Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
its completion in 1759, Naples had a new palazzo. It's now home to the exceptional
Museo
Nazionale di Capodimonte
.
It's spread over three floors and 160 rooms, you'll never see the whole art museum in
one day. For most people, though, a full morning or afternoon is sufficient for an abridged
best-of tour, and forking out €5 for the insightful audio guide is a worthy investment. Un-
fortunately, funding cutbacks have seen entire sections of the museum occasionally close
for part of the day, so consider calling ahead if you're set on seeing a particular work.
On the 1st floor you'll find works by Bellini, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Masaccio and Ti-
tian. While the highlights are many, look out for Masaccio's
Crocifissione
(Crucifixion)
and Parmigianino's
Antea
.
Upstairs, the 2nd-floor galleries display work by Neapolitan artists from the 13th to the
19th centuries, plus some spectacular 16th-century Belgian tapestries. The piece that
many come to Capodimonte to see, Caravaggio's
Flagellazione
(Flagellation; 1607-10),
hangs in reverential solitude in Room 78, at the end of a long corridor.
If you have any energy left, the small gallery of modern art on the 3rd floor is worth a
quick look, if for nothing else than Andy Warhol's poptastic
Mt Vesuvius
.
Once you've finished in the museum, the
Parco di Capodimonte
- the palace's
130-hectare park - provides a much-needed breath of fresh air.
CEMETERY
Cimitero delle Fontanelle
( 081 744 37 14; Piazza Fontanelle alla Sanità 154; 10am-5pm; C51 to Via Fontanelle)
Cur-
rently holding an estimated eight million human bones, the ghoulish Fontanelle Cemetery
was first used during the plague of 1656, before becoming the city's main burial site dur-
ing the cholera epidemic of 1837. At the end of the 19th century it became a cult spot for
the worship of the dead, which saw locals adopting skulls and praying for their souls.
It was hoped that once a soul was released from purgatory, it would bestow blessings in
gratitude.
While you can visit the the cemetery independently, the lack of information makes join-
ing a guided tour such as those organised by the Cooperativa Sociale Onlus 'La Paranza'
much more rewarding. Avoid guides offering tours at the entrance.
