Museo di Capodimonte

Museo di Capodimonte Review

The grandiose 18th-century neoclassical Bourbon royal palace houses an impressive assortment of fine and decorative art. Capodimonte's greatest treasure is the excellent collection of paintings well displayed in the Galleria Nazionale, on the palace's first and second floors. Aside from the artworks, part of the royal apartments still has a complement of beautiful antique furniture (most of it on the splashy scale so dear to the Bourbons), and a staggering range of porcelain and majolica from the various royal residences. The walls of the apartments are hung with numerous portraits, providing a close-up of the unmistakable Bourbon features, a challenge to any court painter. Most rooms have fairly comprehensive information cards in English, whereas the audio guide is overly selective and somewhat quirky. The main galleries on the first floor are devoted to work from the 13th to 18th centuries, including many pieces by Dutch and Spanish masters. On the second floor look out for stunning paintings by Simone Martini (circa 1284-1344), Titian (1488/90-1576), and Caravaggio (1573-1610). The palace is situated in the vast Bosco di Capodimonte (Capodimonte Park), which served as the royal hunting preserve and later as the site of the Capodimonte porcelain works.