Fashion, art, and €1 Aperol spritzes – how this Italian city went from gritty to glam - The Independent

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Neapolitans will tell you, of their own volition, that the high-octane city has transformed over the last decade. Once Italy’s bad boy, beset by mafia bosses, Naples has cleaned up its act: violent and petty crime has declined, the art scene is spirited, hotels are storied, and €1 Aperol spritzes are the norm; a new generation of visitors is eager to explore.

High fashion, perhaps, saw the shift first, with brands including Vivienne Westwood, Dolce & Gabbana, Zara and Andersson Bell shooting campaigns on Naples’ streets back in 2023. Funding and investment are now catching up, with the city chosen to host sailing’s Louis Vuitton America’s Cup in 2027, the first time the event has ever been held in Italy.

The nod comes after Naples hosted the World Series warm-up events in 2012 and 2013, drawing more than 500,000 spectators.

“That was instrumental in shifting global perceptions of Naples,” says Déborah Mimouni, manager at Grand Hotel Parker’s, the city’s oldest five-star hotel, which has welcomed the likes of Virginia Woolf and Oscar Wilde since 1870.

“The image of elite catamarans racing against the backdrop of Mount Vesuvius, Castel dell ‘Ovo, and our coastal skyline broadcasted a fresh vision of the city – one of sophistication, marine excellence, and breathtaking beauty,” she says. An easy sell from Grand Hotel Parker’s gorgeously elevated position overlooking the Gulf of Naples.

The hotel sits in the fashionable Chiaia neighbourhood, filled with smart shops, galleries, and fun bars and bistros, including Persika — a newly minted Michelin Guide restaurant where Swedish chef Joar Torch adds his Nordic twist to traditional Italian fare such as anchovy linguini with yellow datterini tomatoes. Chiaia is also home to the deservedly popular natural wine bar, Puteca.

Alongside the marina rejuvenation, work has also begun adjacent to Castel dell’Ovo (the oldest castle in Naples), with a multi-million euro programme designed to improve the city’s promenade, where locals can already be seen running and cycling after their morning espresso and dining at upmarket waterside restaurants, including La Scialuppa and Zi Teresa.

Opposite, sits the Grand Hotel Vesuvio, a grande dame dating back to the mid-19th century, with a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Gulf of Naples. Past guests have included Sophia Loren, Keanu Reeves, and Pavarotti, among others. A security detail stands outside for today’s A-list guests.

Art is another key reason travellers have reconsidered Naples in recent years. Edit Napoli, a contemporary design fair showcasing international artisans, returns to the city this October, held at La Santissima, the Spanish Quarter’s former military hospital turned cultural hub.

Modern accommodations also say much for Naples’ art scene. Romeo Napoli, a sleek waterfront property with a rooftop pool designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, boasts a private collection of fine art and antiques, including Andy Warhol’s depiction of Vesuvius, which sits alongside work by Italian painter Mario Schifano and other Neapolitan artists.

Even Naples’ metro is a site of creativity, where 250 Stazioni dell’Arte commissions by over 80 artists have been installed across 16 stations; the most impressive of which are positioned along Line 1 at Materdei, Università, and Toledo, where the huge blue mosaic, Crater de Luz (Cone of Light) by Óscar Tusquets Blanca, looms ethereally above the escalators.

Local photographers, including Ciro Pipoli and Pasquale Monda, who’ve gained huge followings online, have both helped portray the city’s visual appeal, capturing fashion campaigns and residents interacting at locations from the Posillipo beaches to the city’s main Spaccanapoli street, both teeming with unfiltered life.

“Naples has a very strong aesthetic, but at the same time, it never feels staged,” says Monda. “There’s a really interesting contrast between its historic heritage and a new creative energy. You can find an old palazzo, a Vespa, the sea, someone incredibly well dressed and an everyday moment of local life happening at the same time. For anyone who works with images, I think it’s an incredible source of inspiration.”

As a woman travelling solo, I feel safe and secure as I wander through the Spanish Quarter – home of those aforementioned €1 Aperol spritzes – to Toledo; the only hazard being the 12-year-old moped drivers who zoom up and down alleys that are heavily adorned with murals of Diego Maradona — the Argentina-born footballer, who from 1984 demonstrated to the world that Naples was somewhere to be very proud of.

Nearby on Piazza Monteoliveto, where university students and twenty-something locals hang out, you can easily pass a few hours sipping “Super Tuscans” at Vino Franco, a snacks-and-natural-wine bar frequented by the fashion crowd’s favourite holiday influencer: pop star Dua Lipa.

End the night with a martini at Bar Viper: a retro bar inspired by the Seventies in Via Santa Chiara — right in the heart of the old town — where the steel-frame bar chairs are unfussy and the glorious €6 pizzas at Pizzeria Antonio Sorbillo are stumbling distance away.

“For me, Naples is special because it’s a city that doesn’t try to be perfect,” reflects Monda. “Here, chaos and beauty can coexist: you can be on a busy street surrounded by people and, just a few minutes later, find yourself by the sea staring at an incredible view of Mount Vesuvius.”

Truly, anyone who continues to judge Napoli for its past is depriving themselves of one of the most exciting European city breaks there is.

Return Ryanair flights from London Stansted to Naples start at £33, while easyJet offers options from London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh from £16.99. Flight time is around three hours.

Grand Hotel Parker’s rooms starts at €399 for a double.

Rooms at ROMEO Napoli starts from €511 for a double.

Double rooms at Grand Hotel Vesuvio on Via Partenope start at €507 a night, including taxes and fees.

Rooms at Hotel Piazza Bellini start from €114 per night.