The Royal Palace of Portici, a wonderful summer residence of the Bourbon royal family, was built in 1738. Located at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, it still has a large upper forest dedicated to hunting and an ornamental garden in the valley. Among the architects who worked on its construction were Luigi Vanvitelli and Ferdinando Fuga.
Di Ferdinando Scala (Rubra Mater), CC BY-SA 3.0, Collegamento
Contenuti / Contents
Short history of the Royal Palace of Portici
The Portici area has been frequented since ancient times by Roman patricians who went there to spend their periods of otium. Over the centuries, the area has remained attractive to wealthy members of the society of the time, who built their residences there.
The church St. Anthony was the landmark, around which the first noble residences were built. Under the rule of Robert of Anjou, Petrarch also visited these places. According to the statutes of the Accademia Antoniana, meetings took place in Portici, at the villa of the Counts D’Aquino di Caramanico.
Di 18th century Painter – http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/ita/archivio-storico/palazzo-reale-di-portici.php, Pubblico dominio, Collegamento
The anecdote about the birth of the Reggia
Apparently, King Charles of Bourbon’s interest in the area stemmed from a fortuitous event, when he was caught in a storm along with his consort Maria Amalia of Saxony Returning from Castellammare di Stabia on their way to Naples, they found refuge at the small port of Granatello, where they were graciously welcomed at the villa of the Duke of Elboeuf, which overlooked the same port.
Being extremely impressed by the beauty of the place, they decided to have a palace built there that could serve as their official residence.
Work began in 1738 with an architectural design by Giovanni Antonio Medrano, followed by Antonio Canevari. The palace was decorated by Giuseppe Bonito, Vincenzo Re, Crescenzo Gamba, and Joseph Canart. During construction, works of art of archaeological value were found, temporarily placed in the Portici Museum. The palace stimulated the construction of numerous historic mansions in the vicinity. During the Neapolitan Revolution (1799), the royal court took away numerous artifacts. In 1818, the boxes were transferred to the new museum in Naples. The palace was furnished by Joachim Murat and also hosted Pope Pius IX. In later years, it became less and less visited.
The Herculanense Museum and the Faculty of Agriculture.
In 1758, objects found during excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii were arranged in the rooms of the Palace, creating the Herculanense Museum, which became a favorite destination of the Grand Tour.
In 1872, the Palace and Park were assigned to the Royal High School of Agriculture, which established the Botanical Garden in the upper garden. In 1935, the Botanical Garden became the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Naples Federico II.
Hours of the Reggia di Portici
The Reggia di Portici is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm and on Sundays from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, with last admission at 5:30 pm. It is closed on Mondays. You can visit the museums by purchasing tickets online from the Visiting Musa Centre website or at the Reggia di Portici ticket office, subject to availability.
Ticket prices are:
ORDINARY TICKET (without guided tour)
Includes: Royal Apartment + Herculanense Museum + Botanical Garden excluding the succulent greenhouse
€ 8 full price
€ 6 reduced
On Saturdays and Sundays the Chinese Room and the Historical Library are included.
GUIDED TOUR TICKET (includes ordinary ticket)
€ 12 full price
€ 10 concessions
The days and times of the guided tours are as follows
- Saturdays and Sundays: 10:00 a.m. / 11:30 a.m. / 3:00 p.m. / 4:30 p.m. (the latter only during summer opening hours).
The guided tour includes: Royal Apartment, Herculanense Museum, Chinese Room, Historical Library, Botanical Garden including the Succulent Greenhouse.
GROUP GUIDED TOUR TICKET (only available online, including regular ticket)
€ 12 full
€ 10 reduced
Minimum 25 paying visitors
1 free ticket for every 10 tickets purchased
Group guided tour times are as follows
- Tuesdays to Fridays: 9:30 a.m. / 11:00 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. / 3:00 p.m. / 4:30 p.m. (the latter only during summer hours)
- Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 a.m. / 11:30 a.m. / 3:00 p.m. / 4:30 p.m. (the latter only during summer opening hours).
The guided tour includes: Royal Apartment, Herculanense Museum, Chinese Room, Historical Library, Botanical Garden including the Succulent Greenhouse.
GUIDED TOUR TICKET SCHOOLS
Please send an email to info@centromusa.it for purchase details.
REDUCTIONS AND FREE ADMISSION
Reduced price for all visitors aged between 6 and 17, for students, for accompanying persons of disabled persons.
Free for minors under 6 years of age, for journalists and tourist guides in the exercise of their professional activity, for disabled persons in possession of the art. 3 paragraph 3 of law 104/92.
