The Royal Palace of Naples ( it, Palazzo Reale di Napoli, italic=no, nap, Palazzo Riale ‘e Napule) is a palace, museum, and historical tourist destination located in central Naples, southern Italy. It was one of the four residences near Naples used by the

House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...

during their rule of the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

(1735–1816) and later the

Kingdom 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 ...

(1816-1861). The others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples and Portici on the slopes of Vesuvius.

History

The palace is on the site of an earlier residence, which had housed the former viceroy

Don Pedro de Toledo Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON * Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a v ...

, Marquis of Villafranca. Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect

Domenico Fontana Domenico Fontana (154328 June 1607) was an Italian architect of the late Renaissance, born in today's Ticino. He worked primarily in Italy, at Rome and Naples. Biography He was born at Melide, a village on the Lake Lugano, at that time joint p ...

.The "signature" of Domenico Fontana is engraved on some bases of the columns of the facade of the Royal Palace of Naples. The text states: "DOMENICVS FONTANA PATRITIVS Romanvs / AVRATAE Militiae EQVES / ET COMES PALATINVS INVENTOR." Intended to house King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy

Fernando Ruiz de Castro Fernando Ruiz de Castro (d. Bayonne, 1377), was a Galician nobleman of the House of Castro and prominent military figure. He was the third Count of Lemos, Trastámara and Sarria. He is often referred to by the appellation "''Toda la lealtad d ...

Count of Lemos Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by

Battistello Caracciolo Giovanni Battista Caracciolo (also called Battistello) (1578–1635) was an Italian artist and important Neapolitan follower of Caravaggio. He was a member of the murderous Cabal of Naples, with Belisario Corenzio and Giambattista Caracciolo, w ...

, Giovanni Balducci, and

Belisario Corenzio Belisario Corenzio ( el, Βελισσάριος Κορένσιος 1558–1646) was a Greek-Italian painter, active in Venice and Naples. He is one of few Greek painters that did not belong to the Cretan Renaissance like his contemporaries of the ...

. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of the Assumption (Cappella Reale dell'Assunta) was not completed until 1644 by

Antonio Picchiatti Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...

. In 1734, with the arrival of

Charles III of Spain it, Carlo Sebastiano di Borbone e Farnese , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Elisabeth Farnese , birth_date = 20 January 1716 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain , death_d ...

to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to

Maria Amalia of Saxony es, María Amalia Cristina Francisca Javiera Flora Walburga , spouse = Charles III of Spain , issue = , issue-link = #Issue , house = Wettin , father = Augustus III of Poland , mother = Maria Josepha of ...

in 1738,

Francesco De Mura Francesco de Mura (21 April 1696 – 19 August 1782) was an Italian painter of the late- Baroque period, active mainly in Naples and Turin. His late work reflects the style of neoclassicism. Life Francesco de Mura, also referred to as ''Fran ...

and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. It was Charles who build the other three palaces in locations more peripheral to the city center. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of

Ferdinando Fuga Ferdinando Fuga (11 November 1699 – 7 February 1782) was an Italian architect who was born in Florence, and is known for his work in Rome and Naples. Much of his early work was in Rome, notably, the Palazzo della Consulta (1732–7) at the Quiri ...

, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a "new wing" was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to

Reggia of Caserta The Royal Palace of Caserta ( it, Reggia di Caserta ) is a former royal residence in Caserta, southern Italy, constructed by the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as their main residence as kings of Naples. It is the largest palace erected in Europe ...

, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples. During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of

Gaetano Genovese Gaetano Genovese (1795, Eboli - 1875, Naples) was an Italian architect and designer. He is most notable as the chief royal architect for almost all of the reign of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand II ( it, Ferdinando Carlo; scn, Ferd ...

. Further additions of a ''Party Wing'' and a

Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa *Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco *Belvedere, Harare, Zim ...

were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo. In 1922, it was decided (by the Decree of the Minister

Antonino Anile Antonino may refer to: * Antonino (name), a given name and a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Antonino, Kansas, an unincorporated community in Ellis County, Kansas, United States See also * Antoniano (disambiguation) * Anto� ...

) to transfer here the contents of the National Library (until then in the palace of National Archaeologic Museum). The transfer of library collections was made by 1925. The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

Statues of kings of Naples

In 1888, King

Umberto I of Savoy Umberto I ( it, Umberto Rainerio Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900. Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colo ...

made changes to the western façade side of the building (fronting on Piazza del Plebiscito), by displaying in niches a series of statues of prominent rulers of Naples since the foundation of the Kingdom of Naples in the 12th century. The statues are displayed in chronological order, based on the dynasty of each ruler. The series starts with

Roger the Norman Roger II ( it, Ruggero II; 22 December 1095 – 26 February 1154) was King of Sicily and Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, became Duke of Apulia and Calabria in ...

(sculpted by

Emilio Franceschi Emilio may refer to: * Emilio Navaira, a Mexican-American singer often called "Emilio" * Emilio Piazza Memorial School, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State * Emilio (given name) * ''Emilio'' (film), a 2008 film by Kim Jorgensen See also * Emílio ...

), and ends with Vittorio Emanuele II, the tallest statue and the last to be added (sculpted by

Francesco Jerace Francesco Jerace (26 July 1853 – 18 January 1937) was an Italian sculptor. Biography He was born at Polistena in Calabria, in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. He trained locally under his grandfather, a sculptor, but moved to Naples where h ...

). The other figures represent: *

Frederick II Hohenstaufen Frederick II (German: ''Friedrich''; Italian: ''Federico''; Latin: ''Federicus''; 26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 and King of Jerusal ...

(by

Emanuele Caggiano Emanuele Caggiano (Benevento, June 12, 1837 – Naples, August 22, 1905) was an Italian sculptor, active in a Realist style. Biography He began his training early, and by the age of 12 years he had completed in Bari a portrait of Count Candido ...

) *

Charles I of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the Capetian House of Anjou, second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and County of Fo ...

(sculpted by

Tommaso Solari Tommaso Solari (Naples, September 4, 1820 - 1889) was an Italian sculptor active in a Romantic-style. Life He was born to a family of artists. His father, Angelo Solari (1775-1846), intended him to become an architect, but, like his fathe ...

) * Alfonse of Aragon (sculpted by

Achille D'Orsi Achille D'Orsi (6 August 1845 – 8 February 1929) was an Italian sculptor from Naples. Like his Neapolitan contemporary, Vincenzo Gemito, he worked in the Verismo style of Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the art ...

) *

Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) ...

(sculpted by Vincenzo Groan) *

(sculpted by

Raffaele Belliazzi Raffaele Belliazzi (December 9, 1835 – 1917) was an Italian sculptor and painter. Life and career He was born in Naples. His father carved architectural decoration. Belliazzi received his first training from Tommaso Solari in Naples, but foll ...

) * Joachim Murat (sculpted by

Giovanni Battista Amendola Giovanni Battista Amendola (1848–1887) was an Italian sculptor from Sarno. Life He studied in Naples at the Academy of Fine Arts. Much of his work is to be seen in Naples, including a statue of Joachim Murat for the façade of the Royal Pala ...

) None of the statues refers to the Bourbon dynasty, not even Charles of Bourbon, who is actually engraved with the name of Charles III. File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Ruggero il Normanno.jpg,

(Roger II of Sicily) File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Federico II.jpg, Frederick II (

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

) File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Carlo I d'Angiò.jpg,

File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Alfonso V d'Aragona.jpg,

Alfonso V of Aragon Alfonso the Magnanimous (139627 June 1458) was King of Aragon and King of Sicily (as Alfonso V) and the ruler of the Crown of Aragon from 1416 and King of Naples (as Alfonso I) from 1442 until his death. He was involved with struggles to the t ...

(Alfonso I of Naples) File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Carlo V d'Asburgo.jpg,

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...

(Charles I of Spain) File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Carlo III di Borbone.jpg,

(Charles of Bourbon) File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Gioacchino Murat.jpg,

Gioacchino Murat Joachim Murat ( , also , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...

File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Vittorio Emanuele II.jpg, Vittorio Emanuele II

References

External links

Royal Palace of Naples - Official website

Royal Palace of Naples
{{Authority control Houses completed in 1616 Royal residences in the Kingdom of Naples Palaces in Naples Baroque palaces in Italy Tourist attractions in Naples Museums in Naples 1616 establishments in the Kingdom of Sicily 1616 establishments in Italy