User:Theologiae/Sandbox 5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The culture of Naples, Italy refers to the arts, architecture, history, music, cuisine, gastronomy, literature, theatre, sport, folklore, myths and customs in this particular Italian city, and also its metropolitan area and areas around it.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Napoli_2.jpg/640px-Napoli_2.jpg)
Naples has a rich history, and has been a major cultural fulcrum for centuries. Once a Greek colony called Parthenope and Neapolis, it later emerged into a flourishing centre of politics and the arts under Roman rule, and was one of Europe's main economic, academic, cultural and artistic powerhouses from the middle-ages to the mid-19th century, as the capital of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and a major hub of the Enlightenment era. After the unification of Italy in 1861, Naples saw a political, social and economic decline as it lost most of its importance in the new kingdom of Italy, and was plagued with several problems, including mass bombardment during World War II.[1] Yet, Naples was able to keep its rich culture alive, and after post-war economic growth, and several reforms, it has returned to be a leading cultural and economic city in not only South of the country and Italy, yet also all of the Mediterranean and Europe. As a matter of fact, in 2013, it will host the Universal Forum of Cultures.
Common stereotypes and associations to Naples include the invention of pizza, spaghetti alla puttanesca and contributions to pasta, the creation of the classical and Romantic guitar, as well as the mandolin, the presence of several Roman Catholic churches, the folkloristic characters such Pulcinella which are found in the theatrical commedia dell'arte, and devoutness to religion, notably the honorification of several saints (most notably Januarius, Naples' patron) and Mary.