Castel Sant’Elmo in Naples: what to see and how to get there

Few places offer a panoramic view of the city of Naples like Castel Sant’Elmo: from here you can enjoy a splendid view of the entire city waterfront.

You can see everything from Santa Lucia to Posillipo, but also Castel dell’Ovo, Maschio Angioino, Piazza del Plebiscito, the port, not to mention the Posillipo promontory, the island of Capri and, of course, Vesuvius.

Let’s find out everything there is to know about Castel Sant’Elmo.

An ancient defensive fortress

This ancient and imposing fortress on top of the Vomero hill represents an important piece of the history of the city of Naples. It was transformed into a defensive fortress during the Spanish viceroyalty (1504-1707) on the recommendation of Don Pedro de Toledo (viceroy from 1532 to 1553) and designed by Pedro Luis Escrivà, a military engineer from Valencia.

The star-shaped layout is one of the most characteristic features of this important building, which was a fortified residence, often used as a prison. Today it houses the city’s Museo del Novecento (20th Century Museum).

A centre for culture

Today Castel Sant’Elmo is a space dedicated to culture in all its forms: as well as housing the city’s Museo del Novecento (with over 170 works by 90 Neapolitan artists and also works by masters who weren’t Neapolitan but who for various reasons had links with the city), it’s a centre for research and experimentation and a space for art installations.

But that’s not all: the Castle also hosts numerous exhibitions of ancient and contemporary art, as well as music, cinema and theatre events.

How to reach Castel Sant’Elmo

Castel Sant’Elmo is located at 22 Via Tito Angelini and is open to visitors every day of the week. It can be reached by underground line 1, getting off at the Vanvitelli stop and then continuing on foot, or by the Montesanto funicular railway, getting off at the Morghen stop, alternatively by the Chiaia funicular railway, getting off at the Piazza Amedeo stop.

Finally, it can be reached by bus, getting off at the Piazzale San Martino stop.

Article translated by Jasmina Towers

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Buildings and Skyscrapers

Travel

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