Quartieri Spagnoli

The Spanish Quarters ( German: Spanish Quarter) is a neighborhood in the southern Italian port city of Naples. You are in the second management unit ( Municipalità II) and within the district ( districts ) Montecalvario. Although their name suggests they are not a separate district.

The Spanish Quarters are part of the historic center of Naples. Today most of the houses are multi-storey, the streets are very narrow and rarely wider than five meters.

Their name comes from the fact that they served mainly as quarters for the Spanish soldiers of the ruling Spanish viceroys in the early modern period.

Location

The Spanish Quarters are located directly on one of the main shopping streets of Naples, at Via Toledo. On the other side of the city Quartieri Vomero hill on which a monastery and fortress are Sant'Elmo begins. At this limited by the side of the Vomero district one finds numerous dead ends, only a few streets leads uphill.

Because of the impasses, the narrowness of the streets and probably also the infamy of the district, there are in many parts of Quarters - although they are very centrally located - relatively little through traffic.

Population and life

The Quarters are 0,125 square kilometers in size and extremely dense inhabited. The population structure is heterogeneous, it consists of both long-established Neapolitans as well as from penniless immigrants. The Spanish Quarters are considered to be rather poor and disreputable quarter, but today (2004) to recognize signs of gentrification to a small extent. So stay earners, intellectuals, artists and students in attics and on the edge of the district. Apart from the dense development with living room there are many shops, workshops, some public institutions and numerous churches.

Even today characterize the spread in Naples ground floor apartments ( Bassi ) the image of the district. It involves homes, their living room or kitchen are separated only by a simple door from the road.

History

The Spanish Quarters were built between the fort situated on a hilltop Vomero Sant Elmo and then surrounded by a wall city during the term of office ( 1532-1553 ) of the Spanish viceroy Pedro Alvarez de Toledo. To this end, he left a part of the city walls torn down and replaced at this point by the still existing today via Toledo. The newly built neighborhood was rebuilt on a grid and consisted of two -story buildings. One reason for the expansion of the city was that now the tenants of new buildings - were quartered Spanish soldiers of the Viceroy ( hence the name Spanish Quarters ) - in exchange for money.

Of demand for living space - - Over time the houses were increased by usually several stories, as well as partition walls and even shelves were drafted more room to get. These are often small and nested structures were then joined often by additional staircases.

Social problems

The quarters are considered poor and disreputable district. As in other areas of the city, is to be active here too, the Camorra. As a major problem applies even for the Naples high unemployment, and the rather low level of education of the residents.