Various venues, 5 March – 1 November 2026

Destination Women: Women’s Heritage Routes in Naples

Until 1 November 2026, Destination Women offers free guided itineraries exploring the lives of women who shaped the religious, cultural and civic history of Naples.

Naples can also be told through the stories of the women who, over the centuries, left a profound mark on the city’s religious, cultural, social and civic life.

Destination Women: Women’s Heritage Routes in Naples returns for its second edition, inviting residents and visitors to discover a heritage that is often less visible, yet essential to understanding the identity of Naples.

The 2026 edition, entitled “Women in Power: When Leadership Becomes Care”, explores the lives of women who exercised authority, responsibility and vision: queens, founders, educators and leading figures of civic and religious life who understood power as service, commitment to the common good and care for people, memory and the city itself.

The programme includes 54 free events and 13 religious and cultural itineraries, organised around four thematic routes:

Women’s authority in ancient society
Queens and the exercise of power
Leadership in the service of the common good
Women’s education, past and present

The itineraries connect places of worship, culture and hospitality, creating a female-centred map of Naples. Stops include the National Library of Naples, the National Archaeological Museum (MANN), San Gregorio Armeno, the Monastic Complex of Suor Orsola Benincasa, Santa Chiara, Donnaregina, San Giovanni a Carbonara, the Complex of the Santissima Annunziata, and many other churches, monasteries and historic spaces associated with care, education, spirituality and social commitment.

Alongside the guided visits, the programme features special events, musical encounters, talks, a workshop on female leadership and a conference dedicated to the themes of authority and power.

The result is a citywide programme that does more than simply showcase historic sites: it invites visitors to reinterpret them through the stories of the women who founded, inhabited, transformed or gave meaning to them throughout the history of Naples.

Destination Women offers an opportunity to discover a different side of Naples—more intimate, less familiar and shaped by female figures whose influence has left a lasting impact on the city’s public, religious and cultural life.

It is an invitation to explore Naples through stories of strength, care, intelligence and responsibility.