Castel Sant’Elmo stands on a hill in the Vomero district. Medieval in origin, it was enlarged by Robert of Anjou in 1329 to make it a palatium for rulers and court, and enriched with two towers, which collapsed in an earthquake in 1456 along with some curtain walls. Transformed during the Spanish viceroyalty, i.e. from 1504 to 1707, into a real defensive fortress, it was designed and then built with a star plan.
In 1547, the church was erected, later destroyed by lightning in 1587 along with the castellan’s palace and military quarters. It was only rebuilt between 1599 and 1610, when the castle was renovated by Domenico Fontana, who also wanted to inaugurate a new drawbridge. It was only after the period of Bourbon domination and until 1952 that a military prison was established, and then passed into military ownership until 1976. This was the starting point for restoration work by the Campania Public Works Department, which finally reopened the underground passages, the ancient paths and the patrol walkways to the public. Furthermore, in 1982, the entire complex was entrusted to the Superintendency of Artistic and Historical Heritage of Naples. They skilfully recovered new exhibition spaces in order to host exhibitions of international importance.
Museo del Novecento, in the premises of the Carcere Alto, is not to be missed. It houses some 170 works, including paintings and sculptures, documenting the artistic development that took place in Naples during the 1900s, from futurism to neorealism. In addition, it is possible to admire the splendid work by Mimmo Paladino, the famous Elmo, on the ancient sundial in Piazza d’Armi.