Tour of the Royal Palace:
The Royal Palace in Naples is a strikingly large building built as a residence for the royal family of the Bourbon dynasty that headed the Kingdom of Naples (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies). History of construction and renovations Construction of the palace near the Cathedral of St Francis of Paopa near Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples had been underway since 1600 for more than half a century. The neoclassical architectural project was designed by Domenico Fontana.
The building took 15 years to build, then five years for famous Italian artists to decorate the interior. In the palace you can see paintings by Giovanni Balducci, Battistello Caracciolo and many others. When the construction and decoration of the interiors were finished, Viceroy Fernando Ruiz settled in the palace, as the Spanish ruler was not going to come here and never visited it. For the first time in Palazzo Reale the ruler of Spain came only in 1734 – it was Charles III. On his orders, restoration work was carried out to a design by Luigi Vanvitelli, but at the same time he ordered the construction of two other palaces – in Capodimonte and in Caserta. When the royal residence in Caserta, which was larger than the Palace of Versailles and surrounded by the largest park in Italy, was completed, Spanish kings stayed there until the end of the 18th century.
In 1837, after a devastating fire, the building underwent another restoration designed by the architect Gaetano Genovese. An entire wing was added to house the National Library of Victor Emmanuel III. In 1888, at the behest of King Umberto I of Savoy, sculptural representations of the great Neapolitan rulers from Roger I, Grand Count of Sicily (1072-1101) to Victor Emmanuel III (1869-1947) were added in niches in the lower storey on the side of the square. The Royal Palace is first viewed from the outside: the clock and the small bell tower in the middle of the façade facing the square are of interest. The sculptures of the eight illustrious rulers of the Kingdom of Naples are also of interest. Inside you can see the Museum of Historical Apartments, visit the National Library, and see the collection of paintings. Here, in the palace, there is also the Umberto I Gallery with boutiques, shops of fashion brands, restaurants. The Museum of Historical Apartments is famous for the Court Theatre, the decoration of the Central Hall, the Throne Room, the Hall of Hercules, the Palace Chapel, which preserves treasures from various cathedrals and churches in Italy. The National Library contains a unique collection of ancient texts on papyrus scrolls from Herculaneum, a city that perished during the eruption of Vesuvius. The painting collection includes works by Titian Vecellio, Gwerchino, Andrea Vaccaro, Mattia Preti, Spagnoletto, Massimo Stanzione, Luca Giordano.
The museum is open every day except Wednesday, 24 and 25 December, 1 January, and 1 May
