Palazzo Reale, Naples

1 more image

I should say i was glad i took a sightseeing bus (which by the way departs from Largo Castello, Piazza Municipio), as it takes you to the places you can't reach by walking... like the route B, that takes you all along the seacoast, the Gulf of Naples, with panoramic views and volcano Vesuvius on horizon, or the route A, that takes you to the upper part of Naples, where there is The Museo di Capodimonte (with the largest park of the city - Bosco di Capodimonte)... Anyway, for those, who prefer to move on their own, there are also 2 metro lines and 4 funiculars, buses and trams, the cost of taxi is not exaggerated... there is also a small port from where you can go to the islands Capri, Ischia and Procida.
The Palazzo Reale, the Piazza del Plebiscito in front of it and San Carlo Teatro made a great impression on me. The Royal Palace is really gorgeous, when you walk in its rooms, corridors, gardens and the yard, you can easily imagine how the way of life of the royal family was here.

2 more images

Designed in the early 17th century by Domenico Fontana, Palazzo Reale was built for Filippo III, King of Spain, who never actually visited it. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the palace served as one of several residences of the Bourbon kings of Naples and it continued to be embellished by successive rulers, including Joachim Murat, who ruled during the "French Decade" under Napoléon. In the late 19th century, the King of Italy, Umberto I, erected statues of former Neapolitan monarchs in the niches on the façade of the Palazzo, overlooking Piazza del Plebiscito. The palace was damaged during Allied bombing in WWII, but it was later restored to its former glory. The sumptuous halls of Palazzo Reale are now open to the public as a museum.

4 more images

Originally built for the Kings of Spain in the 1500's and later occupied by Bourbon Kings and others, it continued to be enlarged and remodeled up into the mid 18th century. Part of it now houses the National Library of Naples and the San Carlo Theater.

The many rooms and halls are very impressive mostly for the elegant designs of the walls and ceilings. Also the King's Private Chapel is built with inlaid marble, lapis lazuli, agates, etc.

Another of royal palaces, this one was a favorite (and by the way the official one) residence of Murat as king of Naples. On the hill towering above Naples, the residence is in the middle of a very nice and rather large garden.

While the main attraction are the works of art coming from Farnese collection (them again...) inside, the garden is very nice and the views of Naples are amazing.

Just check the opening hours - our guidebook stated open tue-sun and it was closed on tuesday...

1 more image

The Royal Palace of Naples is one of four palaces that the Bourbon Kings of Naples used during their rule of the Kingdom of Naples (1730-1860). One is in Caserta, another on the Capodimonte hill overlooking Naples, and the third (now the site of the agricultural department of the University of Naples) is in Portici on the slopes of Vesuvius.

The Royal Palace is on the site of an earlier building meant to host King Philip III of Spain, who however never made the trip. The architect chosen for that palace was Domenico Fontana. The building was put up on the site of an even older Spanish viceroyal residence from the early 16th century. The royal residence was moved to Caserta in the 18th century, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault than Naples.

The 17th century palace visible today is, however, the result of numerous additions and changes, including some by Luigi Vanvitelli in the mid-18th century and then by Gaetano Genovese in 1838 after a fire had damaged much of the palace. Additionally, restoration was done after World War II to repair bomb damage. The western façade side of the building (fronting on Piazza del Plebiscito) displays a series of statues of the rulers of dynasties to rule Naples since the foundation of the Kingdom of Naples in the twelfth century. They are: Roger II, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Charles of Anjou, Alfonse of Aragon, Emperor Charles V, Charles III of Bourbon, Joachim Murat, and Victor Emanuel II of Savoy, the first king of united Italy.

True to form when I was here a scooter came zipping by me in the hallway (see photo)

Begun by Domenico Fontana for the Spanish Viceroys in 1600, and expanded by subsequent residents, Naples' royal palace is a handsome building with great halls filled with furniture, tapestries, paintings and porcelain. The exterior of the palace has been partly restored with 19th century statues representing the dynasties of Naples.

Open: 9am-8pm daily. Admission 4€

This "heroic" statue of King Vittorio Emmanuel II stands in one of the niches of the Royal Palace facing the Piazza Plebiscito. Vittorio Emmanuel had been King of Savoy-Sardinia from 1849, and became King of a newly united Italy in 1861, reigning until his death in 1878. The people of Naples and Sicily voted to accept Vittorio as their king in a plebiscite after the expulsion of the Bourbon dynasty of the Two Sicilies by Garibaldi and the Red Shirts -- hence the name of the Piazza.

The Piazza Pebiscito is the largest in Naples, similar in size to the square in front of the Vatican in Rome. Fortunately, the Piazza is car-free, but the space is actually a little _too_ large to "work", in that it usually seems rather deserted, forlorn, and somehow oppressive, IMHO. On the positive side, it has become a successful "forum" for Neapolitans when they wish to express themselves politically or socially, and the center of the Piazza is now a site for annual "installations" that reflect the growing significance as a center for contemporary art.

This statue faces the visitor when he comes into the Palazzo Reale. The classic Roman style, the lighting and the water, give it an amazing charm, as do the location in a cove and the beautiful Italian colour of the wall. It is this type of attention to detail and style that really impress me and maintain Naples' grandeur.

Pallazo Reale is located in the centre of Naples. When arriving by boat it's the first building you see.