NAPLES CIVITAS

Naples has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the CITY OR CIVITAS category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the the aeternitas and the future of Europe.

Naples is one of the most ancient cities of the history of European integration, signed in great part by Christianity. Founded around X century B.C. by Greeks and named Parthenope, became one of the foremost cities of Magna Graecia before being conquered by Romans in IV century B.C. and transformed in a strategic Colonia taking its greek name Neápolis (Νεάπολις) within the Roman Respublica. Always allied to Rome against Carthago and the Samnites tribe, Civitas Naples could maintain the Greek language and customs, expanding with elegant Roman villas, aqueducts and public baths, cause many emperors and patricious chose to holiday in the city or the pleasent localities around as Capri and Ischia islands. It that period, the Christianity arrived in Naples in I century A.D. cause the Apostles Peter and Paul are said to have preached in the city and Saint Januarius was martyred there in IV century A.D.. Naples has always been connected to Capua civitas, where passed two roman ways starting from Rome: the old Appia way, reaching the port of Brindisi, and the Popilia way, passing through Tusculum and Salernum to end in Regium.

Within the reform of Augustus (see Roman Empire), Naples was included into the Regio I Latium et Campania of the Italiae province, where could live together Romans, Samnites and Greeks people into the Christian community that with the reform of Constantine I (see Christian Empire) became a bishopric city within the imperial Italiae Diocesis. When the Western Roman Empire imploded in 476 A.D., Naples was devastated by Ostrogoths and after the Greek-Gothic War was conquered by Byzantine Empire becoming part of their the Exarchate of Ravenna.

In VII century A.D. the city became capital of the Ducky of Naples, then elevated to principy out of the carolingian Italy Regnum in ethernal opposition to Benevento and the Capua Principy, often with the help of the Arabs or the Normans: who finally in 1137 A.D. annexed Naples to their Sicily kingdom ruled by the Altavilla dinasty, until it was inherited by the Reich emperor Frederick II of the Staufer dinasty. He made Naples a rich city and the intellectual centre of the kingdom founding the first university in Europe dedicated to training secular administrators. For that reasons, the Popes involved in 'Guelfi&ghibellini' war against the Reich power, calling and crowning the french Angioini dinasty of the Naples kingdom in 1266 A.D..

Always allied to the Roman Church, Naples was conquered and joined again to the Sicily kingdom by following its destiny since 1442 A.D. under the Bellonidi dinasty rulers of the Aragona Krone, that once joined to the new Spain kingdom founded by the new Reich emperor Charles V, confirmed Naples as capital of its reign so that it became the Europe's second-largest city in XVII century A.D. and the major western Mediterranean port. Passed to Hapsburg-Lorraine emperors dinasty with the Utrecht Treaty 1714 AD, the Naples Kingdom was conquered by the Borbone-Naples dinasty some years after, that could rule it together into the 'Kingdom of 2 Sicily' even after the epoch of Napoleon I, by joining them in a unique kingdom with the Wien Congress of 1815 AD, until it was annexed to the Italy kingdom and followed its destiny.

Naples has always been one of the most populated and important city of Europe, where the greatest artists or intellectuals went to live and produce, capital of Baroque architectonic style and Reinassance cultural movement, seat od many republican esperiences and innovative new technologies until XIX century A.D.. The historic centre of Naples and the near 'Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata' are enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage. Nowadays, Naples stands at the shadow of the Mount Vesuvius within the spectacular Sorrento peninsula that delimits the Gulf of Naples, the biggest city of southern Italy, capital of the Campania region and the metropolitan city, whose patron is St. Januarius the first bishop famous for the liquefaction of blood kept in an ampoule.

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