Palace of Capodimonte
Royal Palace of Capodimonte | |
---|---|
Reggia di Capodimonte | |
General information | |
Status | Now used as a museum, National Gallery |
Type | Palace |
Architectural style | Italian Baroque, Neo-Classical |
Address | Via Miano 2, 80132 Naples, Italy |
Construction started | 1738 |
Completed | 1742 |
Client | Charles III of Spain |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 3 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Antonio Canevari Giovanni Antonio Medrano Ferdinando Fuga Antonio Niccolini[1] |
Website | |
Museo di Capodimonte official website (in Italian) | |
Invalid designation | |
Official name | Royal Palace of Capodimonte |
Type | Non-movable |
Criteria | Monument |
State Party | Italy |
The Royal Palace of Capodimonte (
History
In 1738, King
He commissioned Angelo Carasale, Giovanni Antonio Medrano and Antonio Canevari to build it. Work started in August 1738,[1] but it was to take more than a century to complete, partly because of the difficulty of transporting piperno, the volcanic rock used, from the quarries in Pianura. Since all surviving drawings bear Giovanni Antonio Medrano’s signature, most scholars give him complete credit. Moreover, the façade bears little in common with Canevari’s oeuvre. Its sober articulation adheres more closely to Herreran monuments in Spain and the output of the royal military engineer and architect Giovanni Antonio Medrano. Architectural borrowing was never neutral, and at Capodimonte such features harmonized the palace with other royal buildings, thus casting it as a member of a close-knit family of crown structures. The features drawn from Spain, the Teatro di San Carlo, and the Palazzo Reale would seem to indicate that Medrano oversaw the design. He knew Spanish monuments well, renovated the Palazzo Reale, and designed the Teatro di San Carlo. Giovanni Antonio Medrano probably designed the stairs, for their distinctive C-shape resemble the one he designed for San Carlo.[2]
In 1758, the first part of the palace was opened and the art collection was brought in. In 1759, Ferdinand I succeeded his father Charles and the following year he appointed the architect Ferdinando Fuga to oversee work on the palace and the grounds. In 1787, on the advice of Jacob Philipp Hackert, a laboratory for the restoration of paintings was created.
When the
With
In the early 20th century, the palace became the residence of the Dukes of Aosta. Then in 1920 it became the property of the Italian state. In 1950 it became a museum with many of the exhibits being returned from the National Museum.
Interior
The first and second floors house the National Gallery (Galleria Nazionale).
Elsewhere in the palace the royal apartments are furnished with antique 18th century furniture and a collection of porcelain and majolica from the various royal residences. The famous Capodimonte Porcelain Factory was just adjacent to the palace; it was started in 1743 by the Bourbon King Charles.
Gardens
The palace is situated in the Bosco di Capodimonte ('Hilltop Wood'), now a park, which served as a royal hunting preserve.
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 9780571249015.
- ^ Thomas, Robin (2016). The Royal Palace of Capodimonte: the Early Years. Pennsylvania: NAPOLI NOBILISSIMA VOLUME LXXII DELL'INTERA COLLEZIONE RIVISTA DI ARTI, FILOLOGIA E STORIA SETTIMA SERIE -VOLUME II FASCICOLO III -SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2016. pp. 23–32. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
External links
- Museo di Capodimonte official website (in Italian)