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It was a Greek colony in the 6th-5th century BC, known as Partenope and later Neapolis. It was fully Romanised during the 4th century BC, and became the principal town in Campania.

After the fall of the Empire, it submitted to the Goths, then to Byzantium, until 1139, when it was conquered by the Normans, led by Ruggero II. With the rise of the House of Anjou, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Naples in 1266, and in 1442 passed to the Aragons (Alphonse I, King of the Two Sicilies), then to the Spanish in 1504, becoming of increasing economic, cultural and artistic importance. The Kingdom remained a Hapsburg possession from 1707 till 1734, the year of the start of Bourbon domination, which lasted, except during the Republican period (1799) and rule by Murat (1806-1815), until the unification of southern Italy with the rest of the country in 1860.

Attractive sights of Naples
Those of exceptional interest include Castel Nuovo or Maschio Angioino (13th century), a majestic trapezoidal structure and a symbol of Naples, embellished by the monumental Arch of Triumph (15th century).

Palazzo Reale (17th-18th century, neoclassical), the Duomo (13th century, originally Gothic) and the Baroque chapel of S. Gennaro, the city's greatly venerated patron saint.

S. Lorenzo Maggiore church (13th century, Gothic-Proven�al), the Certosa di S. Martino (16th-17th century, Baroque, built over a pre-existing building), the church of S. Chiara (14th century, Gothic-Proven�al) with the fine adjacent cloisters of the Clarissa nuns.

The church of S. Domenico Maggiore (13th-14th century), the S. Gennaro catacombs (2nd century, with interesting old painted ornamentation), Castel Capuano (founded by the Normans, 12th century, now the Law Courts), Palazzo Gravina and Palazzo Cuomo (Renaissance).