Sylvania (AFS 2) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 19 text:

...L 4- '-'-M ---?,-V ., .447 4, ,- -an 7 . L- 2 ff , , . ' . it ' 9: .mtv K . g ' 'in 'bk 1 Q' I ' ' ' ', U -1 V Q ' ' ' ff. U., J Q ,V ,V 9 4, 4 1 'M W5 '

Page 18 text:

' ' --guna' on The third largest city in ltaly is our homeuport. lts history is as diverse and extensive as its reputation. With almost one-and-a-half million inhabitants, this is the city of Vesuvius,-of Capri and Sorrento,-of rodents,-of effervescent people who sing when they are happy, sad, or in love Ca primary time consumerJ,-- of Pizza and Peroni,-of Humpty-Dumpty and Commissary Mary, - of the port where SYLVANIA ties her mooring lines. Founded by Greek colonists during the seventh century B.C., the city derives itsname from the original community name NeopoIis ,C'neo - new, polls - cityl. It grew and prospered, and emerged as a center of Greek culture, even after the Roman invasion of the fourth century B.C. The great harbor area, dominated by the majestic Mount Vesuvio, became a favorite resort place for Roman aristocracy, and most of the more powerful statesmen built summer villas here. The fantasies of Pompeii and -Herculaneum are well known to all schoolboys long before they thinktof joining the Navy and ever having the opportunity to visit them. ' . A Naples was captured by the Byzantines in the sixth century A.D., following the fall of the Roman Empire, and later existed independently as the Duchy of Naples C763- 1139l. Then, with the Norman conquest, the state went to Roger ll who incorporated it into his Kingdom of Sicily. In 1266, the new dynasty of Charles I lost Sicily, and trans- ferred his capital to Naples. Four prominent buildings speak of this period of history. Castel DelI'0vo CCastle of the Eggl was erected on the rocky islet off the main promenade by William the Conquerer in 1128. Dominating the port area is the thirteenth century Castel Nuovo iNew Castlel, with its richly sculptured Renaissance triumphal arch. Castel Sant'Elmo has overlooked the city from its central hill since the fourteenth century. Across from it is the Royal Palace of Capodimonte, housing the National Library. One of the more historic cities in Southern ltaly is a suburb of Naples called Pozzuoli. It is claimed that far more Christians met their fate in the arena here than in the Coliseum of Rome. Still standing over the ancient cobblestones is the original arch Saint Paul walked through when he entered the city to preach. It was nearhere that the oracle Sybil prophesied from her cave. And the historic interest, intertused with the volcanic action of sulpher springs -and boiling mud pots, inspired Dante's description

Page 20 text:

of Hell in the Divine Comedy . During the summer months, tourists from all over Europe come to see the River Styx and the Queen's Bedroom Chamber . The romance of the area was certainly overlooked when John Ruskin, the nineteenth century English writer and social critic, referred to Napoli as being, . . . the most loathsome nest of human caterpillars l was ever forced to stay in,-a hell with all the devils imbecile in it. Certainly the most disgusting place in Europe. But, like the Roman God lanus,-Naples wears two faces. One is soft with the patina of age, looking back on a truly remarkable 'past ,... and the other faces beyond the pre-war and war years towards a new, modern, vastly improving way of life. The Autostrada system rivals any highways in Europe, and most in America. The traffic in town rivals any in the world. Sort of a confused go-cart race, only the cars are smaller. Americans drive to avoid hitting other cars. ln Bella Napoli the attempt is to avoid being hit. Yet for the seeming lack of discipline and order, there is an espirit de corps which is over- whelming. At a teeming intersection the traffic seems to work its way through like a sieve, and the only times there are real traffic jams is when some policeman tries to direct matters. Through the forests of hanging laundry lead the pathways to gold alley , coffin alley , thieves alley , nativity alley , sweater alley , and the other intersections which teem with action from early morning until late afternoon, and then slowly quiet down until the only noises are the drifting tones of automobile horns out on the main roads, and the only action is a startled rat scurrying around the corner. Only on New Year's Eve are things different. This is the one day in the year when inhibition is unknown in italy. And the hour of midnight is the most dangerous time of all, despite being one of the most colorful. The fire-falls off the balconies, the roman candles, the millions of fire-crackers and noise makers, -all these cover the city with a thick smog of black-powder smoke. And bags, bottles, left-over Christmas trees, refrigerators, papers, old tires, et cetera cover the streets. Actually, the Americans may complain about the craze of throwing the garbage out the windows, but they are also among the maior contributors. , . l l l