Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte

the Museum

In 1738, Charles of Bourbon, King of Naples and Sicily, was born. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/carlo-di-borbone-re-di-napoli-e-di-sicilia_(Dictionary-Biography). The objective of Charles of Bourbon was to... He was entrusted with the task of... treccani.it/enciclopedia/giovanni-antonio-medrano. The focus of this study is Giovanni Antonio Medrano. He commissioned the construction of a new palace on the hill of Capodimonte, with the intention of housing the considerable artistic heritage inherited from his mother. Elisabeth Farnese Giovanni Antonio Medrano
Ferdinand II**.

The museum is situated within an austere rectangular building, which features three inner courtyards. The collections, which encompass approximately two thousand objects, are distributed across three floors. The main floor houses the Historical Apartment, which reflects the taste of the successive sovereigns of Naples, from Charles of Bourbon to his son Ferdinand, including the Napoleonic interlude with the Murat couple. The furnishings were provided by the French, and the rooms are divided into two categories: the first comprising the Cradle Room, the Salone delle Feste, and the Salone Camuccini; the second, the Salottino di Porcellana (created between 1757 and 1759 for the Royal Palace of Portici by the Royal Factory of Capodimonte and transferred here in 1866), and the Pompeian-style Bedroom.

In the opposite wing is the Galleria Farnese, which houses the extraordinary collection initiated by Paul III, augmented in Parma and Piacenza by the ducal branch of the family, and subsequently inherited by Charles of Bourbon. The collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and artistic treasures is displayed in 23 rooms, in chronological order, organised by schools. The great Italian schools from the 15th to the 17th century are joined by a large nucleus of Flemish paintings, the Velletri collection of Cardinal Stefano Borgia and art objects arranged as in a 'chamber of wonders'. The tour is concluded with the Porcelain Gallery, which houses a number of valuable pieces from the Royal Factories of Capodimonte and Naples, the Farnese Armoury, and the eclectic, late 19th-century De Ciccio Collection, which features majolica, porcelain, and other materials.

The Neapolitan Gallery, located on the second floor, houses a vast and diverse collection of artifacts, many of which originate from the most significant religious complexes in Naples and its surrounding region. The gallery's holdings illustrate the evolution of art in Naples between the 12th and 18th centuries. Subsequently, four rooms are dedicated to the d'Avalos collection, which comprises a plethora of Flemish tapestries, paintings, embroideries, miniatures, prints and weapons amassed by the Marquis of Pescara Alfonso II and his family. The 19th-century Gallery showcases artistic creations in post-unification southern Italy, augmented by works by non-Neapolitan and foreign masters.

Contemporary Art

Between the second and third floors is the Contemporary Art collection, which has been built up since 1978, when Alberto Burri following a solo exhibition he left one of his works (the Great Black Cretto) to which the works of many other artists were added, from Andy Warhol to Jannis Kounellis, from Mimmo Paladino to Sol Lewitt, to Michelangelo Pistoletto, Daniel Buren, Joseph Kosuth.

The southern courtyard can be accessed via the hexagonal staircase, which leads to the Drawings and Prints Cabinet. The collection includes 2,500 sheets and 25,000 prints from the original Farnese nucleus, as well as drawings by Emilian, Florentine, Genoese, Venetian, Roman and Neapolitan authors. It also features the masterpieces of the graphic works collection, comprising approximately 20,000 specimens, mainly prints, distributed in 227 volumes, one of which is dedicated to drawings. Of particular note is the collection acquired by the Bourbons in 1782, which includes 227 volumes and one volume dedicated to drawings.

The Real Bosco di Capodimonte
The Capodimonte Park encompasses an area of 134 hectares and boasts approximately 400 plant species, which can be classified into 108 families and 274 genera.
The site encompasses sixteen architectural structures, including residential buildings, modest dwellings, artisan factories, warehouses, and places of worship. Additionally, it features fountains and statues, hunting implements, vegetable gardens and orchards, and a cemetery, namely that of the Capuchins of the Hermitage.
The history of the Park with the Royal Palace commences with the ascension of Charles of Bourbon to the throne on 10 May 1734 and his ambitious programme of a system of estates that were to be directly administered by the Crown, which he termed 'royal sites'.
Given its elevated position and expansive view of the entire gulf, Capodimonte was deemed an ideal location for a royal residence, visible from much of the city. By 1736, construction of the hunting estate's perimeter had already been completed. Access was gained via the Porta di Mezzo (Middle Gate), which led to the extensive hemicycle from which the fan of avenues commenced. The historical tradition has consistently attributed this role to Ferdinand Sanfelice. The objective of Ferdinando Sanfelice was to: Furthermore, Domenico Antonio Vaccaro Domenico Antonio Vaccaro The design of this scenographic layout is attributed to the Roman architect Antonio Canevari, although more recent hypotheses challenge this assumption. The attribution of the design of this scenographic layout to Antonio Canevari is a more recent hypothesis. It is unclear who was responsible for this design. It is evident that San Felice played a pivotal role in the renovation of the Royal Porcelain Factory in 1743 and the construction of the Church of San Gennaro at the conclusion of the first fan street two years later.

A royal forest would be incomplete without natural scenery, statues, fountains and walled gardens. However, the vegetal zoning was functional to the types of hunting practised by the king, with densely wooded areas featuring holm oaks, chestnut trees, hornbeams and elms, followed by shrub areas with myrtle, olivella and royal laurel, as well as glades and ragnaia. Subsequently, extensive tracts of land were cultivated for the nourishment of domesticated animals and game, enclosed within dedicated enclosures and menageries. Forest and land products were utilised for the needs of the court and for commercial purposes.
In 1738, construction commenced on the Royal Palace in the most picturesque area of the site, designated the 'Spianato'. The Palace and the Wood, which were originally entirely distinct entities, became a unified and autonomous complex with respect to the city only during the French period. This was achieved through the construction of a wall around the Esplanade, which allowed for the opening of the Porta Grande on the Ponti Rossi road and the Porta Piccola on the road to Miano. An important innovation was the new road, Corso Napoleone, now Amedeo di Savoia, designed by the engineer Romualdo De Tommaso: inaugurated in 1809, it connected the Museum area to Capodimonte in a "straight line", crossing the Sanità valley with a bridge and overcoming the mountain of Spaccata with the landscaped solution of the Tondo, built by Niccolini between the second and third decade of the century. In 1817 Ferdinando I had the Capuchin Hermitage built in the park and began the first works for the "English style" redesign of the green areas to adapt them to the new taste that had spread throughout Europe a few decades earlier. The Savoy restored the hunting activities in the forest and modified the design of the areas adjacent to the Royal Palace and the Princes' Casino.