The Palazzo Reale, or the Royal Palace of Naples, was the home of the House of Bourbon, from 1735 to 1861.  It dates from the 17th century, and was designed by the architect, Domenico Fontana.  It was built as a residence for the Viceroy, Fernando Ruiz de Castro, of Spain.  In 1888, by order of King Umberto I of Italy, statues depicting the rulers of Naples were put in the niches of the building’s façade.  The statue of Vittorio Emanuele II is the work of Francesco Jerace.

The statue of Gioacchino Murat is by Giovanni Battista Amendola.

The statue of Charles III of Spain is the work of Raffaele Belliazzi.

The statue of Charles I of Anjou is by Tommaso Solari.

The visit begins with the grand staircase, which dates from 1651, and was built by Francesco Antonio Picchiatti.  It was designed by Gaetano Genovese.  The niches, on the side walls, house monumental plaster sculptures representing the Royal Virtues.  The vault of the room features the coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which is the work of the Beccalli brothers.  The vault also features the Bourbon coat of arms, as well as the coats of arms of both, Calabria and Sicily.

You proceed into the Court Theater.  It was designed and built by the architect, Ferdinando Fuga, in honor of the marriage of Maria Carolina of Austria, with Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, in 1768.  The space once held the Sala Regia.  The paper-mache work is by Angelo Viva.  Both, the stage and the ceiling, were destroyed by bombs during World War II, but restoration work began in 1950.

The visit continues in the Etichetta Apartment.

The Diplomatic Room was where the various diplomats, from around the world, would be kept waiting, until the royals were available to see them.

 

Next up: We continue our visit of the Palazzo Reale!

 

<em>Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations that may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Naples, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!</em>