The ruins of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum lie near Naples.
Naples -LRB- -LSB- ˈneɪpəlz -RSB- Napoli -LSB- ˈnaːpoli -RSB- , Neapolitan  : Napule -LSB- - napˈnɑːpələ -RSB- or -LSB- - napˈnɑːpulə -RSB- Neapolis Νεαπολις , meaning `` new city '' -RRB- is the capital of the Italian region Campania and the third-largest municipality in Italy , after Rome and Milan .. Campania. Campania. Neapolitan. Neapolitan language. Rome. Rome. Milan. Milan. In 2015 , around 975,260 people lived within the city 's administrative limits .. The Metropolitan City of Naples had a population of 3,115,320 .. Metropolitan City of Naples. Metropolitan City of Naples. Naples is the 9th-most populous urban area in the European Union with a population of between 3 million and 3.7 million .. 9th-most populous urban area. Largest urban areas of the European Union. European Union. European Union. About 4.4 million people live in the Naples metropolitan area , one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea .. Naples metropolitan area. Naples metropolitan area. Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean Sea. Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world .. oldest continuously inhabited cities. List of cities by time of continuous habitation. Bronze Age Greek settlements were established in the Naples area in the second millennium BC .. Bronze Age. Bronze Age. second millennium BC. 2nd millennium BC. A larger colony -- initially known as Parthenope , Παρθενοπη -- developed on the Island of Megaride around the ninth century BC , at the end of the Greek Dark Ages .. Island of Megaride. Castel dell'Ovo. Greek Dark Ages. Greek Dark Ages. The city was refounded as Neapolis in the sixth century BC and became a lynchpin of Magna Graecia , playing a key role in the merging of Greek culture into Roman society and eventually becoming a cultural centre of the Roman Republic .. Magna Graecia. Magna Graecia. Greek culture. Greek culture. Roman Republic. Roman Republic. Naples remained influential after the fall of the Western Roman Empire , serving as the capital city of the Kingdom of Naples between 1282 and 1816 .. Western Roman Empire. Western Roman Empire. Kingdom of Naples. Kingdom of Naples. Thereafter , in union with Sicily , it became the capital of the Two Sicilies until the unification of Italy in 1861 .. Sicily. Kingdom of Sicily. Two Sicilies. Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. unification of Italy. Italian unification. Naples was the most-bombed Italian city during World War II .. most-bombed. Bombing of Naples in World War II. World War II. World War II. Much of the city 's 20th-century periphery was constructed under Benito Mussolini 's fascist government , and during reconstruction efforts after World War II .. World War II. World War II. Benito Mussolini. Benito Mussolini. In recent decades , Naples has constructed a large business district , the Centro Direzionale , and has developed an advanced transport infrastructure , including an Alta Velocita high-speed rail link to Rome and Salerno , and an expanded subway network , which is planned to eventually cover half of the region .. Rome. Rome. Centro Direzionale. Centro Direzionale ( Naples ). Alta Velocita. Treno Alta Velocita. Salerno. Salerno. subway network. Naples Metro. The city has experienced significant economic growth in recent decades , and unemployment levels in the city and surrounding Campania have decreased since 1999 .. Campania. Campania. However , Naples still suffers from political and economic corruption , and unemployment levels remain high .. Naples has the fourth-largest urban economy in Italy , after Milan , Rome and Turin .. Rome. Rome. Milan. Milan. Turin. Turin. It is the world 's 103rd-richest city by purchasing power , with an estimated 2011 GDP of US$ 83.6 billion .. purchasing power. purchasing power parity. The port of Naples is one of the most important in Europe , and has the world 's second-highest level of passenger flow , after the port of Hong Kong .. port of Naples. port of Naples. Numerous major Italian companies , such as MSC Cruises Italy S.p.A , are headquartered in Naples .. MSC Cruises. MSC Cruises. The city also hosts NATO 's Allied Joint Force Command Naples , the SRM Institution for Economic Research and the OPE Company and Study Centre .. NATO. NATO. Allied Joint Force Command Naples. Allied Joint Force Command Naples. Naples was a full member of the Eurocities network of European cities .. Eurocities. Eurocities. The city was selected to become the headquarters of the European institution ACP / UE and was named a City of Literature by UNESCO 's Creative Cities Network .. ACP / UE. African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States. City of Literature. City of Literature. UNESCO. UNESCO. Creative Cities Network. Creative Cities Network. The Villa Rosebery , one of the three official residences of the President of Italy , is located in the city 's Posillipo district .. Villa Rosebery. Villa Rosebery. President of Italy. President of Italy. Posillipo. Posillipo. Naples ' historic city centre is the largest in Europe , covering 1700 ha and enclosing 27 centuries of history , and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site .. UNESCO. UNESCO. World Heritage Site. World Heritage Site. Naples has long been a major cultural centre with a global sphere of influence , particularly during the Renaissance and Enlightenment eras .. Renaissance. Renaissance. Enlightenment. Age of Enlightenment. In the immediate vicinity of Naples are numerous culturally and historically significant sites , including the Palace of Caserta and the Roman ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum .. Palace of Caserta. Palace of Caserta. Pompeii. Pompeii. Herculaneum. Herculaneum. Culinarily , Naples is synonymous with pizza , which originated in the city .. pizza. pizza. Neapolitan music has furthermore been highly influential , credited with the invention of the romantic guitar and the mandolin , as well as notable contributions to opera and folk standards .. Neapolitan. Neapolitan language. Neapolitan music. Music of Naples. romantic guitar. romantic guitar. mandolin. mandolin. folk standards. Canzone Napoletana. Popular characters and historical figures who have come to symbolise the city include Januarius , the patron saint of Naples , the comic figure Pulcinella , and the Sirens from the Greek epic poem the Odyssey .. Januarius. Januarius. patron saint. patron saint. Pulcinella. Pulcinella. Sirens. Siren ( mythology ). Greek epic poem. Homeric Greek. Odyssey. Odyssey. According to CNN , the metro stop `` Toledo '' is the most beautiful in Europe and it won also the LEAF Award ' 2013 as `` Public building of the year '' .. CNN. CNN. LEAF Award. LEAF Award. Naples is the Italian city with the highest number of accredited stars from the Michelin Guide .. Michelin Guide. Michelin Guide. Naples ' sports scene is dominated by football and Serie A club S.S.C. Napoli , two-time Italian champions and winner of European trophies , who play at the San Paolo Stadium in the south-west of the city .. football. Association football. Serie A. Serie A. S.S.C. Napoli. S.S.C. Napoli. San Paolo Stadium. San Paolo Stadium