The Villa Floridiana is a monumental house located amid a large park in the

Vomero Vomero () is a bustling hilltop district of metropolitan Naples, Italy — comprising approximately and a population of 48,000. Vomero is noted for its central square, Piazza Vanvitelli; the ancient Petraio, its earliest path up and down t ...

quarter in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It overlooks the western Neapolitan suburbs of

Chiaia Chiaia (, ) is an affluent neighbourhood on the seafront in Naples, Italy, bounded by Piazza Vittoria on the east and Mergellina on the west. Chiaia is one of the wealthiest districts in Naples, and many luxury brands have shops on its main street. ...

and

Mergellina Mergellina is a coastal district of the city of Naples, Italy. It is located in the quartiere of Chiaia. It stands at the foot of the Posillipo Hill and faces the Castel dell'Ovo. Some people say the name derives from "mergoglino", a local name fo ...

History

Construction of a villa at the site was begun by Cristoforo Saliceti and his heirs; Cristoforo had been minister of police for the government of Murat. In 1817, they were forced to sell to Ferdinand I, the

Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

King of the

Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and a ...

, who used it to house Lucia Migliaccio di Partanna, duchess of Floridia, whom Ferdinand had married

morganatic Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...

ally in 1814. She resided here till her death in 1826. Between 1817 and 1819 the architect Antonio Niccolini reconstructed the building and the surrounding gardens, landscaping in a free, ''English''-style. The director of the Botanical Gardens,

Friedrich Dehnhardt Friedrich Dehnhardt (22 September 1787, Buhle nr Göttingen - 1 May 1870, Naples) was chief gardener of " L'Hortus Camaldulensis di Napoli", or the Camaldoli gardens in Naples belonging to Francesco Ricciardi, Count of Camaldoli. It was from these ...

, planted oaks, pines, palms, cypresses and a large selection of flowers in the gardens. The neoclassical residence and surrounding gardens were built between 1817-19. The Villa since 1931 has housed the

National Museum of Ceramics, Naples The National Museum of Ceramics Duca Di Martina ( it, Museo nazionale della ceramica “duca di Martina”) is a historical and artistic site situated inside of the Villa Floridiana Park (Parco di Villa Floridiana) in Naples, Italy. The building u ...

, also called the Museo Duca di Martina. The Duke of Martina, second-born son of Riccardo and Maria Argentina Caracciolo, born in Naples in 1929, but moving to Paris where he began collecting decorative arts. His heirs donated the collection in 1911 to the city of Naples.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control 1816 establishments in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Royal residences in the Kingdom of Naples Floridiana Museums in Naples Parks in Naples 1816 establishments in Italy National museums of Italy