A brief stopover in Naples?
Join the Dorotheum representative Giuseppe Imparato in a mini tour of the irresistibly charming city. You shall pay a visit to places of ancient and contemporary art along the “street of museums”, but Giuseppe will also show you his favourite pizzerias and ice cream parlors and tell you why it’s worthwhile to go underground.
Join the Dorotheum representative Giuseppe Imparato in a mini tour of the irresistibly charming city. You shall pay a visit to places of ancient and contemporary art along the “street of museums”, but Giuseppe will also show you his favourite pizzerias and ice cream parlors and tell you why it’s worthwhile to go underground.
150 years have passed since this city was a capital, but for its dimensions, its strategic position on the bay and, above all, its beauty, it is still considered a “real” capital, overlooking its wonderful gulf at the centre of the Mediterranean Sea.
As such, the Gulf of Naples, with its islands – Capri and Ischia – and its coastline, which within a few kilometres will take you to places like Pompeii, Sorrento, Posi-tano and Ravello, is an important destination for international summer tourism. The Neapolitans are also an established force in a variety of art forms, ranging from music to theatre, and from cinema to painting. The artistic sights in the city – including the Teatro di San Carlo, the Museo Archeologico, the palazzo Reggia di Capodimonte and the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea (MADRE) – are all must-see cultural sites.
Even with just a few hours to spend in Naples before proceeding to the aforementioned “pearls” of the Gulf, it’s possible to enjoy a mini tour that touches upon the most important ancient or contemporary pieces of art in the city. It is certainly worthwhile to pay a visit to a number of small but exceptional museums and to the art stations of the Naples Metro in an ideal route of three to four hours across the city centre, between the port and Via del Duomo.
THE STREET OF MUSEUMS
The latter is also called “the street of museums”, as it hosts the Duomo cathedral, the Museo del Tesoro di San Gennaro, the Museo Gaetano Filangieri, the MADRE museum, and the Pinacoteca dei Girolamini, and is not far from the Pio Monte della Misericordia Museum. Two particularly special places along the aforementioned route are the Tesoro di San Gennaro and the Filangieri museums.
THE MUSEO DEL TESORO DI SAN GENNARO
The Museo del Tesoro di San Gennaro (to the right of the cathedral along Via del Duomo) exhibits, together with several incredible full-scale silver busts created by the masters of the Neapolitan Baroque, the famous jewels that kings and queens from all of Europe offered in devotion to the Saint across the centuries. This treasure, which, until a few years ago, was kept in the vaults of the Bank of Naples, has been saved from pillage and plunder time after time by the efforts of aristocratic Neapolitan families that, appointed by a committee, are the modern-day proprietors of the Saint’s miraculous blood and of all the jewels that were donated over time. Expert gemmologists unanimously appraise the value of these jewels to be much greater than that of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
MUSEO GAETANO FILANGIERI
The Museo Gaetano Filangieri (288, Via del Duomo) is a shrine of art, containing the precious and choice collection of the Satriano Prince, who wanted to display a paramount example of his love for art in his Palazzo Como.
The museum was recently reopened along with its magnificent Agata Room (Sala Agata), named after the prince’s wife. Visitors will find themselves in awe of a refined collection of ancient majolica and porcelain objects, masterfully organised by the expert hands of Angela Carola Perrotti. They may then proceed towards a collection of rare edged weapons and a gallery with paintings by Bernardino Luini, José de Ribera, Guido Reni and others.
ART STATIONS
The Art Stations of the Naples Metro are all located in the city centre. These were designed by some of the most renowned living architects in the world, including Gae Aulenti, Alessandro Mendini, Karim Rashid and Dominique Perrault. Not only do they represent some of the most fascinating and daring architectural undertakings, they also incorporate contemporary art works of extraordinary quality.
This underground museum includes contributions by William Kentridge, Joseph Kosuth, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Jannis Kounellis, Oliviero Toscani, Mimmo Iodice, Sol Lewitt, Mimmo Paladino, and others. You will find the Art Stations at the following stops: Toledo, Università, Piazza Garibaldi, Piazza Dante, Piazza Municipio, Salvator Rosa, and Materdei.
Rating agencies and the media “Daily Tele-graph” have unanimously declared the Toledo Underground Station to be the most beautiful underground station in Europe. After such a high-quality mini tour of concentrated art, where shall we stop for a nibble or light meal?
These are a few tips for a few hours’ stay. On a more comprehensive visit of seven to fourteen days, beware the effect of Naples’ irresistible charm – you may find it so beautiful that you’ll want to spend the rest of your life there!
(myART MAGAZINE Nr. 07/2016)
Information: Guiseppe Imarato represents the Dorotheum in Naples.
