Naples: Graffiti

The term is derived from Italian, so it should be no surprise to see graffiti in major cities across the country. Naples is no exception, and its surface transportation has been the subject of some serious attention from the spray paint brigade over the years.


While buses get put away in depots overnight, and the Line 1 Metro trains make their way back to a fenced off compound at Piscinola, the trainsets of the Circumvesuviana, Circumflegrea and Cumana systems enjoy no such benefit. As the national rail provider, Trenitalia, has made great strides over the past decade to clean off graffiti from its stock, the local networks’ laxity rather stands out.

It might be thought that at least the Circumvesuviana would make an effort: their services are the most convenient way to reach the historic sites at Herculaneum and Pompeii, and the pleasant resort of Sorrento (where the photo below was taken).

Fortunately, tourists appear not to be seriously deterred from taking the train. The thought enters that the routinely grim road traffic may help matters where graffiti removal policy does not.