The Royal Palace of Naples dates back to the 17th century. It was originally designed by Domenico Fontana, one of the most famous architects of the time. Following a fire in the 19th century, the building underwent a radical rearrangement at the behest of Ferdinand II of Bourbon. The architect Gaetano Genovese was responsible for the restoration, who tried not to completely disrupt Fontana’s layout.
The long mannerist façade is also by Fontana. At the end of the 19th century, statues of eight kings of Naples were placed in the eight external niches, corresponding to the arches that were closed for stability reasons. These are the statues of Roger the Norman, Frederick II of Swabia, Charles I of Anjou, Alfonso I of Aragon, Charles V of Habsburg, Charles III of Bourbon, Joachim Murat and Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy. Entering the Palace, you will find the Royal Gardens, the Carriage Courtyard and the Belvedere Courtyard. The Royal Apartment shows the royal rooms on the piano nobile, with furnishings of the time.
Over the centuries, the Royal Palace was the residence of the Spanish and Austrian Viceroys, the Bourbons and finally the Savoy.
It also houses the National Library Vittorio Emanuele III, Italy’s largest library after the central national libraries in Rome and Florence. The library has been open to the public since 1804.