Cultural experiences
TOURISM IN NAPLES: THE CITY’S MUSEUMS
NAPLES UNDERGROUND
This is the heart of Naples, and the place from which the city was born. To visit it is to travel into the past, a world 2400 years old. Every historic era, from the foundation of Neapolis, to the bombs of WWII, has left its mark on the walls of the yellow tufa stone, the soul of Naples, and the stone with which the city was built. It’s the heart of Naples, and the place from which the city was born. To visit it is to travel to the past, a world 2400 years old.Every historic epic, from the foundation of Neopolis, to the bombs of WWII, has left it’s mark on the walls of the yellow tufa stone, the soul of Naples, and the stone with which the city was built.
THE NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
The National Archaeological Museum is located in Piazza Museo, in front of the Galleria Principe di Napoli shopping centre. The museum is housed in the 16th century Real Museo building, commissioned by King Charles III of Bourbon to house the Farnese collection which had previously been kept in the Royal Palace of Capodimonte. It is considered one of the most important archaeological museums in the world, and boasts the biggest and most exquisite collection of artworks and artefacts in Italy. The key exhibits at the museum are the Farnese collection, the Pompeii Collection, and the Egyptian Collection, rated third in Italy in terms of important Egyptian artefacts.
THE CAPODIMONTE MUSEUM
The Capodimonte Museum is located in the Royal Palace of Capodimonte and is one of the most important art galleries in Italy. The Palace was commissioned by Charles of Bourbon in 1737 and was the first royal residence to be built by the Bourbon family. It was his desire that the archaeological sculptures of the Farnese Collection be kept at the Royal Palace, and subsequently moved to the Real Museo. The Capodimonte Museum houses artworks by Masaccio, Caravaggio, Jusepe de Ribera, Titian, Correggio, Giordano, Parmigianino, Guido Reni, Botticelli, Mantegna, Caracciolo, Simone Martini, to name but a few. The Palace is not only home to works of art, but is itself a historic building showcasing antique furniture, sculptures and remarkable decor.
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SAN MARTINO
The National Museum of San Martino is one of the most important museums in Naples, located on the Vomero hillside in the vicinity of Castel Sant’Elmo, in the Charterhouse of San Martino. The museum bears witness to the ancient capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the two previous kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, as well as visual arts, Capodimonte porcelain, and ancient Neapolitan nativity scenes. Most of the sculptures were created by Pietro Bernini, while the paintings are divided into two exhibits. The first includes paintings from the Bourbon Period, and the second paintings by Jusepe de Ribera or Luca Giordano or Artemisia Gentileschi.
THE PALACE OF ARTS OF NAPLES (PAN)
The PAN is situated in the historical Carafa di Roccella building in Via dei Mille. The museum houses contemporary artworks from various disciplines including painting, sculpture, photography, graphic design, film, animation, design, and video art.
THE MUSEUM OF THE WORKS OF ST. CLARE
The museum is located in the Complex of St. Clare, in the vicinity of Piazza del Gesù Nuovo. The museum houses archaeological findings from subsoil of the Basilica and sacred objects belonging to the monastery. Access to the Museum is from the Majolica cloister of the Clarisses, decorated by Domenico Antonio Vaccario in the first half of the 18th century.
SANSEVERO CHAPEL
The chapel is located in the vicinity of Piazza San Domenico Maggiore. It was built at the request of John Francesco di Sangro, Duke of Torremaggiore, at the end of the 16th century, near his family residence. Raimondo di Sangro VII, prince of Sansevero, renovated the building in the 18th century, with numerous additions that make the chapel a unique work of art. Among the main marble sculptures we find Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ, Corradini’s Veiled Modesty, and Francesco Quierolo’s Release from Deception. In the basement, we find the “anatomical models”, presumed to be human experiments carried out by Prince Raimondo di Sangro himself.
MUSEUM OF THE TREASURE OF ST. GENNARO
The entrance to the Museum is situated next to the Cathedral of Naples and the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Gennaro. The collection is made up of lavish donations made to the patron saint of the city, dating back to the 14th century. According to the experts the treasure of St. Gennaro is worth more than those of Queen Elizabeth II and the Tzars of Russia. During the visit you will also see paintings by Stanzione, Giordano, and Aniello Falcone
THE DONNAREGINA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (MADRE)
The Donnaregina Museum of Contemporary Art (MADRE) is located in the historical Donnaregina building in Via Settembrini, behind Via Duomo, and in the adjacent 14th century church of the same name in Largo Donnaregina. The building was restored ad hoc by the well-known Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza. The three floors of the museum and 7200sq.m. of exhibition area house mostly site-specific installations and contemporary artworks, including works by Andy Warhol, Alberto Burri, Mimmo Paladino, Francesco Clemente, Anish Kapoor, Jannis Kounell, etc.
THE ROYAL PALACE OF NAPLES
The Royal Palace of Naples is situated in Piazza del Plebiscito, in front of the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola. The initial building was commissioned in 1600 by Ferdinando Ruiz de Castro. It was subsequently added on to by Ferdinando Fuga and then also by Luigi Vanvitelli. There are eight niches on the main façade, each housing a statue of one of the Kings of Naples. This monumental Palace is both a historical building that contains objects, furniture, tapestries, and rooms dating to the Spanish and Bourbon Periods, and a gallery which houses important paintings by Luca Giordano, Andrea Vaccaro, Mattia Preti, Bartolomeo Schedoni, Guercino, and frescos by Corenzio and Massimo Stanzione.
SIGHTSEEING AND BEAUTY AROUND NAPLES: AMALFI COAST AND ISLANDS
POSITANO
This splendid city known all over the world for its incredible beauty and for its profile takes its name as a mermaid lying on a breath-taking stretch of coast. First stop on the Amalfi Coast in Positano, with the majolica dome of Santa Maria Assunta already shining at the first light of dawn. The places of greatest interest are the beaches of Fornillo and Spiaggia Grande, the Grotta La Porta, and the Path of the Gods, a panoramic walk.
SORRENTO
Land of colours, mermaids, city of gardens: there are many definitions attributed to Sorrento, home of the great Torquato Tasso. There is a background of truth, a piece of history of this millenary city influenced over the centuries by different cultures: Greeks, Romans, Normans, Aragonese have all passed through here, leaving each civilization its own imprint and receiving in return the fruits of a generous nature and the poignant landscapes of one of the most beautiful stretches of coast in the world. Places of interest are: Piazza Tasso-Corso Italia, Villa Comunale, Cloister of San Francesco, Vallone dei Mulini, Sorrento Cathedral.
AMALFI
Amalfi takes its name from that of the woman loved by Hercules and who, on the shores of this enchanting city, buried her forever with Tyrrhenian waters. Amalfi, the glorious maritime Republic, continues to fascinate and enchant visitors who pass by here every year. Some of the beauties of the city are the Duomo, the paper museum (the Carta di Amalfi, or Bambagina, is a very special type), the Vallone delle Ferriere and shopping in the downtown shops.
CAPRI
Capri, the “queen of rock” by Pablo Neruda, has always been associated with glamorous and elite tourism. A photograph that only partially reflects the island which for a long time, however, has owed its fortunes to cruise tourism and day trips (the timetables of ferries and hydrofoils to Capri included here ). In the ability to reconcile these two aspects, lies the main merit of the Capri, capable of making the “dream” more accessible without selling it off. As for things to do, you cannot but start from the magnificent Grotta Azzurra, a stop in the Piazzetta, Gardens of Augustus, an essential stop for anyone who wants a photo with the background of the Faraglioni, the famous rocks of Capri and Belvedere Tragara.
ISCHIA
The story goes that Tifeo, a giant with seven heads and with fiery eyes, punished with dice by Zeus, was forced to support the entire island of Ischia. Since then, with each attempt to rebel, the island has experienced a terrible earthquake. This is the myth that presents the island of Ischia, the largest of the Gulf of Naples which is located between Procida and Vivara, for about 46 square km. The island has been celebrated since ancient times by poets who adored it for its exploding nature, its blue sea and boundless landscapes. It has always been a refuge for intellectuals from all over the world affected by its timeless charm. The Aragonese castle, the thermal gardens, the bay of Sorgeto, the church of Soccorso, the village of Sant’Angelo are just some of the destinations.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AROUND NAPLES
POMPEI
The city of Pompeii brings together two very distant worlds: on the one hand what remains of one of the richest cities of the Roman empire and on the other Christian spirituality, testified by the many pilgrims visiting the renowned Sanctuary dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii, tangible testimony of devotion to the Madonna. The pagan and Christian world coexist less than 800 meters away, close in space, distant in principles and aspirations, consequent over time. Pompeii is known worldwide for the tragedy that struck it in 79 AD, when the rich Roman city was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius, together with Stabiae, Oplontis and Ercolano. A huge tragedy that, however, allowed us to find intact, after almost two thousand years, a vital historical testimony, a glimpse of common life in the greatest empire of ancient times.. The excavations allow us to visit the good living room of the temples, the public buildings, the rich patrician villas, but also to stroll among the ancient shops, the popular houses, the “taverns” and the lupanari, where the common citizens unraveled their lives. Particularly touching is the view of the plaster casts, a “snapshot” of the agony to which the ancient Pompeians were subjected by the hot gases coming from Vesuvius.
HERCOLANEUM
Unlike Pompeii, the visit to the Herculaneum Excavations can be concentrated in a few hours and is ideal for those who have little time available but do not want to give up the unique experience of finding themselves walking through the streets of an ancient Roman city! Herculaneum has undergone a unique conservation phenomenon that has no comparison even with nearby Pompeii. The 16-meter blanket of pyroclastic materials and mud that submerged the city allowed the preservation of two-storey domus, inside which architectural elements in wood and marble, jewellery and furnishings were found, as well as many organic finds, which allowed archeologists to reconstruct in detail the lifestyle of the ancient Herculaneum.
PAESTUM
Located south-east of the Gulf of Salerno, in the southern part of the Piana del Sele, Paestum is an extremely important archaeological site, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Founded by the Greeks around the seventh century. B.C. with the name of Poseidonia, Paestum was subsequently occupied by the Lucanians until, in 273 BC, Rome made it a flourishing colony, giving it its current name. The beginning of the Middle Ages marked its irreversible decline. In addition to its cultural value, the importance of Paestum is linked to the excellent state of conservation of its assets, starting with the surrounding walls, built by the Greeks and then reinforced by the Lucanians and Romans. What is most striking is the vision of three majestic temples inserted in a green plain, which reflect a different light according to the hours and seasons. Many writers, poets and artists such as Goethe, Shelley, Canova and Piranesi were fascinated by this display which proved to be their source of inspiration.
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