Excursion tour in Naples. Top architecture - monuments, castles, temples and palaces

» The Royal Palace in Naples is the main residence of Bourbon monarchs of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It is built around Piazza del Plebiscito.
»  In front of the western facade of the palace, there are statues of the greatest rulers in the history of the Kingdom. On the sides of garden gates, there are statues of horses from the Anichkov Bridge in Saint Petersburg.
»  Nowadays, there are different offices in the palace. Since 1814, the main part of the building has been occupied by the National Library that houses thousands of books and the unique collection of papyri from Herculaneum.
»  In the building, there is the Museum of Royal Palace Apartments that occupies the rooms of the Central Hall, the Throne Hall, the Hercules Hall, and other rooms.
»  In the Royal Palace, you can see works of such masters, as Titian, Guercino, Andrea Vaccaro, Mattia Preti, Spagnoletto, Massimo Stanzione, and Luca Giordano.

» Santa Chiara is a religious complex that consists of a monastery, tombs, and an archeology museum.
»  The monastery was built in a baroque style by King Robert the Wise in 1310-1340. Originally, it was an Anjou kings’ shrine.
»  There is a bell tower near the building. The construction began in 1328 and completed only in the Renaissance period.
»  In the church, the indoor gallery, columns, and benches are decorated with majolica that depicts the scenes from Napali history, such as carnivals, voyages, and hunting.
»  One legend says that those couples which get married in this church will have happy life without troubles, poverty, and distrust. So, the church is very popular with young men and women from Naples.

» Museo di Capodimonte is an art museum located in the former palace and summer residence of the Bourbons, in the territory of the Capodimonte Park.
»  The palace was built upon the order of Charles VII, the king of Naples and Sicily.
»  The collection of the museum mostly includes paintings of Italian artists of the Renaissance era.
»  In the museum, you can see canvasses of Farnese and Borgia, tapestries of the Avalos, china of Maria Amalia of Saxony.
»  Some canvasses displayed in the museum have been transferred from historical temples of Naples (San Domenico Maggiore, San Lorenzo Maggiore, etc.) in the hope of finding safer and more optimal storage conditions.
»  The most precious exhibits of the museum are paintings of European (mostly Italian) artists of the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Here, you can see works of such artists, as Masaccio, Botticelli, Tiziano, Raphael, Luca Giordano, etc.

» Castel Sant’Elmo is a medieval fortress located on the Vomero hill.
»  The fortress started to be built in 1329 when King Robert of Anjou ruled. The construction was completed in 1343, in the year of the king’s death.
»  The fortress is very interesting in terms of architecture, as this is a star-shaped construction with six fortifications.
»  In 1799, Sant’Elmo was also a symbol of the Neapolitan Republic.
»  Today, there is the Art History Museum in the fortress. It is a popular tourist place.

» Today, the Galleria Umberto I is a shopping mall that has an architectural and historical value. Every year, this place attracts a lot of tourists with amazing architecture and luxury interior.
»  The base of the architectural ensemble of the Gallery is neoclassical features, due to which the Gallery would resemble the famous Galleria Vittorio. Later, the facade gained features of Neo-Renaissance.
»  The building was named after King Umberto I who in 1887 ordered to build the wonderful building in a district that was famous for its bad reputation and was devastated by cholera.
»  In the Galleria Umberto I, there are shops, restaurants, and cafes visited by local people and tourists. In long halls, classical music concerts are held sometimes.
»  In the round hall, the floor is decorated with a pattern depicting zodiac signs. Many tourists want to stand, sit or lie on their sign because they think that this can bring them good luck.

» The National Archaeological Museum in Naples houses the huge collection of archaeological artifacts found in Pompei, Herculaneum, Stabiae, and other nearby regions.
»  The museum collection includes well-preserved pieces of art created in the period of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Renaissance. It is the most important Italian archaeological museum.
»  The museum also houses the rich collection of Egyptian artifacts found in different ancient cities that were destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
»  Here, you can see a world-famous mosaic “The Fight between Alexander the Great and Darius”.
»  Six rooms of the museum house the complete collection of the Farnese dynasty. This collection includes 200 000 exhibits: medieval and antique coins, sculptures of bronze and marble, gladiators’ weapons, ancient Greek statues, etc.