Museo Pignatelli

Naples


When Ferdinand Acton, a minister at the court of King Ferdinand IV (1759–1825), asked Pietro Valente to design Villa Pignatelli in 1826, Valente whipped up this striking Pompeiian facsimile. Now the Museo Pignatelli, its aristocratic hoard includes sumptuous furniture and decorative arts, as well as a beautiful collection of 19th- and 20th-century carriages in the adjoining Museo delle Carrozze.

Bought and extended by the Rothschilds in 1841, Villa Pignatelli became home to the Duke of Monteleone, Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortés, in 1867, before his granddaughter Rosina Pignatelli donated it (and its treasures) to the state. Permanent-collection highlights include a small yet fine array of local and foreign porcelain in the Salotto Verde (Green Room), and a leather-lined smoking room (known as the Biblioteca). The 1st floor – whose bathroom features a tub made from a single block of Carrara marble – also hosts regular temporary exhibitions, mostly photographic.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Naples attractions

1. Villa Maria

0.19 MILES

Fronted by sinuous palms, colourful Villa Maria is an outstanding example of Italian art nouveau architecture. Dating from 1901, the building was…

2. Chiesa di Santa Teresa a Chiaia

0.19 MILES

Designed by baroque architect and sculptor Cosimo Fanzago, this melon-hued show off was built between 1650 and 1662. After suffering damage in an…

3. Thomas Dane Gallery

0.21 MILES

London's Thomas Dane Gallery has injected added buzz to the Naples' art scene with the opening of its first Italian branch. The gallery sits inside 19th…

4. Palazzo delle Arti Napoli

0.21 MILES

Housed in the 18th-century Palazzo Carafa di Roccella, PAN offers a hit-and-miss programme of temporary art exhibitions. The focus is mainly on modern and…

5. Villa Comunale

0.25 MILES

Another Luigi Vanvitelli production, this long, leafy seaside strip was originally built for Bourbon royalty. Called the Passeggio Reale (Royal Walkway),…

6. Museo Duca di Martina & Villa Floridiana

0.37 MILES

The Museo Duca di Martina houses a beautiful collection of ceramics, with priceless Chinese Ming (1368–1644) ceramics and Japanese Edo (1615–1867) vases…

7. Palazzo Mannajuolo

0.38 MILES

Commissioned by entrepreneur and engineer Giuseppe Mannajuolo, this distinguished palazzo was built between 1910 and 1911. It's one of the city's finest…

8. Piazza dei Martiri

0.43 MILES

If Chiaia is Naples' drawing room, then Piazza dei Martiri is its chaise longue. The square's centrepiece is Enrico Alvino's 19th-century monument to…