Via Toledo

via Toledo at the end of XIX century

Via Toledo is an ancient street and one of the most important shopping thoroughfare in the city of Naples, Italy. The street is almost 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) long and starts at Piazza Dante and ends in Piazza Trieste e Trento, near Piazza del Plebiscito.

History

The street was created by Spanish viceroy Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, 2nd Marquis of Villafranca in 1536, who entrusted Ferdinando Manlio, an Italian architect.

Over the centuries the reputation of the street was increased by the trips of the Grand Tour.

On 15 May 1848 the street was the theatre of the repression of the Neapolitan liberals who defended the recently established constitution.

Between the 1930s and the '50s the street was modified by the construction of taller buildings, especially near the area of Piazza Carità.

From 18 October 1870 to 1980 the street was called "Via Roma" to celebrate the Italian unification.

In 2012 here was inaugurated the metropolitan station called "Toledo", and from Via Armando Diaz to Piazza Trieste e Trento the street has been closed to traffic.

via Toledo today

The street was mentioned by Stendhal, who wrote:

FR: "8 mars 1817. - Je pars (de Naples). Je n'oublierai pas plus la rue de Tolède que la vue que l'on a de tous les quartiers de Naples: c'est, sans comparaison, à mes yeux, la plus belle ville de l'univers."

EN: "March the 8th, 1817. - I'm leaving (from Naples). I will never forget Toledo Street nor the view that we have from all Naples's neighbourhoods: without comparison in my opinion it is the most beautiful city in the universe."

Monuments

The street is one of the most important tourist destinations of the city offering a high number of religious and monumental buildings, connecting two important city squares."

The main sites of historical and architectural interest which are on the street are (starting from Piazza Trieste e Trento to Piazza Dante):

• Galleria Umberto I;

• Palazzo Barbaja;

• Palazzo del Banco di Napoli;

• Palazzo Zevallos;

• Palazzo della Banca Nazionale del Lavoro;

• Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie a Toledo;

• Palazzo Buono;

• Palazzo INA;

• Chiesa di San Nicola alla Carità;

• Palazzo del Conservatorio dello Spirito Santo;

• Palazzo Doria d'Angri;

• Basilica dello Spirito Santo;

• Palazzo de Rosa.

Sources

• Marrone, Romualdo (2004). Le Strade di Napoli (in Italian). 2. Rome: Newton & Compton. ISBN 88-541-0068-4.

• http://insidersabroad.com/italy/blogs/tourist-blog/posts/a-road-by-any-other-name-naples-via-toledo

References

Coordinates: 40°50′44″N 14°14′57″E / 40.84556°N 14.24917°E / 40.84556; 14.24917