Naples Museums Italy: National Archaological Museum

You are in INT /Museums in Naples/NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The National Archaeological Museum is located in the interior of the 17th Century Palace. It was originally the first cavalry barracks (1585), and then became seat of the university for a further century. It was transformed into a Real Bourbonist Museum by the Bourbon King, Ferdinando IV, to celebrate his kingdom; it was a grand museum which housed ancient royal collections. Today, other than the Farnese collection which was originally housed in Capodimonte, we can also see the remains of numerous finds from Pompeii, Ercolano and Stabia. The finds discovered offer a complete vision of the civilisation that was put to sleep by Vesuvius in 79 AD; mosaics, frescoes, sculptures, paintings and preserved human remains, make up one of the largest historical collections. At the beginning of the 19th Century, when King Ferdinando IV escaped to Palermo, he took some of the most beautiful works with him, even though the collection was enriched by Guiseppe Bonaparte and Giochino Murat. THE

The blue vase

BLUE VASE (Il VASO BLU), found in a tomb in Pompeii, is shaped like a wine amphora with cameo inlays containing representations of vine branches and cupids which reflect the vase’s function.

THE ABDUCTION OF EUROPE: an ancient symbolic fresco dating back to around the I Century AD, represents the kidnapping of Europe - Princess Fenicia by Zeus – under the guise of a bull who takes her to Greece. THE MOSAIC OF ALLESANDRO is of enormous dimensions and the work of a great Hellenistic artist of the time who refined the technique. It depicts the battle between Alessandro and Dario III.

FARNESE BULL: or “Marble Mountain” was inherited by Carlo of Borbone from his mother. It was conserved in Rome until 1787. It was discovered at the Caracalla spas along with Ercole Farnese.
It represents Dirce tied to a bull belonging to Antiope’s son, whilst he’s being punished for causing the death of Antiope. There is also a further section which has been opened recently to a restricted number of the general public, who also have to be accompanied by a guide. This section houses works which were freely inspired and which interpret sexual rituals and fetishes regarding colourfully depicted ancient gods. These are historical objects testifying to the popular superstitions of the time. The entrance door to this room was walled up during the course of history, for its high subversive values.

Opening hours: 9,00 - 19,00 / 9,00- 20,00 (holiday)
entry (indicative): euro 6.2 (full fare), euro 3.1 (reduced fare)
Phone: ++39 081.44.01.66
fax: 081440013
WebSite:www.archeona.arti.beniculturali.it