The Royal Botanical Garden

There are places in Naples that I know like the back of my hand and others that I’m just discovering.. The Royal Botanic Garden is one of these. My husband is a floral painter, interested in plants and flowers, so I took him there for some inspiration.  I remember visiting this place once when I was a little child with my school.  As an adult I discovered a wonderful place of incredible beauty, scientific interest and more importantly a small oasis of peace and tranquility in the middle of the chaotic city.  The Royal Botanic Garden is a real gem to discover, even though it is not a major tourist attraction of the city.  I really suggest that you visit it, even if you are not a huge fan of gardens and plants.  

The Royal Botanic Garden today is one of the most important botanical gardens in all of Italy for its size and collection.  Established in 1777 by King Ferdinand IV as a Museum of Natural History and Botanical Gardens near the Palace of Studies (now The National Archeological Museum) in order to create a cultural and scientific centre for the city.  The project, however, was abandoned until 1807 when Joseph Bonaparte instituted it as a public botanical garden to spread the knowledge and research about plants in medicine and agriculture fields.  The collection is one of the richest in Italy counting thousands of specimens, flowers, herbaceous, shrubby and arboreous species from all over the world.  The garden is divided in climate zones of the plants and flowers (hot, temperate and cold). Two of the most interesting sections are the one dedicated to plants used for medicinal and cooking purposes and the one for plants used in ancient Egypt as well as Greece and Rome. 

In the park there is also the Tempered Hothouse, dated 1807 and inspired by the same structure in Kew Gardens in London.  In the other buildings there is the Department of Vegetable Biology and the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Science of the University of Napoli.  In the centre of the gardens there is also a building called 'the castle' for it has features like those of a fortress. It is dated from the 17th century and was originally a farmhouse. Today it houses on the second floor the Ethno-botanic and Paleobotany Museum and on the first floor there are offices and the botanical library. 

Just next to the Botanical Garden, there is a giant building called Albergo dei Poveri (The Poors Hotel). Centuries ago, via Foria was outside the city walls and was marshy, with a ditch running its length that very often flooded with the rains. However, it has been always very populated since the time of the ancient Greeks, but only with the urban plans of the Bourbons this area was developed for its strategical position.  In 1751, Charles III of Bourbon was the king who saw a big potential in via Foria, although a very poor area, he commissioned the Albergo dei Poveri to the royal architect Ferdinando Fuga.  The king's project was to give shelter and a hospital for all the poor people in the area.  To this day the huge building was never completed. It is just an empty and abandoned building, with only the façade being completed in 1819.  There are many sketches by Fuga of the project that show it was supposed to be a unique example of generosity and mercy to the Neapolitan population.  As a Neapolitan, I think that it's a real shame that this building has been abandoned in this sad state.  Works of restoration have been made but unfortunately due to its high cost it still remains a useless white elephant. As we speak, there are plans a foot to regenerate the building with art galleries, libraries, spaces for students and accommodations. Let’s what happens.

The Royal Botanical Garden

Official website: Orto Botanico.

Via Foria 223 - 80139 Napoli

Tel.: +39 081 25 33 937

Email: robnap@unina.it

For info on events, e-mail : eventiobn@unina.it / phone: +39 081253 3927

Free entrance.

Follow the website, especially the News and Events sections, for special  openings or events.

Opening hours:  Mon. - Wed. - Fri.  09.00 - 14.00 / Tue. - Thur. 09.00 -  16.00.

Special opening in May, every Sunday: 09.00 - 13.30.

If you want to visit the Garden it is better to call the following number, leaving your surname and number of guests:  +39 081 25 33 937.  This is only for research purposes and can be done on the same day of the visit.  During the special opening in May is not necessary to book a reservation.