AN INVITATION TO COURT

Don’t miss the chance to discover southern Italy’s largest, richest and most extraordinary art collection on a tour of the Capodimonte Museum. Visitors will have the opportunity to admire works by some of the greatest Renaissance and Baroque masters, including Masaccio, Botticelli, Raphael and Guido Reni.

Located on the slopes of a verdant hill north of the city centre, this grandiose palazzo served as a royal residence for three ruling families: the Bourbon Kings of Naples, the French overlords Giuseppe Bonaparte and Gioacchino Murat and, after Italy’s unification, the Kings of the House of Savoy. Capodimonte was originally built in 1738 at the request of King Charles III of Bourbon as his country refuge and hunting lodge. It also served as a showcase for the masterpieces he had inherited from his mother Elizabeth, the last descendant of the powerful Farnese family, a dynasty of passionate art collectors for over two centuries. Today Capodimonte is home to a remarkable museum, extending over three floors with 126 rooms that feature the Farnese collection of paintings and precious artefacts, the royal apartments, an impressive display of works by Neapolitan artists from the 13th to the 18th centuries and a contemporary art section. Sixteenth century Flemish tapestries, 18th century furniture, historic armour and porcelain dinnerware are also exhibited to provide visitors with a unique glimpse into the customs and decorative tastes of Naples’ age d’or.

Your guide will lead you through the halls and point out the museum’s main attractions, allowing you to gain an overview of the development of Italian art throughout the centuries. You will examine at close quarters some of the compositions on display and learn how to distinguish the techniques and distinctive traits of the collection’s best-loved artists. Highlights include Raphael’s Portrait of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, Parmigianino’s Antea, Caravaggio’s Flagellation of Christ and Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith and Holofernes.

You will also find out more about the reign of the Bourbons in Naples as you explore the royal apartments, opulently decorated from floor to ceiling with marble inlays, elaborate stuccos, fine tapestries, crystal chandeliers, portrait paintings and exquisite chinoiseries.

The Real Bosco di Capodimonte, the 134-hectare neighbouring park, provides a magnificent backdrop to the palazzo and its splendid collection. Once part of the estate’s hunting grounds, it was later turned into a pleasure garden with grassy fields and winding paths dotted with exotic plants, statues, fountains and seventeen historical buildings, including a church, laboratories and warehouses. Four hundred different types of carefully selected botanical specimens, including camellias, magnolias and eucalypti originally from Asia, America and Australia, also flourish on these royal grounds, which were awarded the prestigious title of Italy’s most beautiful park in 2014. Enjoy a relaxing stroll through this peaceful oasis before heading back to the whirl and excitement of Naples city centre.