Naples' largest square is Piazza del Plebiscito, named after the 1860 popular vote in which the city joined the Kingdom of Italy. The square was built by Joachim Murat, the brother-in-law of Emperor Napoleon, who was king of Naples from 1808 to 1815.

The semi-circular square is enclosed on one side by the Royal Palace and on the other side by the church of San Francesco di Paolo, built after the example of the Pantheon in Rome. The façade consists of six pillars with Ionic columns on both sides. Inside the church is round with a dome of 53 meters high. The semicircular colonnade was later added under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. You'll find his marble statue in a niche of the palace, as well as from other princes including Charles of Anjou, Alfonso V of Aragon, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles III of Bourbon, Joachim Murat and Victor Emanuel II, the first king of the united Italy.

To the west of Piazza del Plebiscito lies the working-class neighbourhood of Santa Lucia. Here you can experience the real Naples: a jumble of narrow, steep stairways where laundry always hangs on a leash, the women from the balconies have a chat with each other, and the smells of the Italian food meet you. A very picturesque neighbourhood. Walk through the picturesque streets to the waterfront (via Parténope) and then turn west (Via Caracciolo). You have a magnificent view over the Gulf of Naples and some beautiful sights.

This is also the area where you can enjoy excellent Italian food. Of course the pizza (an invention of the Neapolitans) is on the menu, like the traditional Pizza Margherita, but you can also eat delicious fish and other seafood.