Tag: coffee

Posted on

Best Souvenirs to Bring Home from Napoli

The historic center is the home to artisan craftsmen and traditional workshops, where you can find one-of-a-kind treasures at affordable prices and see how a number of specialty items are still made using traditional techniques passed down through the generations.

It is practically impossible to make an exhaustive list, you will be able to find tailor shops, handcrafted clothing, shoes, contemporary arts, jewelry, vintage items stores in a few meters. My advice is to explore the historic center, enter the courtyards of historic buildings, through the streets and find these gems.

Nativity Scenes

The most traditional of all Neapolitan crafts is the handmade nativity scene, an art form that dates back to the 1700s and that dominates holiday décor in all of southern Italy. The heart and soul of Naples’ nativity scene production is on Via San Gregorio Armeno, that is crowded on both sides with dozens of shops and stalls selling handmade nativity scene figurines, model houses, and props. You can find nativity scenes in all sizes and price ranges on sale.
Ferrigno – Via San Gregorio Armeno, 8
Capuano – Via San Gregorio Armeno, 28

Ceramics

Naples and the surrounding region of Campania have been known for their local ceramic production for centuries. If you love handpainted majolica ceramics, you can choose from an endless variety of techniques and styles, from the elegant porcelain from Capodimonte to the more rustic majolica from Vietri sul Mare. Choose from traditional designs or more contemporary and minimalist motifs.
Mac Bottega Di Ceramica – Via Nilo, 12
Ceramiche di Vietri – Via Domenico Capitelli, 8

Ties

One of the most prestigious arts in Naples is custom tailoring, which includes classic suits, shirts, and ties for men but also specialty items like wedding gowns, hats, and knits. You’ll find a number of landmark shops around Naples that carry a vast selection of high-end ties in pure silk.
Marinella Cravatte – Riviera di Chiaia, 287
Cravatteria Ulturale – Via Carlo Poerio, 115

Lucky Horns

You don’t have to be superstitious to delight in one of the most iconic symbols of Naples’ tradition and lore: the lucky horn, a charm known locally as the “curniciello”. This traditional amulet is in the shape of a hot pepper (or “corno” in Italian) and it is believed to ward off the evil eye. Browse the artisan workshops and jewelry stores in the historic center to choose a handmade version in ceramic or fine red coral.

Unique Musical Instruments

Neapolitan music is beloved the world over and has been an important part of the city’s history and culture for centuries. For music lovers, Naples is the perfect destination for exploring new traditional instruments – many made by hand – and even purchasing one to try at home. To explore the world of Neapolitan folk instruments, take a walk down Via San Sebastiano, known in Naples as “the musician street”.
Loveri S.r.l. Strumenti Musicali – Via San Sebastiano, 15

Leather goods

Wallet, purse, bag, belt or gloves. Neapolitan artisans are some best of Italian craftsmanship.
Scriptura Pelletteria – Via S. Sebastiano, 45

Design

Naples is also the protagonist of the Italian style. There are many shops in the city where you can buy unique interior design pieces.
Versione Luce – Via dei Tribunali, 279
Ferrari – Via Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra, 60/M

Retro Items

In Naples, in recent years, numerous “vintage” shops have opened. In these shops with retò furnishings it is possible to find clothing, objects and accessories from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
Oblomova – Via S. Sebastiano, 20
Oggetti & Stampe d’Epoca – Via S. Giovanni Maggiore Pignatelli, 49
Baule Volante – Via San Biagio Dei Librai, 106

A Neapolitan Coffee Maker (and Coffee)

The final item that should be on your list of souvenirs to bring back from Naples is ideal for coffee lovers: a “cuccumella”, the traditional Neapolitan coffee pot made from aluminum and used on the stovetop. This timeless coffee pot is made up of a number of parts that fit together and together brew a perfect Neapolitan espresso. Be sure to pick up a package or two of ground Neapolitan espresso beans (Passalacqua is a local favorite), sold in grocery shops and coffee bars across the city.
Mexico – Piazza Dante, 86
Spina – Via Pignasecca, 62

SPECIAL

Here is the most special souvenir you can choose. My creation with the punch needle. Choose your shape, your design and I will create it for you during your stay in our apartment. A unique gift.
Melareca Handcrafted

Posted on

Discovering the best Naples attractions: 5 things to see and do once in a lifetime

Naples lives on its traditions, legends and popular beliefs. On its stories, which have been told for centuries and which every good Neapolitan truly believes. To feel like citizens of Naples, you cannot do without listening to these evocative stories, the stories that come from our past.

Naturally, Naples offers a lot of interesting places to see and visit, but it is also fun to get away from the usual routes and devote yourself to the most interesting things to do in Naples today. Put yourself in the shoes of the Neapolitans and live in first person the most intriguing Naples attractions and experiences connected to what has always accompanied the spirit of these people: tradition, charming popular beliefs and religious fervor (a religion that includes football, as Naples has had Maradona, the hand of God).

Cross Piazza del Plebiscito with your eyes closed

The purpose of this game is managing to go between the equestrian statues in the center of the square, sculpted by Antonio Canova and depicting Charles III of Bourbon and Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (the statue of the latter monarch is attributed to Antonio Calì). Rules of the game: close your eyes or wear a blindfold. Procedure: starting from the gate of Palazzo Reale, walk straight for about 170 meters. Do not be surprised if, on opening your eyes, you realize not only that you have not managed to cross the space between the two statues, but that you are somewhere else entirely. According to legend, it is all Queen Margherita’s fault: she is said to have granted a pardon to the prisoners of the Kingdom who passed this test, however, a curse launched by the Queen herself prevented the competitors from being successful. As a matter of fact, the particular conformation of the square, with its surface of not perfectly linear cobblestones, hinders walking in a straight line, making this a very difficult thing to do in Naples with kids, especially during the night.

A scenic view of Piazza del Plebiscito

Leaving a “suspended” coffee

A symbol of Neapolitan generosity, the suspended coffee is a custom born in Naples after the war, when in a period of great crises, the solidarity of the Neapolitans became more intense. Upon entering a bar, people paid for two espressos, one for themselves and one for those who wanted one, but who could not pay for one. A tradition that is still perpetuated and that has given rise to a blueprint of supportive purchases even outside the Neapolitan borders and in other contexts: books, clothing, and food.

Coffee and sfogliatella in a café in Naples

What a beautiful thing is a day at the Gaiola

In front of the Posillipo hill, the Gaiola emerges: it is an islet that is part of the protected marine area Parco Sommerso della Gaiola, which can be reached on foot from the Marechiaro village. This Naples attraction is wrapped in an aura of mystery and sinister legends that have developed since Roman times: the Neapolitans suggest that it brings “jella” (bad luck), but they continue to go there assiduously. In fact, the island is enchanting and it is worthwhile forgetting about the rumors and diving into the crystal-clear water, admiring the seabed and the underwater treasures.

The Gaiola Island, part of the ‘Underwater Park of Gaiola’, a protected marine reserve

Adopt a capuzzella at the Fontanelle Cemetery

This is one of the most typical things to do in Naples: the Fontanelle Cemetery, within a tuff quarry in the Rione Sanità, was the common grave of the plague victims of 1656 and of those who died in the cholera epidemic of 1837. Don Gaetano Barbati placed here the skulls and bones of the victims, who became to the people “pezzentelle”, abandoned souls, stranded between the earth and the afterlife. It is a place of great passion and devotion, where the Neapolitans come to adopt a capuzzella (skull); they give it a name, light a candle, and venerate it in exchange for a favor or a lucky number to play in the lotto. And if the favor is not granted? You change capuzzella!

Skulls and bones at the Fontanelle Cemetery

Pilgrimage to Maradona’s votive shrine

Between 1984 and the early 1990s, at every soccer game played at home, the San Paolo stadium the stands would shake, and a roar welcomed the entry onto the field of Diego Armando Maradona. It is difficult to explain what the Argentine phenomenon meant for the city of Naples and its citizens. The golden boy has enchanted the Neapolitans to the point of being almost sanctified; many were the children born in those years who were baptized as Diego, and the whole city is plastered with posters, murals, and small altars dedicated to him. But the best known niche is that of Piazzetta Nilo, on the façade of the bar named after the square: it holds a precious lock of the champion’s hair, some images, and the advice to stop and have a coffee to be told the anecdote of Maradona’s hair by the bar owner.

Posted on

MOKA POT PREPARATION GUIDE

Background

A tiny, Italian-made, eight-sided wonder, the Moka pot has been with us through our fair share of postage-stamp-sized kitchens and far-flung journeys. It’s experiencing a resurgence lately, which is no doubt due to its ability to produce a viscous, appropriately dense espresso with no electricity or fancy equipment. We’re also charmed by the little gurgle it makes as it works its magic on the stovetop.

Step 1

Grind about 20-22 grams of coffee, about as finely as you would for each shot of espresso.

Step 2

Fill the bottom half of your Moka pot with water.

Step 3

Fill the pot’s filter basket with the ground coffee, and give it a shake (don’t press) to settle the grounds evenly. Now place it into the bottom compartment.

Step 4

Screw on the Moka pot’s spouted top.

Step 5

Place the pot on a stove set to medium heat.

Step 6

When the water in the bottom chamber approaches a boil, the pressure will push a stream of coffee slowly and methodically through the upper chamber. If it explodes upward, your water’s too hot, if it burbles lethargically, turn up your flame. You know it’s done when you hear a hissing, bubbling sound.

Step 7

Enjoy.