Pompeii

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**Naples, Napoli**

Naples is the capital of [the province] //Campania//, and the third largest city in //Italy//. Its population is nearly 1 million in its administrative limits, the exact amount of people living in Naples is 983,797 people. It is also known as one of Europe's largest metroplis on the //Meditterranean Sea//.

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**[[image:moderndayitaly/300px-Napoli_map.png width="274" height="183" align="right"]]Geography **
The city is located on the west coast of the //Gulf of Naples// in Southen //Italy//. It is nestled between two infamous volcanos, //Mount Vesuvius// and //Phlegraean Fields//. For adminstrative purposes, Naples is separated into thirty different quarters. They are each grouped into ten governmental community boards.

**Climate **
Naples is considered to have a Mediterranean climate with a mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers.

History
Naples was founded in the 9th-century B.C. as part of Italy's //Magna Graecia//. It is one of the continuously inhabited cities of the world. Orginially, it was named //Parthenope// after it's mythological founder, then later named //Neapolis//. Naples played a great role in introducing Greek culture into Roman society.

As the city grew, new and old cities of the //Gulf of Naples// merged into it. The city was an ally of the //Roman Republic// against //Carthage//, where it was able to keep //Hannibal// at bay due to its great walls. Afterwards, it was captured by Samnites but was later recapture by the Romans once more and made into a Roman Colony.

The city was greatly respected by the Roman people as a paragon of Hellenestic culture. While the Roman era reigned, the people of Naples maintainted their Greek language and culture, but expanded with Roman aqueducts, villas, and public baths. The //Temple of Dioscures//, a great landmark, was built there and many powerful emperors such as Tiberius and Claudius chose to vacation there. Later on, Naples became a major Roman cultural centre; Virgil, the author of the great epic poem, the //Aeneid//, recieved some of his education in Naples.

In the same period, Christianity was introduced to the city by the apostoles Peter and Paul. During the 4th century AD, St. Januaris became Naples' patron saint. Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor, was exiled there in the 5th century AD by the Germanic king Odoacer.

Naples was the most bombed Italian city during World War II and was the first Italian city to rise up against the German military. Naples became completely free October 1, 1943.