Naples

Sources from old books

1682. Cosmography and geography in two parts by Richard Blome.

The third and last part of Italy in general, we have comprehended under the Kingdom of NAPLES, which by some have been divided into 6 parts, viz. Terra di Lavoro, Calabria Superiour, and Inferiour, Abruzzo, Pugia, or Capitanata, and Terra di Otranto. It is enclosed on all parts with the Sea, except towards the Lands of the Church; it is every where very fertil, and by some accounted the richest in all Italy, abounding in excellent Wines, Silks, both raw, and wrought into many Fabricks; in Oils, Saffron, Almonds, Anniseeds. Argal, Brimstone, Mines of several Metals, &c. It is well water'd with Rivers and fresh Streams, affords plenty of Cattel, Fowls, and Grains, and is throughout replenished with fair, pleasant, and beautiful Cities and Towns. Its parts are:

1. TERRA DI LAVORO, in which part is seated Naples, the Metropolitan City in this Kingdom, and one of the fairest of Europe, calied by the Italians, Napoli la Gentile, as being inhabited by so many Nobles and Gentlemen. It is seated on the Mediterranean shoar, amongst pleasant Hills and fruitful Fields, a City of great antiquity, being said to be built by Hercules; it is about 7 miles in compass, fortified with 4 strong Castles, a strong Wall, with Towrs, Ditches, &c. so that it is in a manner impregnable; it is beautified with many superb Structures and magnificent Churches, Monasteries, Colledges, Courts, and Palaces of Princes and Nobles, adjoyning to pleasant and delightful Gardens: its Port and Haven is commodious and good, where are kept store of Gallies. This place of late years hath been famous for its strange Rebellion under Massanello, a poor Fisher-man; here is an Hospital, endowed with 60000 Crowns yearly, for the maintenance of the sick, maimed and impotent People. The second City is Cajeta, commodiously seated on the Sea-shoar, a place of good strength. 3. Potzol, a fair and beautiful City, seated on the Sea-shoar, enjoying a commodious Port. 4. Capua, seated on the Banks of the River, Vulternus; a place of great antiquity, and once very beautiful. 5. Nola, where Hannibal received an overthrow by Marcellus: and 6. Euma, once a fair and beautiful City, but now nothing but a heap of Ruins, nigh to which is the Lake Avernus, much famous amongst the Poets, whose unwholsom sulphureous stink so infecteth the Air, that Birds flying over it lose their lives; and hereabouts (according to fiction,) the Poets descend into Hell, and here Aeneas went down into Hell to talk with his Father.

• 1.652. CALABRIA Superiour, hath for its chief places 1. Tarentum, built by the Lacedemonians, and is the Birth-place of Architas the Philosopher. 2. Cotrone, whose Inhabitants were noted for their activity in the Olympick Games. 3. Sybaris, built and peopled by the Grecians after the destruction of Troy. 4. Amycle, formerly peopled by the Pythagoreans: and 5. Cosenza, a fair City, being the chief of these parts.

• 1.663. CALABRIA Inferiour, whose chief parts are, 1. Peste, or Pessidonia, where Roses grow thrice a year. 2. Regio Rhezo, or Rhegium, so called, because that here it is thought that Sicily was by the Sea broken from Italy. 3. Salernum, famous for the study of Physick: and 4. Nicotera, seated on the Sea-shoar.

• 1.674. ABRƲZZO hath for its chief places, 1. Aquila, seated near the Appennine. 2. Aquino, the Birth-place of that famous School Divine Thomas Aquinas. 3. Sulmona, the Birth-place of Ovid the famous Poet. 4. Benevento, once called Malevent•m: and 5. Molise, which some esteem to be the chief of the County.

• 1.685. PƲGIA, whose chief places are, 1. Manfredonia, dignified with the Seat of an Archbishop. 2. Cannae, famous for the signal Victory gained by Hannibal against the Roman Consuls and the Romans, of whom were slain about 42700, 3. Barletta, a strong Fortress. 4. Venusia, the Birth-place of Horace. 5. Arpinum, the Birth-place of Tully: and 6. Mont St. Angelo, a fair City, not far from Manfredonia.

• 1.696. TERRA DI OTRANTO hath for its chief places, 1. Otranto, the taking of which by Mahomet the Great, put all Italy into such a fright, that Rome was almost left without Inhabitants, and was not fully inhabited until the expulsion of the Turks the next year. 2. Brundusium, boasting in its Haven, which is esteemed not inferiour to any in Christendom. 3: Gallipoli, a place of some Traffick, affording abundance of Oyls and Cattle. 4. Leccie; 5. Tarantum; and 6. Brindici; all places of good account.

In this Kingdom are 20 Archbishops, 127 Bishops, 13 Princes, 24 Dukes, 25 Marquesses, and 90 Earls. But let us proceed to the Italian Isles, and first with Sicily.