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Lights and Sounds of Naples, Four Days of New Year’s Events

It will be a four-day celebration, from December 29th to January 1st, following the ‘Naples City of Music’ project, catering to both the younger and older generations. The programming is aimed at highlighting various forms of entertainment, particularly musical.

Friday, December 29th

The event calendar kicks off with two moments of solidarity. First, Maestro Carlo Morelli will bring “La musica in carcere” (Music in Prison) with the band performing for the inmates of Poggioreale. The second event is dedicated to young patients at Santobono, who, in the afternoon (3:00 PM), will receive a visit from Mayor Gaetano Manfredi accompanied by artists Lele Blade, Lda, Francesco Cicchella, and Peppe Iodice.

Saturday, December 30th

Children’s New Year at Maschio Angioino: From 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, the castle will transform into a magical place for children with games, shows, and entertainment. In Piazza Plebiscito, starting at 8:00 PM, the focus will be on urban and rap music with various artists from the Neapolitan scene and beyond. The evening will open with the winners of the “Young Promises of City of Music” contest selected by a distinguished jury composed of Geolier, Luchè, and Chiummariello. Performances will include Plug, Lele Blade, MV Killa, Yung Snapp, Niko Beatz, Enzo Dong, NTO, Coco, LDA, Vale Lambo, Andrea Settembre, and closing the concert, the lady of Italian rap, Rose Villain, one of the protagonists of the upcoming Sanremo.

Sunday, December 31st

A grand show in Piazza Plebiscito awaits the midnight toast with the participation of many artists, comedians, and singers. Starting at 9:00 PM, on stage, Enzo Avitabile and i Bottari, The Kolors, Francesco Cicchella, Arisa, and Jimmy Sax will perform in an evening hosted by Peppe Iodice, Francesco Mastandrea, Francesco Procopio, and Daniele Decibel Bellini. Other great figures from the entertainment world, such as Gabriele Esposito, Erminio Sinni, and Ciro Giustiniani, will also warm up the audience. Young emerging comedians from a contest will also perform on stage.

December 31, 2023, from 11:30 PM to 6:00 AM ‘Naples changes track’:

At Colonna Spezzata in Piazza Vittoria, the new year will be celebrated with HISTORY 90+, an irresistible format launched by Drop dedicated to the fabulous 90s, featuring the unmistakable radio style of DJ Cerchietto and DJ sets by Danilo De Santo and Irene Ferrara, followed by vocalist Goldie Voice.

On the stage at Rotonda Diaz, the dance floor will be animated by the new generation of the Neapolitan club culture in collaboration with musical collectives Drop, Soul Express, and Bang! The protagonists of Nu Disco and Nu Funk made in Naples, including Marvin&Guy, Pellegrino, Fantasie Safari, Mario Bianco & Gabriele Del Prete, Vincenzo Curcio B2B Mugman, and Valerio Viglione, all DJs and musical producers from the Naples metropolitan area, will follow.

Monday, January 1st

At Colonna Spezzata from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, NAPOLI JAM SESSION. A concert/event curated by Max Jovine, bassist of 99 Posse, bringing together about thirty authors, artists, and musicians from the new Neapolitan music scene. Starting at 4:00 PM on January 1, 2024, an original and transversal musical blend will merge rhythms, sounds, and various languages produced in recent years under the shadow of Vesuvius. From the N’Arte collective band to Maestro Giuseppe Spinelli’s band, which will accompany the live performances of fifteen special guests: 1. Andrea Tartaglia; 2. Balbusea; 3. Veronica Simioli; 4. Antonio Marino; 5. N’Arte Collective; 6. Dario Sansone; 7. Francesco Di Bella; 8. Greg Rega; 9. Helen Tesfazghi; 10. Jovine; 11. Peppoh; 12. Simona Boo; 13. Zulù; 14. Fabiana Martone; 15. Vesuviano.

At the Basilica di San Domenico Maggiore, at 6:00 PM, the new year will begin with the traditional classical music concert paying tribute to Maestro Roberto De Simone ‘Natale a Napoli alla Corte di Carlo di Borbone’ (Christmas in Naples at the Court of Carlo di Borbone). The orchestra La Nuova Polifonia, conducted by Alessandro De Simone, and the vocal ensemble Ensemble Vocale di Napoli will perform the Christmas Motet “Quem vidistis pastores?” brought to light by Maestro Roberto De Simone. A Christmas musical moment that Naples has never given up since 1737, in the splendid setting of San Domenico Maggiore, and an important event not only for promoting local traditions but also for the history of European music and culture.

The Neapolitan pastry tradition for the Christmas holidays

The tasty Christmas delicacies from Campania are part of the centuries-old Neapolitan pastry tradition: roccocò, susamielli, divino amore, zeppole and struffoli, lead us by the hand in the liturgical period of Advent, to long evenings spent at home, to the game of tombola.

Zeppole or Ancient Scauratielli.

Typical of the Sorrento coast, they are fried donuts prepared with a dough made from flour, water, milk and aniseed, and seasoned with honey, riavulilli (for the uninitiated, they are microscopic sugared almonds of various colors that bring to mind the decorations of our Christmas) and orange peel.

Among the Neapolitan trades there was also that of the zeppolara who fried these donuts in lard or animal fat in the street and served them covered in honey.

Zeppole

Struffoli

Delicious sweet balls fried and dipped in honey. In Naples it is not Christmas without struffoli, that explosion of taste that makes you feel like a child again every time you eat them, golden and colorful with riavulilli and candied fruit.

The origin of struffoli is Greek: the name derives from strongulos, i.e. spherical, rounded or hollow-shaped pasta; this preparation is also consolidated in the Neapolitan confectionery tradition, the confections by the Nuns of the convents of the Croce of Lucca and those of S. Maria dello Splendore were splendid.

A little curiosity, in Greek cuisine, there is a similar sweet, the Loukoumades, mixed with flour, eggs, sugar, nutmeg and seasoned with honey flavored with lemon and cinnamon.

Struffoli

Mustacciuoli

The mustacciuoli have a rhomboidal shape, are about 10-12 cm large and are covered with a chocolate glaze, while inside they are characterized by a soft paste with a taste of honey and candied fruit.

These desserts are particularly loved by Neapolitan children for their softness and for the taste that combines honey and chocolate.

Mustacciuoli

Roccocò

Donut-shaped sweets, in which the scent of citrus fruits sends our thoughts back to the Mediterranean, its coasts and its flower gardens.

Impenetrable sweet, hard, suitable for those with solid teeth, its name comes from the French rocaille for the baroque and rounded shell shape.

It is a particularly hard biscuit so it can be softened by dipping it in vermouth, sparkling wine, white wine or marsala.

Roccocò

Divino Amore

History has it that, in the 13th century, the cloistered nuns of the Divino Amore convent, located near San Biagio dei Librai, prepared these sweet pastries to pay homage to Beatrice of Provence, mother of King Charles II of Anjou. Today the convent no longer exists, but the tradition of preparing Divino Amore has never stopped.

The Neapolitans love to taste these sweet oval pastries covered with a pink sugar glaze and filled with almonds, mixed candied fruit, eggs and apricot jam.

Divino Amore

Susamiello

It is one of those desserts that the Neapolitans always want to see on their festively laid table during the Christmas period. But don’t call it just a biscuit. It is, in fact, a dessert in all respects. Compared to the Roccocò of which they are distant relatives, the Susamielli are a little softer and have the characteristic “S” shape. They owe their name to the covering with sesame seeds and among the ingredients used to prepare them, the minced walnuts, honey, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg stand out for their aroma.

Susamiello

What is your favorite Neapolitan Christmas dessert, and above all, why?

Do you need a taxi?

We recommend these apps to download on your smartphone to easily book your taxi and know the fares in advance. Look for them on the web or in your store.

Remember to make an appointment in Via dei Tribunali 94, outside the Pizzeria Di Matteo, it will be easier for the driver to reach you!

www.ittaxi.it or alternatively www.radiotaxipartenope.it
You can also book by calling +39 081 01 01
www.apptaxi.it
www.uber.com/it/it/ride/ubertaxi
www.wetaxi.it

Honours awarded by Travelmyth

Let’s start this february with a new award!

Travelmyth is a website for sophisticated travellers there are currently 3M+ hotels and accommodations in 54 categories, such as former castle, beachfront apts, hotels with infinity pool, historic, nightlife, small accommodations and so on.

Travelmyth have published badges for 2021 and our apartment Interno16HolidayHome has acquired one in the small accommodation collection.

Traveller Review Award 2020

It is with great pleasure that we want to celebrate the Booking Traveller Review Award!
Congratulations to us!

The Booking.com Traveller Review Awards is an annual appreciation programme that recognises partners for their exceptional hospitality, as evidenced in the review scores left by travellers after their stay or experience. The 2020 edition review score is based on the average score of all guest reviews published on the Booking.com website and app between 30 October 2017 and 30 October 2019. 

New Year’s in Naples: what to do and where to go to toast the new year

Celebrate the new year and start off on the right foot: here are some original ideas to toast the new year in the Neapolitan city.

New Year’s Eve in Naples: a whole party

In Naples, the New Year is a big outdoor party. On the streets of the center, in Piazza del Plebiscito, where the concert is held and at midnight on the 31st street towards Castel dell’Ovo to greet the new year with a incredible fireworks.

The party continues, until dawn the following day, on the Naples seafront, from Mergellina to Borgo Marinari where five stages will be set up between via Caracciolo and via Partenope which will host artists, bands and discos in the open.

At the Rotonda Diaz instead there will be the traditional appointment with the daredevils who will dive into the waters of the Gulf to greet the new year.

A must for those who want to spend it in a club on the 31st is Arenile di Bagnoli: here every year the Neapolitan New Year is celebrated with an unforgettable party.

For a dinner party, the board is the Posillipo Theater which organizes a dinner and disco after midnight.

The alternative to dinners and parties is the San Carlo Theater with the wonderful performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.

Casatiello Napoletano. The King of Easter in Napoli.

There are two things that are synonymous with Easter in Napoli – Pastiera – the ricotta and wheat based pie that is like a cheesecake on steroids and its equally indulgent antithesis – the rustic and savoury Casatiello Napoletano. Think of them as the yin and the yang or the Adam and Eve of the Neapolitan Easter table.

A type of rustico, or a rustic bread, Casatiello is hardy, filling, and oh so satisfying. Something I would think of more as a comfort food for the cold, wet days of winter, here it is nevertheless a symbol of spring.  Made only for the Easter holiday, its brother Tòrtano however is made year round.

Two breads cut from the same dough, the only difference between them – hard-boiled eggs. Perhaps symbolic of creation, I can only guess the addition of eggs to Casatiello render it suitable only for the Easter holiday. Made in a round pan similar to an American bundt pan, the shape is said to symbolize the crown of thorns.

The recipe dates to at least the 1600s and they say, the Napoletani that is, that it is not Casatiello without sugna (or strutto in Italian) – pork fat/lard. Served as part of the antipasti on Easter day, it tastes even better the next day, Pasquetta – Easter Monday.

The first step in any good Casatiello? The ingredients.

Flour, lievito – fresh yeast sold in little cubes, water, salt, pepper, and most importantly, sugna for the dough. Hard boiled eggs and an assortment of salumi and cheese inside.

To make Casatiello with 1 kg flour we recommended “un mezzo chilo di misto,” – a 1/2 kg of assorted salumi and cheese. For our Casatiello we chopped up some ciccioli, capicollo, salame napoletano, and pancetta coppata. Pecorino cheese is typically used but this time we are using a Caciotta di Avellino.

Ingredients

For the dough
1 kg flour plus extra for rolling the dough.
300 ml Water.
1 cake (.6 oz) fresh yeast or one package or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast.
Warm water.
Salt and pepper.
About 4 tbsp of lard for the dough plus more for coating the dough.

For the filling
1/2 kg assorted salumi and cheese.
6 hard-boiled eggs.

Cooking Method

Pour flour onto a work surface.
Mix in salt and a very generous amount of pepper.
Add yeast (if you are using active dry yeast you will need to dissolve it in about  1/2 cup warm water first).
Add water a little bit at a time, working it in until a soft dough begins to form.
Add the lard and work it completely into the dough.
Continue working the dough, adding water as needed until the dough is just slightly damp and very elastic.
Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise 2 hr or more.

The Casatiello dough after the first rise

Meanwhile chop the salumi and cheese
Boil and chop the eggs and add them to the salumi mixture

After the dough has risen one hour, flour the work surface and roll it out into a large rectangular form.

Spread the salumi mixture across the length of the dough starting near the bottom of the dough.  

Roll the dough up like a cigar, pinch the edges and coat them with lard.

Roll up the Casatiello

Bring the ends together to form a circular shape.

Grease the Casatiello pan with lard, work the dough into the pan and generously coat the top of the dough with lard.

Cover and let rise 3 hours.

Casatiello after the second rise

Bake at 180º C for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Buon Appetito!