podtour
Naples: Saints, Skulls and Mysteries
Naples tells extraordinary stories about princes, skulls and saints. Walk through the centre to hear those beliefs and discover what lies behind them.
The Historic Centre, Layer by Layer: audio walk in Naples
Spaccanapoli and the Tribunali read from top to bottom, like a book of layers: the church that burned in 1943, the bell tower that became a fortress, the palace where Charles V dined and Croce wrote, the statue that lost its head, the boy who fell off a ladder, a king's nativity scenes, the church where Boccaccio saw his beloved, the plot of 1701, the Greek city under your feet and the theatre where Nero made his debut.
What this walk is about
You start with the most recent layer: Santa Chiara on the August afternoon in 1943 when it lost its roof, and what turned up underneath when it was rebuilt. The bell tower opposite served twice as a fortress, and from a balcony of the palace next door Benedetto Croce could almost reach out and touch it, in the very rooms where Charles V once dined. Then you keep going down, age by age: a Roman statue that people took for a mother, a bookseller's son who fell off a ladder and ended up writing the New Science, the nativity scenes a king made fashionable, the church where a young Boccaccio first saw his beloved, the grid of Greek Neapolis that you still walk on, the columns of a Roman temple set into a church front and, finally, the theatre where Nero chose to make his debut as a singer. And at San Lorenzo, the noblemen's plot of 1701 that hung an archduke's portrait on a bell tower, and whose story was later written, on the viceroy's orders, by that same boy from the ladder.
- Start
- The Afternoon of 4 August
- Finish
- The Emperor Who Came to Sing
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for anyone curious about history and art and literature.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The Afternoon of 4 August
- 2
A Bell Tower That Became a Fort
- 3
The Philosopher's Balcony
- 4
The Body of Naples
- 5
The Boy Who Fell from the Stairs
- 6
A King and His Shepherds
- 7
Boccaccio in Love on Holy Saturday
- 8
The Bell Tower Conspiracy
- 9
The Greek City Beneath Your Feet
- 10
Pagan Columns in a Church Façade
- 11
The Emperor Who Came to Sing
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Naples, before you go
Walk Naples with attention and an appetite. Narrow streets, slopes and the sea change the pace; leave room to look and to step aside for a moment.
More walks nearby
Spanish Naples
From Castel Nuovo's towers to the Spanish Quarters, follow two centuries of Spanish power and the Neapolitans' response.
From the Vicaria to Forcella
East of the historic centre, Naples judged its citizens and took in abandoned children. Follow those stories from the Vicaria to Forcella.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.