Experience Archaeology, History, and Art in These Famed Museums
Naples may be famous for its pizza, but this vibrant southern Italian city also boasts several excellent museums. One standout is the highly acclaimed National Archaeological Museum, recognized as one of the best museums in Italy.
National Archaeological Museum of Naples
Address: Piazza Museo, 19, 80135 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 442 2111
Website: Visit website
Home to one of the world’s best collections of Greek and Roman antiquities, the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, also known as Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, showcases artifacts from nearby excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum, preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The museum features impressive displays of mosaics, frescoes, and intriguing sections on prehistory, including an exhibit of erotic art.
National Museum and Monastery of San Martino
Address: Largo S. Martino, 5, 80129 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 229 4503
Website: Visit website
The National Museum of San Martino is located in the historic Certosa di San Martino, a monastery complex established in 1368. Explore the cloisters and admire beautiful frescoes alongside impressive exhibits, including famous Neapolitan presepi or nativity scenes, as well as paintings and sculptures from the 13th to 19th centuries. The museum also offers stunning views of the city from its gardens.
Capodimonte Museum and National Galleries
Address: Via Miano, 2, 80131 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 749 9130
Website: Visit website
The Capodimonte Museum was originally built as a hunting lodge for King Charles III. The museum houses an extensive painting gallery featuring artworks from the medieval period to contemporary times. Don’t miss the royal apartments adorned with furniture, tapestries, and porcelain from the Bourbon and Savoy dynasties. A stroll through the surrounding park is also highly recommended.
Santa Chiara Monastery and Museum
Address: Via Santa Chiara, 49/c, 80134 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 060 6976
Website: Visit website
Santa Chiara Monastery is renowned for its exquisite Majolica tiled columns and benches located within its cloister. Visitors can marvel at 17th-century frescoes under the porticoes and explore a museum housing archaeological finds from the first through fourth centuries. Highlights include an excavation of a Roman thermal spa and significant religious artifacts.
San Severo Chapel Museum
Address: Via Francesco de Sanctis, 19/21, 80134 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 552 4936
Website: Visit website
San Severo Chapel Museum, or Museo Cappella San Severo, is renowned for its major 18th-century sculptures and paintings, including the iconic Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino. The museum features a unique floor labyrinth and intriguing anatomical machines within the underground chamber, all richly decorated in Baroque style.
San Lorenzo Maggiore Monumental Complex
Address: Piazza San Gaetano, 316, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 211 0860
Website: Visit website
The San Lorenzo Maggiore Monumental Complex, constructed in the 13th century, rests on the Forum of ancient Neapolis (Naples). Visitors can explore part of the excavated ancient city displayed in an underground section of the cloisters, alongside a collection of artworks spanning from the Greek and Roman period to the 19th century, including the beautiful frescoed ceilings of the Capitolare and Sisto V rooms.
Duomo or Cathedral Archaeological Area and Museum
Address: Via Duomo, 147, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 449097
Website: Visit website
The Naples Duomo (Cathedral) features an intriguing underground archaeological area that contains ancient Greek remains and artifacts dating back to the Middle Ages. The church itself houses the 4th-century Basilica Santa Restituta, known as the oldest church in Naples. With breathtaking ceiling frescoes and columns believed to have originated from the Temple of Apollo, alongside the Crypt and Treasure of San Gennaro, this site is an essential visit.
