PLAN YOUR TRIP
Welcome to Naples, Pompeii & the Amalfi Coast.................. 2Map .................................. 410 Top Experiences ........ 6Need to Know ................. 12First Time ........................ 14If You Like ........................ 16Month by Month ............. 18Itineraries ........................ 20Eat & Drink Like a Local..................... 23Outdoor Activities .......... 25Travel with Children ....... 28Regions at a Glance ....... 30
YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT
Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip
UNDERSTANDNAPLES, POMPEII & THE AMALFI COAST
Naples, Pompeii & the Amalfi Coast Today ...... 216History ............................. 218The Arts........................... 227Neopolitan Way of Life ... 231Saints & Superstitions ... 235The Campanian Table .... 239Architecture .................... 246The Subterranean City .. 251The Camorra................... 255
elief systems% of population)
5
4.52.5
Roman Catholic Other Christians
Muslim Other religions
88
if Naple100 peo
98 would be Ita2 would be othe
8th century BC
Greeks establish a colony at Cuma in the Campi Flegrei. The area becomes
the most important Greek settlement on the Italian mainland
and a strategic part of Magna Graecia.
680 B The Cuman Greekstablish Parthenopthe island of Megnaming it in honoa suicidal siren wh
song fails to sedthe cunning Ulys
torico (historic centre stands. Despite the Cumaeans resilience, the Etrus
and in 421 BC the Greeks fell to the Samnitematch for the Romans who took Nea olis in273 BC, they added Paestum to their list; a G5th century BC.
Togas, Triumph & Terror Under the Romans, the Bay of Naples sparkmal spas and cashed-up out-of-towners. Far
Anfiteatro Flavio (p ### ), Pozzuoli
History & Art Few parts of Europe would dare compare their cultural riches to those of Naples and its fabled surrounds. A former royal capital, Naples has been home to countless cultural deities, from painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio to sculptor Cosimo Fanzago and composer Alessandro Scarlatti. The region lays claim to Italy’s largest opera house and royal palace, many of the country’s nest paintings, sculptures and frescoes, and not to mention a large share of Graeco-Roman ruins. Let your imagination run wild at the temples at Paestum, on the chariot-grooved streets of Pompeii, or in the frescoed mag-ni cence of Villa Oplontis. Compare the Gothic minimalism of Naples’ Complesso
Monumentale di San Lorenzo Maggiore to the outrageous rococo of its Chiesa di San Gregorio Armeno. From frescoes to marble carvings, the region’s glut of artistic marvels will satiate the greediest cultural appetites.
Culinary Riches Naples and its region are the country’s culi-nary soul, home to Italy’s best pizza, pasta, mozzarella, vegetables, citrus and seafood. It’s like one never-ending feast; wood- red pizza and potent espresso in Naples, long, lazy lunches at Cilento agriturismi (farm stays), alici fritte (fried sardines) on weath-ered Tyrrhenian islands and lavish pastries in chintzy Salerno pasticcerie (pastry shops). Even the simplest bite can be a revelation,
welcome toNaples,Pompeii & the Amal Coast
“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET
PAGE
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215GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP
Learn about the big picture, so youcan make sense of what you see
Need to Know
Currency » Euro (€)
Language » Italian
High Season(Jul–Aug)
» Queues and crowds at big sights, beaches and on the road, especially August.
» Many restaurants
Shoulder (Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct)
» Good deals on accommodation.
» Spring is best for festivals, flowers and
Low Season(Nov–Mar)
» Prices up to 30% lower than high season.
» Many sights, hotels and restaurants
When to Go
NaplesGO Sep–Jul
CapriGO Apr–Jun;
Sep–Oct
PositanoGO Apr–Jun;Sep–Oct
SalernoGO Apr–Jun;Sep–Oct
SorrentoGO Apr–Jun;
Sep–Oct
Warm to hot summers,mild winters
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Your Daily Budget Budget less than
€100 » Dorm bed: €15–25 » Double room in a
budget hotel: €50–100 » Lunch and dinner of
pizza and pasta: €15 » Excellent markets
and delis for self-catering
Midrange
€100–200
» Double room in a hotel: €80–180
» Lunch and dinner in local restaurants: €25–50
Top end over
€200 » Double room in a
four- or five-star hotel: €150–450
FebruaryShort and accursed is
ow Italians describe ebruary. It might still be hilly, but almond trees re starting to blossom nd Carnevale season rightens things up with onfetti, costumes and ugar-dusted treats.
z Carnevale In the period lead-
ng up to Ash Wednesday, many southern Italian owns stage pre-Lenten arnivals. Kids don fancy ostumes and throw cori-ndoli (coloured confetti), laborate carri (floats) are araded down the street, nd everyone indulges one
March The weather in March is capricious: sunny, rainy and windy all at once. The official start of Spring is 21 March, but things only really start to open up for the main season during Easter week.
z Settimana Santa
Processions and passion plays mark Easter Holy Week across the Campania region. On Good Friday and the Thursday preceding it, hooded penitents walk through the streets of Sor-rento. On Procida, Good Friday sees wooden statues and life-size tableaux carted
z FeG
Naples’ pasees the fathe Duomnaro’s bloodoes, the cfrom volcaRepeat peplace on 116 Decemb
z MM As the weaNaples pumonth-lonart exhibitperformanNaples. Mand historally off-limare open a
I SBN 978 -1 -74179 -917 -0
9 781741 799170
99125
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
#̂
The Islands
Salerno &the Cilento
The AmalfiCoast
Naples
p106
p34
p175
p140
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
Cristian BonettoJosephine Quintero
YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE
In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Directory A-Z .................. 258Transport ........................ 265Language ........................ 271Index ................................ 282Map Legend .................... 287
VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO
HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP
ON THE ROAD
TRANSPO
RT ENT
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GETTING THERE & AWAY A plethora of airlines link Italy to the rest of the world, and numerous airlines fly directly to Naples’ international air-port, better known as Capod-ichino. Naples is southern Italy’s main transport hub, with excellent rail and bus connections to other parts of Campania and beyond. Na-ples is also a main port, host-ing international cruise ships and operating car and passen-ger ferries to ports throughout the Mediterranean. Flights, tours and rail tickets can be booked online at lonelyplanet.com/bookings.
Entering the Region EU and Swiss citizens can travel to Italy with their na-tional identity card alone. All other nationalities must have a valid passport and may be required to fill out a landing card (at airports).
By law you should have your passport or ID card with you at all times. You’ll need one of these documents for police registration every time you check into a hotel.
Air Airports Capodichino airport (NAP; %081 751 54 71; www.gesac.it), 7km northeast of central Naples, is southern Italy’s main airport, linking Naples with most Italian and several major European cities, as well as New York.
The Alibus (%800 639525; www.unicocampania.it) airport shuttle (€3, 45 minutes, every 20 to 30 minutes) con-nects the airport to Piazza Garibaldi (Stazione Centrale) and Molo Beverello (main ferry terminal).
Set taxi fares to the airport are as follows: €23 from
a seafront hotel or from Mergellina hydrofoil terminal, €19 from Piazza Municipio and €15.50 from Stazione Centrale.
Curreri (%081 801 54 20; www.curreriviaggi.it) runs seven services daily between the airport and Sorrento. Journey time is 75 minutes and tickets (available on board) cost €10.
Tickets The internet is the easiest way of locating and booking reasonably priced seats. Full-time students and those under 26 years may qualify for discounted fares at agen-cies such as STA Travel (www.statravel.com). Many of these fares require a valid International Student Iden-tity Card (ISIC).
Land Reaching Campania overland involves traversing three-quarters of the entire length of Italy, which can either be an enormous drain on your time or, if you have plenty to spare, a wonderful way of seeing the country. Buses are usually the cheapest option, but services are less frequent and considerably less com-fortable than the train.
Bus Buses are the cheapest over-land option to Italy, but serv-ices are less frequent, less comfortable and significantly slower than the train.
Transport
ONLINE TICKETS For reasonably priced airfares, check the following on-line booking websites:
» Cheap Flights (www.cheapflights.com) » Ebookers.com (www.ebookers.com) » Expedia (www.expedia.com) » Kayak (www.kayak.com) » Last minute (www.lastminute.com) » Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) » Priceline (www.priceline.com)
PAGE
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257
p1944Accommodation
Look out for these icons:
Our author’s top recommendation
Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their favourite places are listed first
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required
On the Road
See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.
NAPLES . . . . . . . . . . . .34BAY OF NAPLES . . . . . . . . . . . 90
THE ISLANDS . . . . . . 106Capri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Ischia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122Procida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
THE AMALFI COAST . . . . . . . . . . . .140SORRENTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144West of Sorrento . . . . . . . 152East of Sorrento . . . . . . . . 154AMALFI COAST TOWNS . . 156Positano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156Praiano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162Amalfi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Ravello . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168Minori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Cetara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173Vietri sul Mare . . . . . . . . . 173
SALERNO & THE CILENTO . . . . . . . . . . 175Salerno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178Paestum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Agropoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188Cilento Coast . . . . . . . . . . 190Palinuro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
ACCOMMODATION 194NAPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Centro Storico & Mercato . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Toledo & Quartieri Spagnoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197Santa Lucia & Chiaia . . . . . . . . . . . .198Vomero, Capodimonte & La Sanità . . . . . . . . . . . . 198Mergellina & Posillipo . . . 199THE ISLANDS . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Capri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Ischia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202Procida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203THE AMALFI COAST . . . . . 203Sorrento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203Massa Lubrense . . . . . . . . 205Sant’Agata sui due Golfi . . 205Marina del Cantone . . . . . 206Positano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Positano to Amalfi . . . . . . 207Amalfi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208Ravello . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209SALERNO & THE CILENTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Salerno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Paestum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Agropoli & the Cilento Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211Parco Nazionale del Cilento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
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(Golfo di Gaeta)
Bay of Naples(Golfo di Napoli)
Gulf of Salerno(Golfo di Salerno)
Tyrrhenian Sea
Capri
Lagod'Averno
Ischia
Procida
Mt Solaro(589m)
Mt Vesuvius(Vesuvio; 1281m)
Mt Sant'Angelo aTre Pizzi(1443m)
Mt SanCostanzo
(497m)
Mt dell'Avvocata(1014m)
Mt Epomeo(786m)
Procida
Lido diLicola
Monte diProcida
Qualiano
Giuglianoin Campania
Marano diNapoli
CasavatorePomigliano
d'Arco
AcerraSant'Arpino
Caivano
Gaudello
Marigliano
Avella
Terzigno
San GennaroVesuviano
Maiori
Gaudi
Ercolano
Caserta
Pompeii
Quindici
Marina delCantone
SommaVesuviana
Vico Equense
Sant'Agata
Naples
Castellammaredi Stabia
Sarno
Sorrento
NoceraTorre Annunziata
Torre del Greco
Amalfi
Pozzuoli
Positano
Portici
Nola
Capri Town
Ravello
Ischia
Bacoli
Lucrino
VillaggioCoppola
VillaLiterno
Cancello
Grazzanise Capua
Santa MariaCapua Vetere
MarcianiseMaddaloni
SantaMaria aVicolo
Montesárchio
Naples Airport(Capodichino)
0 40 km0 20 miles#e
PositanoOne of Italy's
Mediterranean jewels (p156)CapriBe dazzled by the fabled
Grotta Azzurra (p118)
ProcidaA soothing,
citrus-scented island (p134)
NaplesSuperlative food, art& architecture (p34)
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e Vallo di Diano(Cilento National Park & the
Valley of Diano)
Sele
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Controne
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Sicignanodegli
AlburniPetina
Sant'Angeloa Fasanella
Paestum
AltavillaSilentina
Acerno
Capaccio
Montecorvino
Cilento
Cava
Avellino
Salerno
Battipaglia
Eboli
Roccadaspide
Agropoli
Santa Maria diCastellabate
Sapri
Marina diCamerota
Melfi
MontellaBagnoli
Monticchio
Polla
Teggiano
SalaConsilina
Laureana
PerdifumoSan Marco diCastellabate
Sanza
San Giovannia Piro
Acciaroli
Marinadi CasalVelino Ceraso
AVelia
scea
Pisciotta
Palinuro Camerota
Ogliastro
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Mt VesuviusClimb a slumbering
menace (p102)
RavelloHeavenly views and a
summer arts festival (p168)
PompeiiStep back in time in
ghostly Pompeii (p93)
Top Experiences ›
Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9834th edition – Jan 2013ISBN 978 1 74179 917 0© Lonely Planet 2013 Photographs © as indicated 201310 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.
Cristian BonettoCoordinating Author, Naples As an ex-writer of farce and TV soap, it’s not surprising that Cristian clicks with Campania. The Italo-Australian scribe has been hooked on the region for years, returning regularly to compromise his waistline and take his favourite ride in the world – the chairlift from Anacapri to Monte Solaro. According to Cristian, few cities are as richly layered as Naples, and his musings on the city’s complexities have appeared in print
(and on screen) from London to Sydney. His Naples-based play Il Cortile (The Courtyard) toured a number of Italian cities in 2003 with the support of the prestigious Australia Council. To date, Cristian has contributed to over a dozen Lonely Planet guides, including Italy, New York City, Denmark and Singapore.
Josephine QuinteroThe Islands, the Amalfi Coast, Salerno & the Cilento Originally from England and a UC Berkeley graduate, Josephine’s first encounters with Italy were visiting her daughter who lived and worked there for several years. The country contin-ues to impress and inspire and she has contributed to several Italy guidebooks, including two editions of Naples & the Amalfi Coast. Josephine considers this a job made in heaven, such is the beauty, culture and, of course, the cuisine
in this deservedly famous region. Highlights during this trip included discovering a Roman villa concealed under an Amalfi ceramics shop and managing to perfect her limoncello (lemon liquer) recipe – with plenty of tasting opportunities along the way.
Read more about Josephine at: lonelyplanet.com/members/josephinequintero
OUR WRITERS
Read more about Cristian at: lonelyplanet.com/members/cristianbonetto
OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.
Itiner-aries
Whatever your time frame, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.
T YRRHEN IANSEA
CAMPANIA
Campi Flegrei
Bay of Naples(Golfo di Napoli)
Gulf of Gaeta(Golfo di Gaeta)
Procida
Baia
Lucrino
Ischia
Pozzuoli
Caserta
NaplesCuma#•
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Twelve DaysPalazzi, Ruins & Islands
Start with four action-packed days in Naples, taste-testing its famous pizza and es-presso and swooning over its frescoed churches and palazzi (large buildings). On one of these days, consider a day trip to Caserta, home to a Unesco-lauded palace that upstages Versailles. From Naples, head west for two days in the Campi Flegrei, home
to some of Italy’s finest Graeco-Roman sights. In Pozzuoli, check out Italy’s third-largest Roman amphitheatre, ancient market ruins, and the geological freakshow better known as the Solfatara Crater. Bathe like the Romans in Lucrino, see where Roman emperors soaked in Baia, and snoop around ancient Greek ruins in Cuma. On day seven, slow down the pace by catching a ferry across to Procida, where you can lose yourself in its stuck-in-time fish-ing villages, sleepy backstreets and secret beaches. Day nine sees you catching a ferry across to Ischia, the largest island in the Bay of Naples. Give yourself three days to explore its archaeology, botanical gardens, castle and wineries, and treat yourself at one of its thermal spas. Refreshed and restored, it’s an easy ferry ride back to Naples on day 12.
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T YRRHEN IAN SEA
CAMPANIA
Bay of Naples(Golfo di Napoli)
Gulf of Salerno(Golfo di Salerno)
Vietrisul Mare
Cetara
Pompeii
Ravello
Capri
Amalfi
Positano
Sorrento
Salerno
Naples
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Two WeeksA Coastal Affair
Start your sojourn with three days in Naples, indulging in its artistic, architectural and culinary riches. Make time for at least two of the city’s impressive museums, explore its markets and catacombs, swoon over the Christo velato (Veiled Christ) sculpture in the Cappella Sansevero, and catch an aria at the majestic Teatro San
Carlo. Spend day four turning back time at Pompeii, before evening cocktails in laid-back Sorrento. Spend the next day ambling Sorrento’s streets, getting a crash course in crafts-manship at the Museo Correale and Museo Bottega della Tarsia Lignea, and finding peace in the cloisters of the Chiesa di San Francesco. Crank up the magic on day six by sailing across to Capri, giving yourself three days to fall madly in love with this fabled island. Glide into the dazzling Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto), ride up to Monte Solaro, and lose the hordes on side streets and bucolic walking trails.
On day nine, sail back to Sorrento and hit the hairpin turns and heavenly vistas of the Amalfi Coast. First stop: Positano. Check in for three nights, slipping on your Prada sandals and getting lost in its labyrinth of chic laneways. Sup on fresh seafood, hire your own boat, or tie up your hiking boots and get a natural high on the Sentiero degli Dei (Walk of the Gods). Spend day 12 in deeply historic Amalfi, exploring its sublime cathedral and cloisters before continuing to lofty Ravello, a long-time favourite haunt for composers, writers and Hollywood stars. Stay the night to soak up the town’s understated elegance, and spend the following day swooning over its villas and uber-romantic gardens. If you can pull yourself away, continue east to upbeat Salerno, your final stop. On the way, drop into Cetara to sample its famous tuna and anchovies and into Vietri sul Mare to shop for local ceram-ics. Spend a full day in Salerno, diving into its medieval core to savour the city’s fabulous seafood, pastries and street life. Come evening, join the locals for a spot of bar-hopping bonhomie – the perfetto end to your coastal affair.
21PLAN
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T YRRHEN IANSEA
CALABRIA
CAMPANIA
BASILICATA
Parco Nazionaledel Cilento e Vallo di Diano
(Cilento National Park& the Valley of Diano)
Gulf of Salerno(Golfo di Salerno)
Velia
Padula
Palinuro
Castellabate
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Agropoli
Salerno
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Nine DaysThe Cilento Trail
Start your adventure in the underrated city of Salerno. Its cathedral is widely laud-ed as Italy’s most beautiful medieval church, and its engrossing multimedia Scuola Medica Salernitana Museo Virtuale tells the story of the city’s medieval medical school, once one of Europe’s most important. Head up to the Castello di Arechi for
sweeping views, and to the revamped waterfront for a late-afternoon passeggiata (stroll). After dark, join the locals in the city’s vibrant medieval heart for a little bar-hopping and movida (partying). On day two, bid Salerno arrivederci and head inland for three days in the rugged beauty of the Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano, Italy’s second largest national park and a Unesco World Heritage site. Base yourself at one of the park’s agriturismi (farm stays) and explore the area’s famous grottoes, namely the Grotta di Cas-telcivita and Grotta dell’Angelo. Make sure to spend a few hours in the medieval town of Postiglione – home to an 11th-century Norman castle – and a morning or afternoon in Pad-ula, famous for its mammoth Carthusian monastery, the Certosa di San Lorenzo. Not far from the Certosa is the fabled Valle delle Orchidee (Valley of the Orchids), whose 70-plus va-rieties of springtime orchids create a spectacular blaze of colour. One of the national park’s more curious sites is Roscigno Vecchia, a veritable ghost town abandoned early last century.
On day five, head back towards the coast to gasp at the mighty Greek temples of Paes-tum, the oldest of which dates back to the 6th century BC. Spend the evening and the following morning in Agropoli, wandering its atmospheric centro storico (historic centre) before heading south to Santa Maria di Castellabate for superlative seafood noshing. On day seven, head up to the beautiful medieval town of Castellabate and lose yourself in its shamelessly charming laneways, then spend the afternoon exploring the ancient ruins of Velia. End your Cilento adventure with a couple of lazy beach days in Palinuro, which, like Capri, lays claim to a dazzling Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto).
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