Porta Capuana is the ancient gate of the north-west road leading out of the old Roman city towards Capua. You’ll find it where Via Carbonara meets Via Casanova. I usually go through it on my way to Via Tribunali in the old town. Google map here.
The area as you go through the gate seems to be a meeting place for different nationalities of maids on different days of the week. Sometimes I walk through and everyone is Russian and another day everyone is Filipino.
Through the arch there’s a decaying shrine to an old pope with plants growing out of it. It was being renovated when I last walked by in 2015.
Across the street from the gate you can still see part of the old city wall and a tower which have been converted into homes.
There’s a nice cake shop nearby…
Carraturo Pasticceria (A), 97 Via Cassanova (on the corner with Corso Garibaldi), www.carraturo.it
A famous pasticceria (since 1837) selling several varietes of Neopolitan cakes including the famous rum-soaked baba, which is more delicate here than elsewhere (B+).
They also sell both varieties of sfogliatelle; frolla (smooth) and ricci (‘curly’). If you’re lucky with your timing they’ll be hot out of the oven (B+).
In the day time I think you’ll get better hot sfogliatelle at Annatasio just down the road (see post on Garibaldi – places to eat) but this place is pretty good too.
I had a larger version here called a Coda di Arragosta (lobster tail). It was good but a bit too brittle in my humble opinion (B).
And it’s open until 9pm making it a good place for me to stop off for a digestivo on the way back to my hotel in Piazza Garibaldi.
