Palace of Capodimonte
Encyclopedia
The Palace of Capodimonte is a grand Bourbon
palazzo
in Naples
, Italy
, formerly the summer residence and hunting lodge of the kings of the Two Sicilies. It today houses the National Museum of Capodimonte and art gallery
of the city. "Capodimonte" means "top of the hill", and the palace was originally just outside the city, which has now expanded to surround it, and somewhat cooler than the city in summer.
(later Charles III
, king of Spain
) decided to build a hunting lodge on the Capodimonte hill, but then decided that he would instead build a grand palace, partly because his existing residence, the Palace of Portici
, was too small to accommodate his court, and partly because he needed somewhere to house the fabulous Farnese art collection which he had inherited from his mother, Elisabetta Farnese, last descendant of the sovereign ducal family of Parma
.
He commissioned Angelo Carasale, Giovanni Antonio Medrano
and Antonio Canevari to build it. Work started in September 1738, 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
. 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 Parthenopaean Republic
was declared in 1799, Ferdinand fled to Palermo on board Nelson
's Vanguard, taking the most valuable items from the palace with him. What remained was looted by the French troops of General Championnet
who were billeted there. During the ten years of French occupation (1806 to 1815), the palace was the residence of Joseph Bonaparte
and then of Joachim Murat
. The art collection was transferred to the Naples National Archaeological Museum
. When Ferdinand returned from Sicily in 1815, he employed many painters and sculptors to work on the decoration of the palace.
Francesco I succeeded his father Ferdinand in 1825 and appointed the architect Antonio Niccolini to oversee work on the palace. Niccolini added monumental staircases, and new suites of rooms for the royal family, continuing work when Ferdinand II
succeeded Francesco I in 1830. The palace was finally completed in 1840, and a gallery housing contemporary art was added.
With Italian Unification
, the palace passed in 1861 to the House of Savoy
who used it as a residence and also added to the art collections, appointing Domenico Morelli
as consultant for new acquisitions. They also added an extensive collection of historic firearms and other weapons. In 1866, the boudoir of Maria Amalia of Saxony
was transferred to Capodimonte from the Palace of Portici
, and in 1877 a Roman era marble floor was brought in from a Roman villa on Capri.
In the early twentieth 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.
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.
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
palazzo
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, formerly the summer residence and hunting lodge of the kings of the Two Sicilies. It today houses the National Museum of Capodimonte and art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
of the city. "Capodimonte" means "top of the hill", and the palace was originally just outside the city, which has now expanded to surround it, and somewhat cooler than the city in summer.
History
In 1738, Charles VII, king of Naples and SicilyKingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
(later Charles III
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
, king of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) decided to build a hunting lodge on the Capodimonte hill, but then decided that he would instead build a grand palace, partly because his existing residence, the Palace of Portici
Palace of Portici
The Royal Palace of Portici is a former royal palace in Portici, southern Italy. Today it is the home of the Orto Botanico di Portici. The Botanic Gardens are operated by the University of Naples Federico II...
, was too small to accommodate his court, and partly because he needed somewhere to house the fabulous Farnese art collection which he had inherited from his mother, Elisabetta Farnese, last descendant of the sovereign ducal family of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
.
He commissioned Angelo Carasale, Giovanni Antonio Medrano
Giovanni Antonio Medrano
Giovanni Antonio Medrano was an Italian architect.Born in Sciacca, Sicily, he became a brigadier in the army of Charles of Bourbon, while he was king of the Two Sicilies. Following the Battle of Bitonto in 1734, Charles had Medrano construct a commemorative obelisk in Bitonto.In 1737, Charles...
and Antonio Canevari to build it. Work started in September 1738, 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
Pianura
Pianura is a western suburb of Naples, southern Italy. It is bounded on one side by the area of Soccavo and on the other side by the outskirts of the town of Pozzuoli.-Personalities:*Justin Russolillo , presbyter...
. In 1758, the first part of the palace was opened and the art collection was brought in. In 1759, Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
succeeded his father Charles and the following year he appointed the architect Ferdinando Fuga
Ferdinando Fuga
Ferdinando Fuga was an Italian architect, whose main works were realized in Rome and Naples in the Baroque style.-Biography:Born in Florence, he began to work in that city as a pupil of Giovanni Battista Foggini. In 1717 he moved to Rome, to continue his apprentice studies...
to oversee work on the palace and the grounds. In 1787, on the advice of Jacob Philipp Hackert
Jacob Philipp Hackert
Jacob Philipp Hackert was a landscape painter from Brandenburg, who did most of his work in Italy....
, a laboratory for the restoration of paintings was created.
When the Parthenopaean Republic
Parthenopaean Republic
The Parthenopean Republic was a French-supported republic in the territory of the Kingdom of Naples, formed during the French Revolutionary Wars after King Ferdinand IV fled before advancing French troops...
was declared in 1799, Ferdinand fled to Palermo on board Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
's Vanguard, taking the most valuable items from the palace with him. What remained was looted by the French troops of General Championnet
Jean Étienne Championnet
Jean Étienne Vachier, called Championnet , French general, enlisted in the army at an early age and served in the Great Siege of Gibraltar....
who were billeted there. During the ten years of French occupation (1806 to 1815), the palace was the residence of Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
and then of Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
. The art collection was transferred to the Naples National Archaeological Museum
Naples National Archaeological Museum
The Naples National Archaeological Museum is a museum in Naples, southern Italy, at the northwest corner of the original Greek wall of the city of Neapolis. The museum contains a large collection of Roman artifacts from Pompeii, Stabiae and Herculaneum...
. When Ferdinand returned from Sicily in 1815, he employed many painters and sculptors to work on the decoration of the palace.
Francesco I succeeded his father Ferdinand in 1825 and appointed the architect Antonio Niccolini to oversee work on the palace. Niccolini added monumental staircases, and new suites of rooms for the royal family, continuing work when Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death.-Family:Ferdinand was born in Palermo, the son of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his wife and first cousin Maria Isabella of Spain.His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Queen Marie...
succeeded Francesco I in 1830. The palace was finally completed in 1840, and a gallery housing contemporary art was added.
With Italian Unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
, the palace passed in 1861 to the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
who used it as a residence and also added to the art collections, appointing Domenico Morelli
Domenico Morelli
Domenico Morelli was an Italian painter, one of the most important Neapolitan artists of the 19th century. He enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Naples in 1836. His early works are Romantic and contain imagery drawn from the Middle Ages and Byron...
as consultant for new acquisitions. They also added an extensive collection of historic firearms and other weapons. In 1866, the boudoir of Maria Amalia of Saxony
Maria Amalia of Saxony
Maria Amalia of Saxony was a German princess from the House of Wettin and was the wife of Charles III of Spain; she was the Queen consort of Naples and Sicily from 1738 till 1759 and then Queen consort of Spain from 1759 until her death in 1760...
was transferred to Capodimonte from the Palace of Portici
Palace of Portici
The Royal Palace of Portici is a former royal palace in Portici, southern Italy. Today it is the home of the Orto Botanico di Portici. The Botanic Gardens are operated by the University of Naples Federico II...
, and in 1877 a Roman era marble floor was brought in from a Roman villa on Capri.
In the early twentieth century, the palace became the residence of the Dukes of Aosta
Duke of Aosta
In the mid-13th century the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made the County of Aosta a duchy; its arms were carried in the Savoyard coat-of-arms until the unification of Italy in 1870. The region remained part of Savoy lands, with the exception of a French occupation, 1539—1563...
. 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
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
and majolica
Maiolica
Maiolica is Italian tin-glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance. It is decorated in bright colours on a white background, frequently depicting historical and legendary scenes.-Name:...
from the various royal residences. The famous Capodimonte Porcelain Factory
Capodimonte porcelain
Capodimonte porcelain is porcelain created by the Capodimonte porcelain manufactory, which was established in Naples, Italy in 1743. Capodimonte porcelain was made in direct emulation of Meissen porcelain...
was just adjacent to the palace; it was started in 1743 by the Bourbon King Charles.