The grand halls of the piano nobile, accessed via the Scalone d’Onore adorned with colorful marble, provide the rich backdrop for institutional life in Naples from the 17th to the 19th century, shaped through various phases of patronage.
Important frescoes decorate the ceilings, particularly the historical cycles from the Spanish period, including The Stories of the Gran Capitano by Battistello Caracciolo, as well as the Rococo frescoes from the reign of Carlo di Borbone, such as The Allegory of the Virtues of Carlo and Maria Amalia by Francesco De Mura and the queen’s private corridors painted by Nicola Maria Rossi and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro. The ceiling of the Cappella Reale features the painting The Assumption by Domenico Morelli, from the early years of Italy’s unification.
Tapestries from the Reale Fabbrica di Napoli, created based on designs by Luigi Vanvitelli and Ferdinando Fuga, are displayed on the walls alongside Gobelins textiles. The halls are furnished with English, French, and Neapolitan court-made furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries. Notable pieces include furniture by Adam Weisweiler and Pierre Philippe Thomire in the Impero-style study of Gioacchino Murat, as well as the Neapolitan 18th-century throne canopy, made of velvet with gold-embroidered appliqués. Magnificent Sèvres porcelain vases are displayed throughout the rooms, alongside extraordinary clocks such as the Atlas by Thuret and the musical automaton by Clay. The altar of the Cappella Reale is a magnificent Baroque masterpiece by Dionisio Lazzari, crafted in hard stones and gilded bronze.
Among the paintings, notable court portraits include Ferdinand I in the Attire of a Knight of the Order of San Gennaro by Vincenzo Camuccini, as well as Dutch portraits from the Rembrandt School from the Bourbon collection. The 17th-century paintings reflect a blend of naturalism and Poussinism, featuring works by Andrea Vaccaro, Massimo Stanzione, Luca Giordano, Mattia Preti, Gherardo delle Notti, Spadarino, and the Ribera School. From the Farnese collection—acquired by Carlo di Borbone through his mother Elisabetta Farnese—come works by Bartolomeo Schedoni and Guercino, along with The Misers by Marinus Van Roymerswaele.
The museum also holds a rich collection of 19th-century paintings, including landscapes by both foreign and Neapolitan artists such as Vervloet, Catel, Smargiassi, Fergola, Aloisio, and Serritelli.