The Port of Napoli (also known as Naples) is the capital of the Campania region in southern Italy. Naples lies on Italy's west coast some 44 kilometers northwest of the Port of Salerno and about 250 kilometers southeast of the Port of Civitavecchia, Rome's port. The Port of Napoli lies between two volcanic areas - Mount Vesuvius (last erupted in 1944) and the Plegraean Fields. A 1980 earthquake damaged some of Port of Napoli area. Since then, the area west of Naples has suffered from rises and falls of the land. In 2001, over 993 thousand people lived in the Port of Napoli.

The economy of the Port of Napoli and the Naples area is based on tourism, commerce, and agriculture. Today's Port of Napoli is a busy container terminal. In the past, Naples was a busy industrial city as well, but many of the factories have closed or moved. Today, the Port of Napoli is home to growing electronics and aircraft industries. Its biggest remaining industrial facilities are those that produce Alfa Romeo automobiles. Several ship builders are located in the Port of Napoli. Food processing is a major industry in Naples, and it is famous for its Neapolitan coffee. The economy of modern Naples has moved away from the traditional agricultural economy to a service-based economy, which is the biggest employment sector in the Port of Napoli.

In the 9th Century BC, a group of Greek sailors from Rhodes landed on the site of the future Port of Napoli and, between the 7th and 6th Centuries BC, a Greek colony called Cumae was founded. In 475 BC, Cumae residents founded Neapolis to the east of the colony. Serving as a military port for both Greece and Rome, Naples' growth as a commercial port grew over time.

During Rome's rule, the Port of Napoli joined Rome in the war against Carthage. Its walls stopped Hannibal from conquering Naples. Valued by Rome as a center of Greek culture, the people maintained Greek customs and language, and several emperors vacationed in the Port of Napoli. When Christianity came to Rome, both St. Peter and St. Paul are believed to have preached there. Naples' patron saint, St. Januarius, was martyred there.

After the decline of Rome's western empire, the Germanic Ostrogoths captured the Port of Napoli. But in 536 AD, the Byzantine Empire took Napoli. Struggle for control of Naples continued for many years. When Byzantine influence waned, the Duchy of Naples was created, and it continued to prize its Greco-Roman history. By the late 8th Century, the Port of Napoli was allied with Rome's papacy. The Port of Napoli gained complete independence by 840.

In the 11th Century, the Port of Napoli employed Norman mercenaries to battle their rivals. One hundred years later, the Normans took control of Napoli. Under Norman rule, the Port of Napoli became a member of the Hanseatic cities and enjoyed great prosperity. In the 13th Century, during the reign of Charles I of Anjou, the port grew rapidly and many new buildings were constructed. In 1501, it came under the rule of Louis XII of France, and the Neopolitan king was taken prisoner. This was short-lived, however, as Napoli soon came under the rule of the Spanish Empire.

Even after rule passed to Spain, construction continued with new warehouses, storage areas, factories, and fortifications. In the 18th Century, the dynasty of the Bourbons brought new prosperity, and the Port of Napoli became one of the great capitals of Europe, along with Paris and London. A shipyard was created there, and the first steamship on the Mediterranean set out from the Port in 1818.

The Port of Napoli went into a time of decline after the 1861 unification of Italy. The government siphoned the Port of Napoli' banks into the national treasury, and as many as four million people left the area. Revival finally came in the early 20th Century.

The World War II period saw the Port of Napoli as the primary link between Italy and its colonies. New infrastructure was installed, including the harbor station. Neapolitans did not rebel under Mussolini's fascism, but they were the first to rebel against German occupation. Then after the war, the Port of Napoli was the main disembarkation point for Italians leaving for a new future in America.

Of all Italian cities, Naples was the most bombed during the war. Italy's government provided funding from the 1950s to the 1980s that helped improve the economy. Today, the Port of Napoli still faces challenges from high unemployment and landfill management problems.

The Port Authority of Naples ( Autorita Portuale di Napoli) is a public corporation established by law and the governing organization for the port area with budgetary, financial, and administrative responsibilities. The port authority's duties include planning, coordinating, controlling, and ensuring the safety of port operations; maintaining common and shared Port of Napoli areas, including the seabed; and regulating port services provided to port users for payment.

The Port of Napoli is one of Italy's best ports and one of the most important seaports in the Mediterranean region. In 2008, the Port of Napoli handled a total of almost 19.4 million tons of cargo, including 3.3 million tons in international and European Union traffic and 16.1 million tons of cabotage.

Cargoes handled at the Port of Napoli in 2008 included 6.1 million tons of roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4.7 million tons of solid bulk, 4.3 million tons of liquid bulk, and 4.2 million tons of containerized cargo (in 481.5 thousand TEUs). Liquid bulk cargoes were dominated by refined products (2.0 million tons) and gas (1.1 million tons). The Port of Napoli also welcomed 9 million passengers, including 2.3 million cruise passengers and 6.7 million line passengers.

The Port of Napoli contains four major mooring areas for coastal traffic: Immacolatella Vecchia Wharf, Piliero Quay, Port di Massa Quay, and Angioino Wharf. The Immacolatella Vechhia Wharf is 180 meters long and from 70-150 meters wide. The Piliero Quay is 250 meters long and 180 meters wide. The Porta di Massa Quay is 290 meters long and 15 meters wide, and the Angioino Wharf is 120 meters long. The cargoes that pass through the Port of Napoli include solid and liquid bulk, containers, mixed goods, and roll-on/roll-off traffic.

The commercial area in the Port of Napoli contains 30 wharves and quays that vary from 110 to 390 meters in length. The Port of Napoli contains seven coastal warehouses for bulk liquid products, mineral oils, vegetables, and chemical products. There are two terminals in Naples covering about 35 thousand square meters for timber and cellulose cargoes. Two terminals in the Port of Napoli handle wheat products. The Port of Napoli has three container terminals covering a total area of 200 thousand square meters. Two container terminals at Bausan and the Flavio Gioia Docks specialize in lift-on/lift-off cargo, and one container terminal at the Bausan Dock specializes in roll-on/roll-off traffic.

Most solid bulk cargoes through the Port of Napoli are handled at the Flavio Gioia, Vittorio Emanuele, Pisacane, and Carmine Docks and at the Vittorio Veneto and Villa del Popolo Quays. Much of the solid bulk consists of wheat and grain destined for the alimentary industry in the Campania, Umbria, and Marche regions. Cellulose is a quickly growing part of the solid bulk traffic in the Port of Napoli, and two companies are setting up logistics operations in the Port of Napoli to handle these cargoes.

The Port of Napoli's Solid Bulk Terminal at the Vittorio Veneto Quay is 250 meters long. The silos at the Villa del Popolo Quay can accommodate vessels to 40 thousand DWT on both sides, and the dock is equipped with four suction turbines for handling cargoes.

Liquid Bulk cargoes moving through the Port of Napoli are handled at the Petroli and Flavio Gioia Docks. Almost half of this cargo group is refined products like diesel, petrol, agricultural fuel, and jet fuel. The Liquid Bulk Terminal at the Petroli Wharf is 950 meters long.

Container traffic in the Port of Napoli is handled primarily at the Bausan and Flavio Gioia Docks and the Pollena Quay; however, the Vittorio Emanuele Dock also handles some of that cargo. The Port of Napoli has two specialized terminals for handling containers. Container traffic has increased every year over the past 10 years, and a new 660-meter quay will double the area available for container cargoes and allow the Port of Napoli to accommodate two of the latest generation container vessels at the same time.

The Container Terminal at the Granili Quay, Bausan Dock, is 960 meters long, and it is equipped with four 50-ton quay container cranes and three 110-ton mobile container cranes. The Vlavio Gioia Quay is 685 meters long and is equipped with two 100-ton mobile container cranes and one 60-ton mobile container crane.

More than any other type of cargo, roll-on/roll-off cargoes in the Port of Napoli have increased dramatically in the recent past, primarily as a result of new coastal lines to/from Sicily and the shift from highway to maritime transport. New international lines will soon open that will also increase ro-ro traffic dramatically. The terminal for roll-on/roll-off cargoes is served by a 720 meter long quay at Porta di Massa Quay, Immacolatella Vecchia Dock, and a 300 meter long quay at the Vittorio Emanuele Dock.

The shipyards and repair yards at the Port of Napoli are an important part of Naples' economy. The shipyards employ more than 1500 people and include three brick-built docks and four floating docks. Four large companies and 60 workshops are involved in repairing ships. From 2001 until 2005, the shipbuilding sector in the Port of Napoli grew by over 50%. The Naples shipbuilding industry manufactures small boats like catamarans, motor boats, and trawlers and repairs all types of vessels. The Port of Napoli's naval shipyard is primarily involved in the repair and maintenance of larger vessels. The shipyards in the Port of Napoli employ the latest technologies and offer the highest quality of services available in the region.

The Port of Napoli is a popular port for yachting, receiving more requests to moor more than five thousand units (only 2500 moorings are available). In order to meet this tremendous demand, the Naples port authority plans to reorganize and expand the yachting infrastructure in the Port of Napoli and create three tourist ports. Naples' new Porto Fiorito will have restaurants and bars as well as garaging facilities and other services. Mergellina will be redeveloped to create two thousand new mooring places in Naples. In the future, Naples' Luise Wharf will have two different uses: mixed mooring for yachts and small boats and mooring for small vessels. A new promenade will also be added in the Port of Napoli to support these new marina installations.

The Port Authority of Naples is responsible for the entire coastline stretching from La Pietra to Pietrarsa, which includes several beaches. The port authority has entered into several concessions to create and operate 21 bathing establishments at the Port of Napoli beaches of Posillippo, Marechiaro, and Bagnoli/Coroglio.

The Port of Napoli is a popular hub for passengers and tourists. Located in the center of the city of Naples, the passenger terminals are in a central and ideal position for visitors who want to explore the city. Passenger traffic includes people who are traveling the islands and places in the Gulf of Naples and cruise passengers.

The Port of Napoli's Maritime Station at the Porta Massa Quay is the berthing location for cruise ships. The company Terminal Crociere SpA manages the station, and the port authority is a 5% owner in the company. Naples' Maritime Station contains ten berths, seven mobile walkways, and 12 computerized check-in desks. Amenities include arrival and departure lounges, a luggage carousel, and shops, bars, and other services.

The Terminal Napoli in the Port of Napoli is a joint stock company that manages the cruise terminal, assists cruise vessels, and serves passengers. The company's offices are located in the Maritime Station. The terminal includes all berths near the Port of Napoli's Maritime Station. It has seven boarding berths that are a total of 1100 meters long with alongside depth of 11 meters and seven mobile gangways.

Passengers in the Port of Napoli also use ferries and hydrofoils to travel within the Bay of Naples. Hydrofoils, used for fast traffic, dock at the Beverello Dock in the Piazza Municipio and from Mergellina. Ferries use the Porta Massa Quay.

The City of Naples (Italian) offers an almost endless variety of sights and activities. The heart of Napoli is its historic center, declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO. Underground Naples hides almost 80 kilometers of caves that have been in use since 400 BC. You can visit the city's website for tourist information on the Port of Napoli.

The Port of Napoli houses the biggest, most important archeological museum in Europe, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale. It contains not only most of the artifacts and findings from Pompeii but a luxurious setting for enjoying some of the finest Italian paintings and Roman sculptures as well as a fantastic view of the Bay of Naples. The museum building was completed in the early 17th Century and used as the "Palace of Royal Studies," Naples' university. When the university moved in 1777, King Ferdinand IV restored and adapted the building to contain a royal museum and library. By 1816, the Naples museum housed the breathtaking Farnese collection and the Vesuvian antiquities. Today, in addition to its earlier collections (which have grown with increased archaeological excavations), the museum contains collections of Egyptian antiquities, mosaics, coins, sculptures, and paintings.

Only 22 kilometers from the Port of Napoli are the excavations of Pompeii, the city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, burying most poor souls alive and covering the city with a three-foot layer of ash. Even nearer, Herculaneum was buried under a stream of mud and lava, and many travelers prefer this well-preserved reminder of the fragility of human life. These two excavations are among Italy's most popular tourist destinations.

Naples' Castel dell'Ovo is located on the ancient isle of Megaride where the ancient Cumaenns arrived in the 7th Century BC to found the infant city. In the 1st Century AD, the villa of Lucio Licinio Lucullo was built there, and some remains still exist. The Normans built the first castle on the isle in the 12th Century. The rectangular castle overlooks the Port of Napoli causeway. Inside are many buildings used for special events and exhibitions, and a large round tower stands outside the castle walls. The castle's name (Castle of the Egg) was born of an old legend that claims the poet Virgil put a magical egg in the foundations to support the Naples castle. From the castle, visitors get a wonderful view of the Naples waterfront and the Bay.

The Isle of Capri is a short five kilometers from the mainland Port of Napoli in the Bay of Naples. This beautiful spot has been a popular resort since the Roman Empire ruled the country, and Roman Emperors came here to relax. In Greek mythology, Capri was the island of the sirens that Homer wrote about in the Odysseus. The Emperor Tiberius had a villa on the island. Particularly crowded with Naples tourists in July and August, the island is calmer at other times of the year. The beautiful Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto) is a famous cave on the island where Romans bathed. Roman remains can still be seen when the tide is low on the floor of the cave. Capri was colonized by the Greeks and taken from them by the Emperor Augustus who fell in love with the island. Since the Grotta Azzurra was rediscovered in the 1800s, the Isle of Capri has been one of the world's most famous and popular resort areas.

Travelers who want to visit the Port of Napoli and the many wonders of Naples can find a long list of scheduled cruises on the Cruise Compete website.