We continue our tour of the royal residences of Naples with the Royal Palace of Capodimonte, built by Carlo di Borbone in 1738 and composed of the Museum (*) and the Royal Park
For us of the tribe of seated warriors (sometimes you can even joke, isn't it?), It is preferable to arrive in Capodimonte with your own car which, duly marked, can enter from the entrance of Porta Piccola and park a short distance from the Royal Palace. It is advisable to inquire by phone or on the website of the actual opening of Porta Piccola and, if necessary, ask for an alternative solution. The Museum hosts, on the three floors dedicated to exhibitions, a series of permanent exhibitions (Farnese Collection, The arts in Naples from '200 to' 700, the collection of Contemporary Art, Private Nineteenth Century, the Armory and others). It is advisable to go to the site and inquire about the opening hours of the individual exhibitions; in some cases it is possible to book by mail, also for the access of the disabled to some single room. Both on the first and second floors of the museum there are toilets equipped for the disabled. Capodimonte is however one of the most active and dynamic Neapolitan museums in the cultural offer, including temporary exhibitions (see the recent exhibition "Picasso Parade Napoli"); therefore we will always find some reason of great pleasure and satisfaction, even by going to the visit in a way we can call it improvised. On the ground floor, in the courtyard, there is the Capodimonte Cafè, a café where, according to what is reported on the museum's website, it is possible to enjoy the aroma of Italian espresso, hot cappuccinos and fresh lemon granitas, enjoy a glass of wine or an aperitif, taste tasty focaccia, sweet and savory pies and many other snacks; also on the ground floor there are toilets equipped for the disabled. For the photos of the museum we limit ourselves to some really special gems, such as the Chinese Room:
some porcelain trays, part of the furnishings of the palace:
a royal sedan chair:
the Armory:
an extraordinary polyptych:
Vesuvius by Andy Warhol:
We continue the visit with the Royal Park, which has a structure based on five broad main avenues that radiate from the Porta di Mezzo, and from which a series of secondary paths branch off; the main avenues, designed by the architect Ferdinando Sanfelice, are very comfortable in a chair, on the secondary ones you have to go with some caution.
The route now open to the public is very long, even if flat and pleasant; at the end of the redevelopment works of the park, it will be possible to have a complete panorama of the 134 hectares of woods and the 17 historic buildings scattered throughout the area:
We close with the photos of the Belvedere, recently refurbished:
For lunch, if you do not want to use the Capodimonte Cafè, you need to take your car back and go to some restaurant in the center or, if you want to get away a little, you can take the ring road and reach the Phlegraean area (see our post Campi Flegrei 1 and 2).
(*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for the disabled.