Napoli: spaccanapoli

The greek city of Neapolis, as usual in the ancient greek towns, had developed around three straight streets running parallel from East to the West (called "plateiai" by Greeks and "decumani" by Romans) and crossed by several secondary streets at right angles. They correspond to the actual streets of Via Anticaglia, Via Tribunali and Spaccanapoli (starting from North to the South) that are however on an higher ground level, because what remains of the ancient Greek and Roman buildings are situated nowadays underground and can be partially visited with the guides of the association "Napoli Sotterranea" (Undeground Naples).

The main decumanus was Via Tribunali and in its middle there was the main public square with the marketplace and the temples ("agora" for Greeks, "forum" by Romans), corresponding to the current Piazza San Gaetano. But the most interesting decumanus for tourist in the southern one, because they had been built on it many important monuments during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. And also because its straight path, extended until the Vomero hill, has a strong scenographic impact, giving the impression to cut the city of Naples in two parts, from which its name "Spaccanapoli" (Cutting Naples).