Among the world’s top museums of ancient art, Naples’ Archaeological Museum overwhelms with its wealth of artifacts. The building was built in the 16th century as headquarters for the royal cavalry and later turned into a museum to house the Farnese Collection and the finds that were brought to light at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Now the Farnese Collection is broken up, with the paintings at the Museo di Capodimonte and the books in the National Library, leaving this museum to focus on its ancient marvels.
Piazza Museo 19 • 081 442 21 49 • museoarcheologiconapoli.it/en • Open 9am–7:30pm Wed–Mon (ticket office closes 6:30pm) • Adm €10; €2 (EU passport holders, for those aged 18–24 years)
Pottery here includes Greek and Etruscan kraters, Roman terracotta jars, vases and figurines. Grecian urns, with red figures on black backgrounds, depict a variety of scenes.
Replicas of some of the most renowned ancient Classical sculptures are housed here by artists such as Phidias, Lysippus, Praxiteles and Polyclitus. Also of great importance are the striking Greek and Roman busts.
This collection showcases erotic art from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The sexuality of the ancient world inspired the frescoes, sculptures and mosaics on display.
Romans loved mosaics on both floors and walls. Small chips of coloured glass and stone (tesserae) were used to create scenes of every genre.
Masters at producing coloured and transparent glassware, the Romans carried these techniques to artistic heights. Highlights of the collection include the celebrated Farnese Cup, engraved in semiprecious stone with layers of agate and sard-onyx, and the blue vase. Used as a wine vessel, the vase was found in a Pompeii tomb.
These Roman works were excavated from Pompeii and disclose a great deal about the society and religion of the time.
Shields, helmets and swords remind us of combat, but metalsmiths also made adornments. Domestic items include lamps and cups.
This collection, housed in the Museum’s basement has art from the Ancient Kingdom (2700–2200 BC) to the Roman age. Funereal sarcophagi and mummies – including one of a crocodile – can be seen here.
The collection of incised gems contains Greek and Roman pieces; bronze, silver and gold coins, including some from Magna Graecia. Ancient written records include the Tavole di Eraclea (3rd century BC).
Bronze masterpieces that once adorned the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, including a Resting Hermes, Fauns, Water-Bearers and many statues and busts, can be seen.
The Farnese Collection, inherited by King Ferdinando IV from his mother in the 18th century, forms the core of the museum, including one of the most important and largest groups of Roman antiquities in existence. Excavations around Vesuvius (see Pompeii) added to the bounty. In the past 200 years the inventory of world-class treasures has been augmented by many important aristocratic collections, including the Bourbon, Borgia, Orsini, Picchianti and Astarita collections.
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