Naples Attractions

Venue: The Capodimonte National Museum of Art    When: Daily; not Wed

The Capodimonte National Museum of Art hosts one of Italy's most significant art collections. Displays from different historical periods include the Farnese and Bourbon collections (named after their patron families), as well as the loosely-named post-unification collection, consisting of works acquired since the unification of Italy in the 19th century.

Construction of the museum began in 1738, on the orders of the then-King of Naples, and since then it has been steadily growing as a repository for important Italian and continental art. Today it includes some of the most central works of the European canons of painting.

The Farnese collection, the oldest collection and in a sense the nucleus of the museum, consists of works collected from the middle of the 16th century until the beginning of the 18th. Some of the greatest luminaries of the history of painting are gathered here, including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Brueghel.

Set up by the successors of the Farnese family, the Bourbon collection developed from the existing Farnese collection, basing itself on close working relationships between artists and the court of Napoli. Noteworthy works in this collection include the Sant'Eufemia of Mantegna and the Sacra Conversazione of Palma the Elder.

After unification, acquisitions have included Masaccio's Crocefissione, Titian's Annunciazione and Caravaggio's Flagellazione, as well as numerous more modern works and works by less well-known artists.

Since its opening to the public in 1957, this museum has become one of Naples' most important cultural resources.