The districts of Naples are the sectors that, within the city, are identified by particular geographical and topographical, functional and historical features.
Background
Through pragmatic sanction issued on 6 January 1779, King Ferdinand IV ordered that the city of Naples be divided into 12 quarters in order to establish and have each of them a judge of the Grand Criminal Court, in order to favor the public safety of the citizens.[1] The 12 districts of the 1779 city division had the following denomination:[2]
Quartiere di San Ferdinando
Quartiere di Santa Maria della Vittoria
Quartiere di Monte Calvario
Quartiere di San Giuseppe
Quartiere di San Giovanni Maggiore
Quartiere di Portanova
Quartiere di San Lorenzo
Quartiere dell'Avvocata
Quartiere della Stella
Quartiere di San Carlo all'Arena
Quartiere della Vicaria
Quartiere del Carmine Maggiore
Over time the neighborhoods have become 30, and although they no longer have any administrative function they continue to be used in everyday language as geographical references. With the resolutions of the municipal council No. 13 of February 10, 2005, No. 15 of February 11, No. 21 of February 16, No. 29 of March 1 and No. 68 of March 21, the city of Naples is divided into 10 municipality.[3] Previously the municipality was divided into 21 circoscrizioni,[4] consisting of 30 city districts.
Below is a list of unofficial toponyms (some have been in the past, for example in the law on rehabilitation) relating to areas of Naples known to have not administrative value. Often they are relative districts or small villages once outside the city and subsequently incorporated into the urban fabric.