Just two blocks from the 100-year-old Naples' Pier and steps away from Palm Cottage, Naples' oldest home, Olde Naples is undoubtedly the most historic spot in all of Collier County, Florida. It is also the most picturesque, treating visitors to postcard vistas that include Mediterranean-style arched entries and breezeways covered with cascading bougainvillea and cozy courtyards bubbling with fountains containing bronze sculptures that evoke images of Florence and Rome. Best of all, the region is also home to high-end clothing stores, trendy boutiques, sumptuous gourmet dining and sophisticated world-class art galleries.

In just three square blocks, art lovers will discover eleven extraordinary art galleries, a fine art auction house and an antique shop specializing in antique china, porcelains, crystal, silver, fine antique furnishings and decorative accessories.

Most visitors enter Olde Naples via Broad Avenue South, and that's where art lovers will find four of Naples' most prestigious art galleries, DeBruyne Fine Art, Galerie du Soleil, Gardner Colby Gallery and Marianne Friedland Gallery. Together, these “Gallery Row” stalwarts offer an impressive collection of antique art from the 19th and 20th century as well as work from many of the leading contemporary painters and sculptors in the world today.

Third Street South serves as the other portal into Olde Naples, and that's where Antinori Gallery, HW Gallery, The Artwork Shop, The Davish Collection, Inc. Gallery of Fine Art and The Englishman are located. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers and Provenance can also be found nestled among Third Street's fountains, clothing stores, outdoor cafes and fine dining establishments, with Four Winds Gallery and Peter Garon Studio just around the corner on Thirteenth.

Most people make Olde Naples a day-trip destination that ends at one of the area's imaginative restaurants. In addition to lavish indoor settings, each area eatery offers patio and curbside seating, adding to the district's ambiance at nightfall, when quaint old-world lampposts bathe streets and alleys with soft, flickering illumination and the mouthwatering aroma of garlic, grilled vegetables and roasting meats wafts through the night air. Dining choices include Campiello (with Tuscany-inspired cuisine), Handsome Harry's (known for steak and seafood served in a Glamour Era setting), Jane's Restaurant on Third (nestled between two courtyards), Le Lafayette (celebrating gourmet French classics), Old Naples Pub (a favorite of locals for 25 years), Ridgeway Bar & Grill (known for its fine wine list), Sea Salt (featuring Venetian-inspired seafood specialties) and Tommy Bahama (with its island bar and cuisine).

People worldwide come to southwest Florida just to visit Olde Naples, Gallery Row and its Third Street South shopping district.

References

SWFL art content provided by Thomas Hall of www.ArtSWFL.com