NAPOLI | vibrant and dirty with really good seafood.
There was an elevated sense of drama at the Napoli Duomo compared to other churches we've visited. I think this was accredited to the intensity that emanated from those worshiping at the time. They retained such focus in their prayer, even while tourists flowed in and out. My favorite part was this vibrant purple altar piece and a particular couple I watched pray together - her head resting on her husband's shoulder in one of these images above.
San Caterina a Formiello is a stark white church in which the naves hold disjointed collections of worship material. While slightly offensive to say so, I love this image above because it sort of epitomizes my impressions of Napoli. The woman, in her less wholesome heels looks onto a rundown altar of varying jesus imagery. There is a sense that the people are in control of their worship space, a transparency between everyday citizens and their god - the church as an institution is seemingly obsolete.
Napoli's demise is their inability to handle waste. The city garbage co. has been on strike for 12 years - clearly (the image below). While beautiful for its natural setting, I sensed far less romanticism than Florence. The people are harsher and more crude - leaving dinner one evening we got called at like prostitutes! While this scares my impression of the city slightly, this sense of social liberation introduces a richer sense of street culture which I really enjoyed. The graffiti is bolder and more political in Napoli, the vendors bark out in an expressive attempt to gain customers. Everything is alive, and you are dragged into it whether you like it or not.