Reggia di Capodimonte

The Reggia di Capodimonte sits on a hill north of the centre of Naples, Campania, at Via Miano 2, within a large wooded park. Charles of Bourbon began construction in 1738 as a hunting lodge and as a place to house the Farnese art collection that he had inherited from his mother, Elisabetta Farnese. The architects Giovanni Antonio Medrano and Antonio Canevari worked on the project, and construction continued for over a century, so the building was only completed in the mid-19th century. The palace served as a royal residence for the Bourbons, later for the House of Savoy, and was opened as a museum in the 20th century. The Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte today holds one of the most important art collections in Italy. The Farnese collection includes works by Titian, Raphael and Parmigianino, and the galleries also hold Caravaggio's Flagellation of Christ, paintings by Botticelli, Masaccio and Artemisia Gentileschi, and a large body of Neapolitan painting from the 13th to the 18th century. The royal apartments preserve 18th- and 19th-century furnishings, and the Salottino di Porcellana, a room made entirely of porcelain panels for Queen Maria Amalia, is a highlight of the decorative arts. The museum also displays a collection of Capodimonte porcelain, produced at the royal factory founded by Charles in 1743, as well as contemporary art. The curatorial approach is chronological and by school, with the Farnese collection and the Neapolitan galleries arranged on separate floors. The palace has undergone several rounds of restoration and rehanging in recent decades, and the surrounding park, once a royal hunting reserve, is open for walking.