Via Toledo and the Spanish Quarter

You are on the most famous street in Naples. It was opened in 1536 by the viceroy Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, who governed the kingdom on behalf of Charles V and transformed the city: he extended the walls and laid out this straight road to link the palace with the upper town.

1A quarter for the soldiers

On one side of the new street, on the slopes of the hill, a grid of alleys was built to house the Spanish troops: the Quartieri Spagnoli, the Spanish Quarter. The houses grew upwards, floor upon floor, and in their ground-floor rooms, the «bassi», families still live with their front doors opening straight onto the street. For a long time the district had a bad reputation; today it is one of the liveliest in the city.

Stendhal, who lived in Italy in the early 19th century, described it as the most crowded and cheerful street in the world.

2Via Roma and back to Toledo

After unification, in 1870, the street was renamed Via Roma, as you can see in old photographs. Neapolitans kept calling it Toledo, and in 1980 it officially got its name back. Beneath your feet is Toledo metro station, opened in 2012 and decorated with blue mosaics that evoke the sea.

In the heart of the Quarter, in Largo Maradona, a huge mural honours the footballer who gave the city two league titles, in 1987 and 1990.

3What to look for

• The straight alleys climbing towards the hill of San Martino.
• The little shrines on the corners of the Quarter.
• The noble palaces lining Via Toledo.