ENGLISH * NAPLES,
GALLERY, ROYAL PALACE, SAN FRANCESCO DA PAOLA
THE
HUGE CROSS-SHAPED GLASS CONSTRUCTION WITH A DOME AT THE CENTRE IS NOT A FACTORY,
AS IT MIGHT APPEAR, BUT THE UMBERTO I GALLERY, AN EDIFICE TYPICAL OF THE SOMEWHAT
TRIUMPHALISTIC TASTE OF THE BELLE EPOQUE, WITH ITS RHETORIC AND PRIDE IN A
CIVILISATION TOO CONFIDENT IN THE THEN EMERGENT IDEA OF PROGRESS.
ITS POSITION DIRECTLY
FACING THE SAN CARLO THEATRE IS STARLING: IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN BUILT ON PURPOSE
TO DISTURB AND OPPRESS THE SERENE HARMONY OF THE OPERA HOUSE WITH ITS IMMENSE
STRUCTURE. YET THE GALLERY WHICH FORTUNATELY IS ONE OF THE FEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS
FOR WHICH THE NEAPOLITANS HAVE TO THANK THE HOUSE OF SAVOY CARRIES OUT ITS
FUNCTION AS A COVERED PIAZZA WITH DISTINCTION. THE SHELTER IT PROVIDES IS
ESPECIALLY WELCOME ON RAINY DAYS.
SLIGHTLY TO THE SOUTH,
WE CAN SEE ROYAL PALACE, AN ARCHITECTURAL COMPLEX WHICH, DESPITE MUCH REBUILDING
AND MODIFICATION EFFECTED IN THE COURSE OF THREE HUNDRED YEARS, REMAINS BY
SOME MIRACLE A UNITY.
THE ENTRANCE AND COURTYARD
ARE THE EARLIEST PARTS OF THE BUILDING AND WERE CONSTRUCTED TOWARDS THE END
OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, WHEN NAPLES WAS RULED BY SPANISH VICEROYS, WHO ENTRUSTED
THE PROJECT TO DOMENICO FONTANA. THE FACADE IS MUCH THE SAME AS THIS GREAT
ARCHITECT CONCEIVED IT, EXCEPT FOR THE LOWER STOREY WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY AN
OPEN ARCADE. THE PALACE WAS INTENDED BY THE VICEROY AS A DWELLING FOR PHILIP
III OF SPAIN, IN THE EVENT OF THIS MONARCH TAKING UP RESIDENCE IN NAPLES.
HOWEVER, HE NEVER CAME AND SO THE ROYAL PALACE WAS LIVED IN BY THE VICEROYS
THEMSELVES. IN THIS PERIOD THE PALACE REFLECTED THE SPANISH RULERS' TASTE
FOR POMP AND MAGNIFICENCE: THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
MONUMENTAL MARBLE STAIRCASE AND THE EXQUISITE LITTLE COURT THEATRE.
THIS WAS PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT IN PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL OUTLET TO THOSE THE CITY ALREADY POSSESSED
FOR THE NEAPOLITAN MUSICAL AND THEATRICAL TALENT OF THE TIME. HERE "COMMEDIA
IN MUSICA" OR OPERA BUFFA WAS FIRST PERFORMED, A GENRE WHICH WENT ON
TO BECOME THE PRIDE AND GLORY OF NEAPOLITAN MUSIC.
DURING THE FIRST THIRTY
YEARS OF THE EIGHTEENTY CENTURY, THE GREY YEARS OF THE AUSTRIAN VICEROYALTY,
THE LIFE OF THE PALACE SUFFERED A DECLINE, BUT WITH THE ARRIVAL OF CHARLES
III OF BOURBON IN 1734 IT BECAME A TRUE ROYAL RESIDENCE. THE ORIGINAL BUILDING
WAS EXTENDED AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DESIGN PUT FORWARD BY LUIGI VANVITELLI,
ALTERNATE ARCHES OF THE FACADE WERE WALLED UP AND NICHES ACONSTRUCTED IN THEIR
SURFACES.
THESE NOW CONTAIN STATUES
OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES, WHICH WERE PLACED THERE AT THE END OF THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY BY UMBERTO I, WHO WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GALLERY. THE PALACE
WAS EMBELLISHED WITH THE WORK OF, AMONG OTHER ARTISTS, VACCARO AND AND DE
MURA, WHO PAINTED FRESCOES THERE.
WITH THE REIGN OF FERDINAND
IV, THE PALACE ENTERED THE MOST IMPORTANT PHASE OF ITS EXSTENCE. DURING THE
PERIOD OF FRENCH RULE, THE QUEEN CAROLINA BONAPARTE, THE SISTER OF NAPOLEON
AND THE WIFE OF JOACHIM MURAT, CARRIED OUT MANY IMPROVEMENTS. AFTER THE RESTORATION
OF THE BOURBONS, DURING THE REIGN OF FERDINAD II, A LARGE PART OF THE PALACE
WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1838. IT WAS REBUILT AND EVENTUALLY EXTENDED TOWARDS
THE PORT. MARVELLOUS HANGING GARDENS WERE CREATED ON ITS TERRACES.
THE BUILDING WAS DAMAGED
IN THE LAST WAR, BUT HAS SINCE BEEN FAITHFULLY RESTORED. IN ITS NUMEROUS AND
SUMPTUOUSLY DECORATED ROOMS, THE VISITOR WILL FIND MUCH TO ADMIRE WORKS BY
THE MAJOR PAINTERS OF THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES, TAPESTRIES,FURNITURE,
PORCELAIN, MIRRORS, CONSOLES AND DIVANS, ALL DISPLAYING THE CULTIVATED TASTES
OF A TRULY EUROPEAN COURT.
IN FRONT OF THE ROYAL
PALACE, WE SEE "PIAZZA DEL PLEBISCITO" (PLEBISCITE SQUARE); ITS
NAME COMMEMORATES THE ANNEXATION OF THE KINGDOM OF NAPLES TO PIDMONT IN 1860.
UP TO THE MIDDLE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY IT WAS AN UNOCCUPIED STRETCH OF
LAND SURROUNDED BY MONASTERIES. WHEN THE PALACE WAS BUILT, IT BECAME "LARGO
DI PALAZZO" (PALACE SQUARE). AT ITS CENTRE THERE WAS A LARGE FOUNTAIN,
DESIGNED BY COSIMO FANZAGO AND SURMOUNTED BY A COLOSSAL STATUE WHICH CAME
FROM THE TEMPLE OF THE GIANTS; ON THIS STATUE NOTES CRITICISING THE GOVERNMENT
USED TO BE AFFIXED, A TRADITION GRUDGINGLY TOLERATED BY THE AUTHORITIES UNTIL
IT AROUSED THE WRATH OF GIUSEPPE BONAPARTE PLACE IN THIS SQUARE, AND ON THAT
DAY THE FOUNTAIN FLOWED WITH WINE.
THE SQUARE IS BOUNDED
ON TWO SIDES BY PALAZZO SALERNO AND THE PALAZZO DELLA PREFETTURA BUT ITS DOMINANT
FEATURE IS THE SEMI.CIRCULAR COLONNADE WHICH ONCE BELONGED TO MURAT'S FORUM.WHEN
FERDINAND IV RETURNED TO NAPLES FROM SICILY WITH THE TITLE FERDINAND I, IN
CONSEQUENCE OF A PREVIOUS VOW MADE TO SAN FRANCESCO DA PAOLA, HE HAD A MONASTERY
PULLED DOWN AND THE NEOCLASSICAL BASILICA ERECTED IN ITS STEAD.HOWEVER, HE
LEFT BOTH THE COLONNADE WITH ITS DORIC COLUMNS AND THE EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF
JOCHIM MURAT BY CANOVA INTACT, AND LIMITED HIMSELF TO UNSEATING THE EFFIGY
OF MURAT AND REPLACING IT WITH A STATUE OF HIS OWN FATHER, CHARLES III. HE
ALSO COMMISSIONED AN IDENTICAL STATUE FROM CANOVA, WITH A STATUE OF HIMSELF
AS THE RIDER.
NO RESOURCES WERE SPARED
IN THE BUILDING OF THE PALATINE BASILICA OF S. FRANECSO DA PAOLA. IT IS CONSTRUCTED
ON A CIRCULAR PLAN, AND ITS DOME IS SOMEWHAT FLATTENED SO AS NOT TO OVERTOP
THE ROYAL PALACE OPPOSITE. THE INTERIOR IS SURROUNDED BY CORINTHIAN COLUMNS
ALTERNATING WITH STATUES OF THE CHURCH FATHERS AND MONUMETAL CONFESSIONALS
OF MARBLE. ALL THIS GIVES IT A VERY DIFFERENT APPEARANCE FROM THAT OF OTHER
NEAPOLITAN CHURCHES, WHICH ARE PREDOMINANTLY BAROQUE, ITS COLD AUSTERITY DOES
NOT INDUCE TO MEDITATION, AND INDEED, IT IS NOT POPULAR WITH NEAPOLITAN CHURCHGOERS.
