A visit to the Reggia (Royal Palace) will give you the opportunity to admire wonderful masterpieces and in the meantime to enjoy a peaceful walk in the wide park surrounding the palace. This Royal Palace was built in the beginning of the18th century by will of
the king of Naples, Carlo III di Borbone. Originally it was meant only as a hunting “casino” on the lovely hill of Capodimonte, but, then, the project was widened and, under the king Ferdinand IV, entrusted to the architect Ferdinando Fuga. The Reggia was built in a classical style and it was also conceived to display the magnificent collection of paintings belonging to King Carlo. Nowadays, the Reggia is a Gallery of Art, ranging from 1300 to contemporary art, where you can admire paintings by Botticelli, Raffaello, Tiziano, Correggio, and so on. A precious piece of the collection is the sequence of seven Flemish tapestries from 16th century, showing episodes from the “Battle of Pavia”. Other pieces of the collection are embroideries, weapons, porcelain, majolicas , etc.The Reggia is surrounded by a vast park, the biggest green area in Naples, rich in the variety of vegetation, with majestic secular trees. In some areas of the park (normally, the area near the entrance) you could even arrange a picnic for your children or eat a pizza taken away from one of the pizzeria in front of the main gate of the Reggia. Then, the children will have the opportunity to run, rent a bike or play football on the grass (there are lots of pedlars selling balls, toys and drinks inside the park). There is also the chance to enjoy a ride on one of the cabs strolling along the alleys of the park. So, as you see, it’s a place where all your family can enjoy a very pleasant day.By Titti A.
