The Castel Sant’Elmo in Naples was first a church, then a castle and then a military prison and is now used as the location for the Museo Napoli Novecento 1910-1980. From the castle one has a magnificent view over, among others, the Posillipo district.
Castel Sant’Elmo Naples
Address, opening hours and ticket price
The address of the Castel Sant’Elmo is Via Tito Angelini 22 – 80129 Naples (+39 0815784030). Metro: Vanvitelli. Bus: C35, V1. The opening hours of the castle itself are from 08.30 to 19.30. The box office closes at 18:30. Closed on Tuesdays. Entrance fee: 5 Euro (discount 2,50 Euro).
History Castel Sant’Elmo
The ground plan of the Sant’Elmo Castle is shaped like a star. From the 10th century until 1349 it was a church dedicated to Saint Erasmus. Then Robert of Anjou turned it into a castle and a little less than two centuries later (1538) the Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo had it further fortified.
It was used as a military prison until the 1970s, before becoming the seat of the Museo Napoli Novecento 1910-1980. This museum (When Italians talk about the year ‘900, they mean the 20th century.) is mainly concerned with 20th century Italian art movements such as Futurism and Neorealism.
The name Sant’Elmo dates back to the time when the castle was a church. Slowly Sant’Erasmo became corrupted to Sant’Elmo.