The Real Albergo dei Poveri is an enormous former alms house in the San Carlo all’Arena district in Naples. It was constructed in the 18th century, abandoned in the 20th century and now in the process of an extensive restoration. The completed spaces are being used for exhibitions and other cultural events. The building, which is also known as Palazzo Fuga, is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
A brief history of the Real Albergo dei Poveri in Naples
In the early 18th century, although Naples was a wealthy city, big parts of its population were living in poverty. King Carlo III of Bourbob, the ruler of Naples, commissioned Ferdinando Fuga in 1752 to build a Royal Almshouse. Although a bit of a vanity project, it did manage to improve the lives of many of the city’s poorest people.
The project was never fully completed. The hexagonal church that was supposed to have been constructed in the centre of the complex was never built. Of the five projected courtyards, only three were completed.
The seven floor Real Albergo dei Poveri could host 8,000 people, giving them shelter, food and also jobs. The facade of the building is over 350 meters in length and takes up an entire side of the Piazza Carlo III.
One of the courtyards was for males, one was for females and the last one was for the administration.
There was a section for men, one for women, one for the elderly and one for children. These categories did not mix, and even family members were not allowed to be in contact with one another.
In the course of its history, the Real Albergo fulfilled many funtions. It was a juvenile detention centre, an insane asylum, a music school and a school for deaf-mutes, an orphanage, a barracks for the fire department and the seat of the State Archives.
After an earthquake in 1980, one wing of the building collapsed.