Museum of Capodimonte
The front of the building with the entrance of the Museum.
The rooms decorated completely in Porcellain, dated 1757-59.
In 1738, king Charles of Bourbon decided to move the royal court from his palace at Portici to his new palace on the hill of Capodimonte which were hunting grounds. Here he housed the Farnese collection of statues and paintings inherited from his mother, Elisabetta. The project of the new palace was given to the architect Giovanni Antonio Medrano. However, the construction was difficult and it took almost one hundred years to complete. The palace was still incomplete at the arrival of french troops in Capodimonte in 1799, who sacked and devastated some of the halls. When the Bourbons came back into power, many of these rooms were restored and completed, including the spectacular royal ballroom. The Art Gallery houses one of the most important collections of paintings in all of Italy, including the Farnese Collection and many paintings of Italian and foreigns masters, like Titian, Raphael, Perugino, Michelangelo, Sebastiano del Piombo, El Greco, Agostino and Annibale Carracci, Correggio, Parmigianino, Pieter Brueghel, Domenichino and Guido Reni, just to name a few. During the centuries, new acquisitions from churches in Naples and all around the kingdom were added, like the Borgia Collection and the spectacular Crucifixion by Masaccio and the collection of Neapolitan paintings from the 13th to the 18th century, including the impressive polyptych Saint Ludovico from Tolosa with Robert of Anjou's portrait by Simone Martini dated 1317, paintings by Colantonio and above all the breathtaking The Flagellation of Christ by Caravaggio for San Domenico Maggiore church.
The Flagellation of Christ by Caravaggio
The Farnese Collection on the first floor.
The Royal Apartments.
The Royal ballroom hall and someone pretending to be a princess at the ball!
The first floor houses the Farnese and Borgia Collection, the Armoury Hall, the Porcellain Collection and the wonderful Royal Apartments. On the second floor is the art gallery, the hall with seven large tapestries of the Avalos collection, made in Brussels in 1526-31. From this floor it is possible to access the contemporary art collection, including works by Andy Warhol, Alberto Burri, Jannis Kounnellis and Michelangelo Pistoletto. Noteworthy is also the Study of Drawings and Prints, housing more than 22.000 ancient prints.
The Picture Gallery with paintings and statues of the eighteenth century in Napoli.
The emancipation of the Slavery by Giacomo Ginotti.
The eighteenth century section.
Statue from the eighteenth century section.
View of the park.
View of the city from the Museum rooms.
The park and wood is also impressive, it was created in 1735 for the king Charles of Bourbon and today attracts many runners and families to enjoy the view of the city. The king also established the first university chair of astronomy here. Only a decade later, king Ferdinand I ordered the construction of astronomical observatory in the middle of the park and today is in part also a museum of instruments and astronomical tools from various period.
Also worldwide famous is the Factory of Porcelains of Capodimonte, started in 1739 and still now very active.
Although, the Museum of Capodimonte is not easy to reach with public transports, the best way it to take the shuttle from the city centre from Piazza Trieste e Trento, and stops at Piazza Municipio, Piazza Dante, Archeological Museum. You can buy the ticket for the shuttle and museum on the bus.
Official wesite: Museo di Capodimonte
via Miano, 2 - 80131 Napoli.
Tel. +39 081 749 91 54
Email. mu-cap@beniculturali.it
Free entry every first Sunday of the month.
Opening hours: Mon - Sun 08.30 - 19.30
Closed on Wednesdays.
Opening hours: Mon - Fri 10.00 - 16.00