The Museo Civico of Naples is housed in one of the city’s castles, the Castel Nuovo. The museum occupies three floors, of which the first one is the most interesting. The Capella Palatina and the Sala dell’Armeria are highlights.
Museo Civico Naples
Address, ticket price and opening hours
The address of the Museo Civico is Piazza Municipio – 80133 Naples (tel. +39 0817955877). Bus: 140, N1, N3, R1, R2. Opening hours: 09:00 to 19:00. Last entrance: 18:00. Closed on Sunday. Entrance fee: 6 Euros (3 Euros with discount).
Highlights Museo Civico Naples
Of the original castle, only the Cappella Palatina is still reasonably intact, with unfortunately only a few fragments of Giotto’s frescoes. A beautiful Catalan rose window can be seen above the door.
The triumphal arch above the entrance is called Torre della Guardia (“Watchtower”) and commemorates the victory of the Aragonese in the 1443 invasion of the city.
During restoration work in the Sala dei Baroni, Roman ruins (including a swimming pool) were discovered, which can now be seen in the Sala dell’Armeria (through a glass floor). The skeletons date back to the Middle Ages.
The bronze door made by Guglielmo Monaco from the 15th century, in which a real cannonball is stuck.
In general, the rooms on the first floor are the most interesting, because of the many frescoes and sculptures.
The paintings on the first level are organized in chronological order. This part of the collection was assembled from paintings taken from suppressed churches in Naples itself. Marco Cardisco’s Adorazione dei Magi (see above) is one of the highlights. The wise man on the right is supposedly a portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
The second floor is reserved for 19th and 20th century paintings.