The Palazzo Venezia is located close to Piazza del Gesù Nuovo on Via Benedetto Croce in the centre of Naples. A major attraction within the building is the hanging garden on the first and second floors. It served as the Venetian embassy for about 400 years.
Palazzo Venezia Naples
Useful information
Address: Via Benedetto Croce, 19 – Naples. Phone: +39 081 5528739. Opening hours: From 10:30am to 1:30pm and from 3:30pm to midnight.
History and description
The Palazzo Venezia was built towards the end of the 14th century.
In 1412, it was seized by King Ladislaus the Magnanimous (Ladislao il Magnanimo), who then gave it to the Venetian Republic. It served hereafter as the Venetian embassy until the fall of the Republic in 1797.
It then passed first into Austrian hands, to be sold to the lawyer Gaspare Capone in the early 19th century. The latter immediately had the palace renovated and his coat of arms painted on the entrance vault.
The biggest change was the neo-classical Casino Pompeiano, which today is used for concerts.
To the right of the stairs in the courtyard is a plaque describing the entire history of the building.
Today, Palazzo Venezia is used for exhibitions, concerts and other events.
Highlights
The hanging garden in the courtyard is at its most beautiful in spring, when the first and second floors are overgrown with wisteria.
The garden also contains a small chapel known as Grotta della Madonnina.
Another highlight is the Sala delle Carrozze (“Room of the Carriages”) on the ground floor.