Via Toledo is one of Naples’ main shopping streets, stretching just over a kilometer and linking the north and south of the city. It was created in 1536 at the request of the Spanish viceroy Pedro de Toledo—hence the name—and marks the boundary between the old city and the Spanish Quarters. The street gained real fame in the 19th century, thanks to the writings of well-to-do young travelers returning from the Grand Tour—the 18th-century equivalent of today’s around-the-world backpacking trips. Think of their travel journals as the blogs and Instagram posts of their time, and you’ll see why, back then, everyone wanted to be seen on Via Toledo. Picture it: carriages and horse-drawn trams rolling past fine linen and glove shops, grand cafés with window displays piled high with sweets, and the smell of vanilla-scented milk drifting from the ice cream counters. In 1840, Via Toledo even became one of the first streets in Europe to be lit by gas lamps. In 1870, Naples’ new mayor renamed it Via Roma in honor of Italy’s newly established capital, but the change met with strong resistance, and the street officially reverted to its original name in 1980. By then, though, locals were so used to calling it Via Roma that you might still hear that name today. From here, you can also hop on the Central Funicular, in service since 1928, for an easy ride up to the Vomero hill and its spectacular views.