A figure from the San Gregorio Armero market
A madness of little shops occupy the sides of a narrow and shady street in the heart of Neapolitan. At Christmas this route is divided by two with security fences to be able to organize the waves of people who go up and down calmly, stopping and buying at the different stalls on this amazing road. Thousands of small pieces carved at street level by Italian artisans appear in each store who work throughout the year to create the most original nativity scene.
Of course, anything goes here: from the typical Italian harlequins or pinocchios, to masks, miniature or life-size caricatures of politicians or actors, to pizzaiolos carrying their pizzas as an offering to the Child. So is this market delicacy. But if after shopping we venture to get lost in that center of Naples, chaotic and wonderful , we will be stepping on one of the places with possibly the most history in the city, the streets that still survive the old Decumanus , the ancient Greek city.
What you will see are alleys with old and impressive buildings and, every two steps, more markets. We advise you to go through Pignasecca fish market , if only to see what life is like in this city, shouting from merchants selling an excellent seafood product in the middle of the street or those who run those tripe shops and other offal with their meats stretched out in the sun: this is life, the real life of fascinating Naples.
To round off the plan, beyond the Christmas figurine, we recommend that you enjoy the most sacred invention of this city: the margarita pizza. In Naples, to speak of pizza is to refer to the simplicity of mozzarella and tomato , no more. But she's also famous the fried pizza , a stuffed and absolutely delicious surprise. The best thing is to escape from the most touristic places and enjoy the traditional pizza in two different places: Pizzeria Alba (Piazza Immacolata 14) , with simple tables where one of the best margaritas in the city and fried pizza from Starita a MaterDei are prepared in front of the diner, a highly recommended restaurant whose room is full of photographs of Sofía Loren and the film L'Oro di Napoli (1954) by Vittorio De Sica.
A man rests next to a stall