Castel Nuovo is an impressive building. From its perch on the entrance to Naploli, it stands guard over the Gulf of Naples almost as impressive as Mount Vesuvius on the other side of the city. Certainly as proud, almost as formidable. Originally dating from 1279 it is a landmark of the city and home to Kings of Naples, Aragon and Spain over centuries until as recently as 1815. Built to act as both a palace and a fortress, it still stands, quite convincingly, as both.
One of the main features of the Castel is its Triumphal Arch, integrated into the Gate House and flanked by the Halfway Tower on the left and Watch Tower on the right, it was built to celebrate Alfonso V entrance into Naples in 1443.
I stop to inspect the detail of the sculptures both human and animal, the columns and decoration. The arch is a reminder of how rich and powerful the players of the time were and how, it seems, even marble, could be bent to their whims.
The Grand Courtyard is grand in scale but much less decorative than the welcoming arch. An event is being set up for and I feel a pang of regret for not being here for the night. I wonder what it is. The staircase on the left catches my eye and we ascend to the Baron’s Hall.
Baron’s Hall
The Baron’s Hall, a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, with its great vaulted ceiling is another feature of the Castel. It’s called the Baron’s Hall because one of the Kings of Naples, King Ferdinand I, having invited his barons for a feast, trapped them in the hall, arrested them and later had them executed for conspiracy against him.
The vaulted ceiling is high and gives the hall a sense of space and light, from the small skylight in the dome, that it might not otherwise enjoy. I can’t really imagine dining here, it looks more like a court room, and perhaps that fateful night, for the Barons at least, it was.
Back on the ground floor there is a huge room, the Armoury Hall, where Roman ruins dating from the 1st Century BC to the 5th Century AD were uncovered during restorations to the castle. There is a bath partly lined with white marble slabs and later on the area appears to have been used as a necropolis with at least 50 tombs having been found on the site.
There is also a museum floor where Neapolitan artworks, primarily from the 18th – 20th Centuries are exhibited and we find a room of sculptures and busts although some of them appear to be reproductions. The building itself is the real feature though. That and perhaps some more great views, this time of the port and harbor.
Would I Return?
Yes. If you have time, see if you can time your visit for an event and/or visit the castle at night for amazing views of the structure itself.