Celebrate love with an unforgettable romantic stay designed for two in the historic heart of Napoli at Domus Deorum Deluxe! Enjoy three consecutive nights for the price of two, plus a complimentary romantic dinner for two.

Turn this Valentine’s Day into a memory you’ll treasure forever – reserve your escape now.

What’s included:
– 3 consecutive nights accommodation (pay for 2)
– 1 complimentary romantic dinner for 2 (set menu)

Valid stay dates:
– Arrivals on 12, 13 or 14 February 2026
– Minimum stay of 3 consecutive nights

Dinner details:
– Complimentary Valentine’s dinner for two, served on 14 February
– Set menu (beverages excluded unless stated)

Book by 10 February
– How to book: Valid for direct bookings only via website, email or phone

Terms & conditions:
– Our standard website rates apply
– Subject to availability
– Valid for 2 adults per room
– Cheapest night is complimentary
– Dinner has no cash value and cannot be exchanged
– Cannot be combined with other offers

Few cities in the world can claim a story as long, layered and alive as Naples. In 2025, Naples celebrates 2,500 years of continuous history, confirming its place as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth. Yet age has never slowed it down. Naples has always evolved, adapted and resisted, while remaining unmistakably itself.

From Parthenope to Neápolis: the Greek Origins of Naples

The story of Naples begins long before modern Italy existed. In the 8th to 9th century BC, Greek settlers founded Parthenope, a small seaside settlement named after the mythical siren who, according to legend, washed ashore along the Gulf of Naples. Myth and reality have always been intertwined here.

Around 600 BC, the Greeks re-founded the city as Neápolis, literally meaning “New City”. This new urban centre quickly grew into a powerful Mediterranean hub of culture, philosophy, trade and art. What makes Naples extraordinary is that this ancient Greek vision is still visible today. The Decumani, the narrow streets that form the historic centre, follow the same grid laid out more than two millennia ago.

Naples Under Rome and Beyond

When Rome absorbed Naples, the city retained its Greek language, customs and intellectual life for centuries. Naples became a beloved retreat for Roman elites, prized for its climate, culture and learning. Even as empires changed, Naples never became a copy of Rome. It remained proudly distinct.

Over time, Naples passed through the hands of Byzantines, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese and Spanish rulers. Each era left its mark on the city’s architecture, cuisine, music and social fabric. Rather than erasing what came before, Naples layered history upon history, like volcanic stone shaped by time.

A Capital, a Kingdom and a Cultural Powerhouse

For centuries, Naples was not a peripheral city but a capital, ruling one of the most important kingdoms in Europe. It became a crossroads of ideas, science and creativity. From early universities to revolutionary music and theatre, Naples helped shape European culture while remaining deeply rooted in its local traditions.

Even after the unification of Italy in the 19th century, Naples refused to fade into the background. Economic hardship, political upheaval and social change tested the city repeatedly, but its identity endured.

Why Naples Feels Different

After 2,500 years, Naples remains exactly what it has always been: unbreakable.

This is why Naples feels unlike any other city. Here, history is not confined to museums or monuments. It lives in the streets, in the voices from balconies, in the rituals of daily life, in recipes passed down through generations. Ancient ruins sit beside busy cafés. Sacred and profane exist side by side.

Naples is not frozen in time. It is alive, loud, imperfect and deeply human.

Celebrating 2,500 Years of Naples

To celebrate Naples turning 2,500 is to celebrate continuity, resilience and reinvention. From Parthenope to Neápolis, from Greek colony to modern metropolis, Naples has never stopped being itself.

And that is its greatest legacy.

Naples is not just a city with history.
Naples is history, still breathing.

Blending high culture with popular tradition, and the sacred with the playful, one of Naples’ most emblematic December performances returns once again to the stage of the Teatro Trianon. For many locals, Christmas simply would not feel complete without La Cantata dei Pastori, brought to life by one of the city’s most iconic and beloved performers, Peppe Barra.

The roots of this work reach back nearly four hundred years. What began as a composition based on music and verse gradually evolved, absorbing elements of popular theatre and the expressive language of the commedia dell’arte, until it became the hybrid spectacle audiences recognise today.

The original piece was written in 1698 by the Jesuit priest and composer Antonio Petrucci. His intention was to reaffirm the spiritual meaning of Christmas at a time when festive customs were becoming increasingly secular and distracting from the religious message of the season.

The name La Cantata dei Pastori dates from the nineteenth century, marking a later phase in its long evolution. While the performance has since shed some of its original solemn tone in favour of humour and accessibility, it remains a compelling celebration of Neapolitan tradition and a rare example of a work that has survived, in various forms, for centuries.

For the 2025–2026 season, nine performances are scheduled, all taking place at weekends between 19 December and 4 January.

There is nothing more magical for children than Christmas, with its decorated trees, the excitement of waiting for presents and, of course, Santa Claus. Yet very often adults enjoy it just as much, letting their imagination run free and feeling like children again, if only for a little while.

For this reason, a visit to Piazza del Plebiscito is among the unmissable things to do in Naples in December 2025, especially for families. It is the perfect place to soak up the festive atmosphere while waiting for the arrival of the “real” Santa Claus.

From the Day of the Immaculate Conception and for the following two weeks, the city’s main square is transformed into a sparkling Christmas village. Lights, wooden stalls, workshops and festive installations fill the space, bringing all the magic of the season right into the heart of the city.

Naples and its surrounding areas host many Christmas markets during this period, with decorated trees and around one hundred and fifty kilometres of twinkling lights illuminating streets and squares. Even so, the market in Piazza del Plebiscito stands out as something truly special. Its iconic setting, combined with a rich programme of shows, music and street food, creates an atmosphere that is both festive and unforgettable.

December in Italy is a truly special month, and nowhere embodies the spirit of Christmas quite like Naples. Few other cities celebrate the season with the same intensity: a vibrant mix of popular culture and ancient traditions, solemn religious moments and joyful, chaotic street life. This unique energy makes December one of the very best times to visit the Neapolitan capital.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the city comes alive with rituals and customs that are deeply rooted in local identity. The most famous stop is San Gregorio Armeno, the historic street dedicated to nativity scenes. Here, traditional craftsmanship reaches its peak, with artisan workshops displaying hand-made figurines, elaborate presepi and contemporary characters inspired by everyday life. In December the street is crowded, noisy and unforgettable, offering a perfect snapshot of Naples at its most authentic.

While walking through the historic centre, and often in other neighbourhoods too, you will likely encounter zampognari, traditional bagpipe players dressed as shepherds. Their music, played on ancient wind instruments, instantly signals the arrival of Christmas. This custom comes from centuries-old pastoral traditions and remains one of the most evocative and emotional sounds of the season in Naples.

Another distinctly local experience takes place on the night of 23 December, when fish markets stay open all night. Neapolitans head out late to buy the freshest seafood for Christmas Eve dinner, creating a lively and chaotic atmosphere filled with shouted prices, packed stalls and the unmistakable scent of the sea. Even if you are not planning to cook, this is an experience you can only truly have in Naples.

Beyond street traditions, December also offers a rich programme of cultural events. Museums, churches and public squares host concerts, exhibitions and celebrations for all tastes, from classical music performances to festive events in historic settings. With its mix of devotion, creativity and lively spirit, Naples in December reveals itself at its most intense and memorable.

Naples’ legendary Teatro di San Carlo presents Tosca, Puccini’s powerful melodramma in three acts. With music by Giacomo Puccini and libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, adapted from Victorien Sardou’s drama La Tosca, this masterpiece blends passion, politics and tragedy. The story follows the opera singer Floria Tosca, her lover Cavaradossi and the ruthless Baron Scarpia in a tale of love and betrayal set against revolutionary Rome.

At San Carlo, the oldest opera house in Europe still in use, Puccini’s sweeping score and dramatic staging come to life, offering audiences an unforgettable evening of Italian operatic brilliance.

Every 19 September, Naples honours its patron saint, San Gennaro, with one of the city’s most important celebrations. The highlight is the Miracle of the Liquefaction, when the saint’s preserved blood is displayed in Naples Cathedral and is said to turn liquid, a sign of good fortune for the city.

The day is marked by solemn processions, joyful music and street festivities, with stalls selling Neapolitan favourites such as sfogliatelle and pizza. More than a religious event, San Gennaro Day unites the community, symbolising resilience, faith and tradition at the very heart of Neapolitan culture.

The Keys of Unity di Milot project – in collaboration with JeanWolfe from Los Angeles – was launched to great fanfare in Naples, the first stop on its tour. Milot’s desire is to give a message of hope in such a difficult and divisive moment, aiming to reawaken the collective thought of a society that has recently lost its way. He wants this to be a universal “cry” of mutual respect between people, so that they can live in peace with each other and there are no more closed and distant places. It is in here, in Naples, literally and metaphorically, that the key is found. A monumental and impressive structure, made of corten steel, Key of Today is sculpture is ten meters high and twenty metres wide.

The first solo exhibition in Naples of the Brazilian artist Thai Mainhard. In the exhibition space of via Pasquale Scura, Mainhard’s journey develops through 7 paintings on canvas and 7 mixed technique drawings on paper in which the artist’s entire visual world explodes between shapes and colours combined in complex and emotional compositions of an expressionist matrix.

Forty-three works by Picasso, compared mainly with Farnese sculptures and paintings from Pompeii, will be displayed in the “Picasso and Antiquity” exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples until 27 August 2023. The exhibition, promoted by MANN under the direction of Paolo Giulierini with the support of the Campania Region and organised by Electa and curated by Clemente Marconi, is part of the international programme “Picasso Celebrations 1973 – 2023: 50 Exhibitions and Events to Celebrate Picasso” on the 50th anniversary of his death.
The exhibition aims to illustrate the profound influence of one of the greatest museums of classical art on the work of one of the most important modern artists.

The National Archaeological Museum of Naples has dedicated this exhibition – Alexander the Great and the East – to the figure of the great Macedonian leader. Until 28 August 2023, hispath of conquest stretching as far as distant India, after having annexed the Egypt of the Pharaohs, the Middle East and Persia, where Alexander was crowned King of Kings, is narrated through about 170 works.
Promoted by the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, the exhibition is organised by the MANN under the direction of Paolo Giulierini with the support of the Campania Region in collaboration with Electa and in partnership with Intesa Sanpaolo.

The Gallerie d’Italia in Naples, a museum belonged to the Intesa Sanpaolo group, shows the exhibition Mario Schifano the new imaginary. 1960 -1990, dedicated to one of the most important 20th century Italian artists on the national and international scene.
Curated by Luca Massimo Barbero, the exhibition presents more than 50 works from the artist’s production from the 1960s to the 1990s, coming from the Intesa Sanpaolo collection, as well important cultural institutes such as the Museo del Novecento in Milan and the Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna Ca’ Pesaro in Venice, as well as from art galleries and national and international private collections, and benefits from the collaboration with the Mario Schifano Archive.

Opera in four scenes. Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, based on the novel by Henri Murger Scene della vita di Bohème. Conductor Francesco Lanzillotta, directed by Emma Dante, sets by Carmine Maringola, costumes by Vanessa Sannino, lights by Cristian Zucaro, and choreography by Sandromaria Campagna.

Programme: Piotr I. Tchaikovsky. SERENADE ballet in one act, choreography George Balanchine, Director Jonathan Darlington.
Alexander Glazunov. RAYMONDA – Act III, choreography by Marius Petipa, Conductor Jonathan Darlington. Orchestra and Ballet of the San Carlo Theatre. Ballet Director Clotilde Vayer.

Zucchero Fornaciari, Roberto Bolle and Placido Domingo are the protagonists of four extraordinary events and a special show, the opening show dedicated to the architect Luigi Vanvitelli and Franco Zeffirelli, broadcast live from the Palatine Chapel. On the occasion of the show, it will be possible to participate in thematic guided tours of the Reggia di Caserta (Royal Palace of Caserta).

A ‘Closed House of Art’ that has become famous. The ‘red’ light envelops the castle, which already, from the outside, hints at the fascinating and extravagant dimension that welcomes the audience. The actors, dressed exclusively in dressing gowns or bathrobes, entice and allow themselves to be approached by the spectators/clients who, armed with ‘dollars’, have to haggle for the price of the individual performances, the so-called ‘pleasure pills’, classic and contemporary monologues. An unusual experience designed to make people think and have fun at the same time.

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a multi-sensory live musical experience to breathtaking venues that have never been used before for this purpose in Naples. Where? At the atmospheric La Terra degli Aranci, by the soothing light of candles. Age limits: 8 years and older. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Accessibility: This venue has disabled access. Doors open 30 minutes before the start of the concert.