25+ Inspirational Naples Quotes, Proverbs & Puns You’ll Want to Steal
Are you looking for a quote about Naples to use as a photo caption or witty pun for your Instagram feed? Or perhaps you are simply seeking inspiration to book your next city break to Italy.
Dive into my hand-curated collection of Naples quotes that best reflect the nature of this elegant city.
Feel free to copy your favourite Naples caption and paste it into your Twitter, Instagram or Facebook post.
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Famous Quotes about Naples, Italy
Sitting north of the Amalfi Coast in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, the UNESCO-listed Naples is one of Italy’s most compelling cities. Its crumbling and chaotic beauty has inspired writers and poets for centuries.
Let’s start with some of the best-known Naples quotes.
1. Everything is blue in Naples. Even the melancholy is blue. – Libero Bovio, lyricist and poet
2. Naples is the flower of paradise. The last adventure of my life. – Alexandre Dumas
3. Rome is stately and impressive; Florence is all beauty and enchantment; Genoa is picturesque; Venice is a dream city; but Naples is simply — fascinating. – Lilian Whiting, journalist
4. I have a concept of Naples that is not so much of a city, per se, but rather an ingredient of the human spirit that I detect in everyone, Neapolitan or not. The idea that ‘Neapolitanism’ and mass ignorance are somehow indissolubly linked is one that I am prepared to fight with all the strength I have. Quite simply, I refuse to believe that the living conditions of a population can only be improved at the cost of annihilating everything human in their way of life. Indeed, there are times when I think that Naples represents the last remaining hope for the human race. – Luciano De Crescenzo, writer, actor and director
5. He who doesn’t love Naples, has yet to learn how to love life. – Anonymous
6. I exist only because inside of me and above all else I am only and above all a Neapolitan. Naples exists inside of me, and always will. Fortunately for me there is this treasure that I have inside of me and, when I need it, then I pull it out. – Sophia Loren
7. Naples sitteth by the sea, keystone of an arch of azure. – –Martin Farquhar Tupper, writer and poet
8. … the city of Naples was like this: wonderful from a distance, but when seen close up, it was fragmentary, indefinable, and coarse … – The Paradise of the Devils, Franco Di Mare
9. Naples is curiously chaotic and, if I’m honest, a bit dilapidated. It certainly has a ‘lived-in’ look. It’s alive, it’s vibrant, it’s a little bit dirty, it’s busy, and I loved it. I felt like this was how Rome would probably have been 2,000 years ago. There’s a real bustle, and it’s down and dirty. – Paul Hollywood
10. Naples is a paradise: in it every one lives in a sort of intoxicated self-forgetfulness. It is even so with me: I scarcely know myself; I seem to myself quite an altered man. Yesterday I said to myself, “Either you have always been mad, or you are so now. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Famous Naples Quotes: Neapolitan Proverbs
Thanks to literary works from authors like Elena Ferrante and a thriving music culture, the Neapolitan dialect has not only survived but has blossomed. This dialect is rich with expressions and proverbs, filled with wisdom and life advice.
Here are a few of my favourites.
11. See Naples and then die
This common Naples expression was echoed most famously by German writer Johan Wolfgang von Goethe following a trip to the city. As Naples was so beautiful and artistically rich, once you have seen it you need not see anywhere else.
Here is the quote in full:
I won’t say another word about the beauties of the city and its situation, which have been described and praised often. As they say here, “Vedi Napoli e poi muori! — See Naples and die!” One can’t blame the Neapolitan for never wanting to leave his city, nor its poets singing its praises in lofty hyperboles: it would be wonderful even if a few more Vesuviuses were to rise in the neighbourhood.
This famous saying about Naples was also taken up by Arthur John Strutt, the English painter, engraver, writer, traveller and archaeologist
12. Here we are at last. The Italian proverb says “See Naples and die” but I say, see Naples and live; for there seems a great deal worth living for.
13. A’ lietto astritto, cuccate ammiezo (In little bed, you must sleep in the middle).
14. Ccà nisciuno è fesso (No one here is stupid).
15. Tutt’ ‘o munno è paese (The whole world is provincial).
16. Dicette ‘o pappecio ‘n faccia ‘a noce: damme ‘o tiempo ca te spertos o (The worm said to the walnut tree, give me time so I can burrow into you).
This famous Neapolitan expression implores you not to let go.
17. Se venne Napule pe nu soldo e nun ce sta ‘o soldo (You could sell the whole of Naples for a dollar, but nobody would have the dollar to buy her).
18. Jamme bell’, jà! (Come on, beautiful, come on!”).
19. L’acqua è poca e ‘a papera nun galleggia (There’s so little water not even a duck could float.)
One for when times seem really tough!
20. Chi va pe chisti mare, chisti pisce piglia (He who travels these seas will catch these kinds of fish).
21. ‘A spieca è fatta ‘o ‘ gnurante (Explanations are for the ignorant).
22. ‘A femmena ‘nfenesta nun fa maje festa (For the woman that strays to the window, the days are all the same)
This Naples saying is one of my favourites. It tells us not to be a spectator, to leave that metaphorical window and go out and live your life.
Naples Puns for your Instagram feed
Finally, there are times when only a witty caption for your social media feed will do. Here is my pick of the best Naples puns.
23. It would take a Herculanium effort to drag me out of bed this morning.
24. We lava-d our trip to Mount Vesuvius.
25. Ash me how my day was at Pompeii.
26. What did the boy volcano say to the girl volcano? I lava you!
27. What’s a volcano’s favourite historical document? the Magma Carte
Take a look at these next!
If you like these Naples quotes and captions, take a look at these quotes about Florence, these Milan quotes, these Italian food sayings, this set of quotes about Rome, these Venice captions, quotes about Italy or these Tuscany quotes.
