Capodimonte, a museum of major national and international interest in Naples, is set in a park of over one hundred and forty hectares, now a UNESCO-protected natural forest.
It originates from the collection of the House of Farnese inherited by Charles of Bourbon, with masterpieces of medieval and modern art of the calibre of Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian, El Greco, Correggio, Parmigianino and Carracci.
To the initial Farnese nucleus are added the collections of Neapolitan art, from the 13th to the 18th century, with works mostly from the territory by Simone Martini, Colantonio, Caravaggio, Ribera, Luca Giordano, Francesco Solimena and Gaspare Traversi.
Another important nucleus of collections is that of 19th-century Neapolitan art, from the vedutism of the Posillipo school, to the historical realism of Domenico Morelli and Filippo Palizzi, to the plastic classicism of Vincenzo Gemito.
Unique in Italy, the Capodimonte Museum also has an important contemporary art section with works by Alberto Burri, Andy Warhol, Anselm Kiefer and Michelangelo Pistoletto.
Capodimonte was also a sumptuous palace, lived in and inhabited with discontinuous fortune – between the 18th century and the first decades of the 20th century – by Charles of Bourbon, Joachim Murat and the Savoy family.
The focal point of the recent reform of Capodimonte is the unification of the Bosco and the Museum under a single management, which represents a chance to create a cultural centre of great diversity.
The splendid Reggia di Capodimonte, built by the Bourbons in 1738, houses the Museum and the National Galleries of Capodimonte. The museum houses a remarkable collection of art ranging from the Farnese Collection to the contemporary art section.
The historical core of the collection consists of a rich collection of Pope Paul III, which was initially intended to embellish Michelangelo’s Farnese Palace in Rome.
This was joined by several works purchased or coming from suppressed monasteries in the 18th century, the Borgia collection in the 19th century and the De Ciccio collection and other important pieces of Neapolitan painting in the following century.
Costo del biglietto
Intero: Є 10,00
Ridotto: Є 2,00 sino a 25 anni non compiuti
Gratuito: sino a 18 anni
Orari
09.00 – 19.30
chiuso il mercoledì
Indirizzo e Contatti
Via Miano 2 Napoli
+39 081 7499111
+39 081 7499130
How to reach the Capodimonte Museum
From Central Station
Underground line 1, Museum stop; continue by bus*.
Underground line 2, Piazza Cavour stop; take the bus*.
Bus: stop in Piazza Museo (near the National Archaeological Museum).
From the city centre
Lines:
3M active from 12 September 2020 (Porta Piccola and Porta Miano stops, via Miano)
168 and 178 (Porta Piccola stop, via Miano)
C63 (Porta Grande stop, via Capodimonte)
604 (Viale Colli Aminei stop, approx. 200 m from Porta Piccola)
By Car
Ring road, Capodimonte exit.
Opening hours of the Capodimonte Museum
The Capodimonte Museum is open every day from 9.00 am to 7.30 pm and is closed on Wednesdays.
The museum is closed on the 1st of January and the 25th of December.
The ticket price
- Full price: Є 10,00 (with possible increases for national and international exhibitions).
- Concessions: Є 2,00 (up to 25 years of age).
- Free: Admission is free for EU citizens under the age of 18.
Admission to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) is included in the Artecard della Campania circuit
The Royal Palace of the Reggia di Capodimonte
Charles III of Bourbon promoted the construction of the famous porcelain factory, inaugurated in 1739, and of the palace destined to house the art collections he had received through his mother Elisabeth Farnese. He identified a place where there was a small rural village: Capodimonte.
Porcelain production ended in 1759, when the sovereign left for Spain to take up residence as king. The factory, however, was recovered by his son Ferdinand, who moved the location and continued production until 1805.
The palace was started in 1738 and finished in 1838. It was later donated by the Savoy family to the State in 1920 and was the seat of the Dukes of Aosta until 1946. Since 1957 the interior of the Reggia di Capodimonte has housed the Museo e Gallerie Nazionali di Capodimonte.
The Reggia is completed by a large park that extends along five avenues, which radiate out from the Porta di Mezzo and cross an area of 134 hectares.
A reminder of the place’s past is the building of the Porcelain Manufactory, which today houses a professional Institute of the Ceramics and Porcelain Industry. There is a splendid view of the gulf from the palace.
Capodimonte Museum Works
The layout on the piano nobiliare is the same as that chosen by Charles III of Bourbon for the Farnese masterpieces, with 231 paintings arranged in chronological order, accompanied by the furnishings of the historic flat, the Borgia and De Ciccio collections and the Porcelain Gallery.
On the second floor are the Gallery of Painting in Naples from the 13th century to the 18th century and the Gallery of Avalos Tapestries.
On the third floor are the 19th century Gallery, the photographic collection and the main body of the Contemporary Art section (which also has other spaces on the ground floor, second floor and outside).
The first floor Works
The tour begins with works that evoke the celebration of the Farnese dynasty and Pope Paul III. There are several works depicting the pope; the authors are Titian, Raphael and Michelangelo.
It continues with works by Titian, El Greco and Giulio Della Porta that make up the main part of the collection of Cardinal Alessandro, nephew of Pope Paul III.
In the middle of the floor is the Gallery of Rare Things, in rooms 13 and 14. Inside is the precious Farnese casket in gilded silver made for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese.
The tour is completed by the Royal Apartment, a space in which the intention is to revive the rooms of the historic palace. Of particular value is Maria Amalia’s porcelain Salottino. Created in 1757-9 for the Royal Palace of Portici, it is one of the finest works of the Capodimonte factory. It consists of about 3000 pieces. The tour continues to the Porcelain Gallery, where a rich collection of porcelain and majolica is on display.
The thirth floor Works
Here you can visit the 19th-century Gallery, rich in neoclassical works; the photographic collection, with temporary thematic exhibitions, which introduces the important Contemporary Art section. This section includes works by Mimmo Paladino, Andy Warhol (his 1985 canvas Vesuvius, dedicated to one of the city’s symbols) and Mario Merz (Onda d’urto).
The Capodimonte Park
For further information, read this article on the Capodimonte Park
