, galleries, historic churches, and academies — a path that blends spirituality and knowledge, art and nature, in the heart of ancient Naples.
Landmarks along the route
- MANN – National Archaeological Museum of Naples: Home to extraordinary Greek and Roman treasures, it is an essential stop for understanding the origins of the city — and much more.
- Complesso degli Incurabili: A place of medical and spiritual memory, featuring a beautiful cloister and the Museum of Health Arts.
- Church of San Giovanni a Carbonara: A masterpiece of Gothic and Renaissance art, filled with monumental chapels and remarkable sculptures.
- Cathedral and Chapel of the Treasure: The religious heart of the city and the setting of the famous miracle of San Gennaro.
- MADRE – Museum of Contemporary Art: A contemporary art museum in a 17th-century former convent, showcasing works by international artists in constant dialogue with the city.
- Parco Re Ladislao: A green haven overlooking the heart of Naples, recently reopened and returned to the public.
An itinerary between ancient and contemporary
The Upper Decumanus is an itinerary of connections — between past and present, sacred art and contemporary expression, academic knowledge and popular spirituality.
A walk that invites you to see Naples with new eyes, rediscovering its cultural depth and its unique ability to hold together worlds that seem worlds apart.
