Attractions
Museo Archeologico Nazionale
This excellent museum of antiquities houses artifacts from Lazio and Campania, as well as Pompeii and Herculaneum. Some of the notable pieces in the collection include the Farnese Hercules and the Farnese Bull, one of the largest known ancient sculptures. One titillating exhibit displays the erotic material unearthed from brothels, baths, taverns and houses of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Address: Piazza Museo Nazionale 19.
Telephone: (081)442 2149.
Getting there: Metropolitan line to Museum or Cavour Square.
Hours of operation: Closed Tuesdays. Daily, 9am–7:30pm.
Admission: €10.
Duomo San Gennaro
Access to Naples’ Chapel of San Gennaro can be found in the south aisle of the Cathedral of Naples. The Gothic building dates back to the 13th century and is dedicated to the city’s patron saint. Legend has it that two vials of San Gennaro’s blood liquefied in the bishop’s hand after the saint’s martyred body was brought to the church. It is said that disaster will strike if the blood doesn’t do the same on festival days: the first Sunday in May, Sept. 19 and Dec. 16. The church holds a liquefaction ceremony during a special mass for the congregation to ease their fears. Beneath the cathedral you can find excavations of Greek and Roman roads that once ran through the now-modern city. It’s possible to arrange a special tour of the site.
Address: Via del Duomo 147.
Telephone: 081 449 097.
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 8am–12:30pm and 4:30pm–7pm.
Admission: Cathedral – free, Archaeological site - €6.
Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte
Inside a restored, 18th-century palace atop the city’s hills you can find the Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte. The museum boasts an impressive display of Renaissance paintings and Flemish masterpieces, among others, that were collected by Farnese and Bourbon rulers. It’s interesting to note that the exhibits are arranged by collections, not by chronology. Some notable paintings are Raphael’s Leo X, Bellini’s Transfiguration and Michelangelo’s Three Soldiers.
Address: Via Milano 2, Capodimonte Park.
Hours of operation: Closed Mondays. Open Thursday through Tuesday 8:30am–7:30pm.
Admission: €7.50.
