Museo Civico di Castel Nuovo

The Museo Civico di Castel Nuovo is housed inside the Castel Nuovo, known as the Maschio Angioino, on Via Vittorio Emanuele III in the Municipio area of Naples, Campania. Charles I of Anjou began the castle in 1279 as a royal residence, and Alfonso V of Aragon rebuilt and extended it from 1443, adding the white marble triumphal arch at the entrance that commemorates his entry into Naples in 1443. The castle's five cylindrical towers and thick walls define the building, which has served as a royal seat, a fortress and, since the 20th century, a civic cultural venue. The museum occupies the upper floors and the Armoury Hall, and its displays focus on Neapolitan painting and sculpture from the 14th to the early 20th century. The first-floor galleries hold works from the 17th and 18th centuries, while the upper rooms show 19th-century and early 20th-century paintings by Neapolitan artists. The Palatine Chapel, within the castle, retains fragments of frescoes and sculpture, including works associated with Giotto's presence in Naples under King Robert, and the Sala dei Baroni is notable for its vaulted ceiling, where the Aragonese court held assemblies. The visit combines architecture and art, moving from the chapel to the galleries and the castle's interior spaces. Restoration has focused on the castle's structure, the Aragonese arch and the interior rooms, and parts of the building were damaged and repaired after the Second World War. Visitors usually pair the museum with a walk around the castle courtyard and the nearby Piazza Municipio and the port.