The first manufactory established in Naples by Carlo di Borbone in 1737, just three years after his triumphant arrival in the city, was the Real Arazzeria. This decision was driven by the desire to affirm the prestige of the new monarchy and the need to decorate the Royal Apartments, but also by a fortunate opportunity: in that same year, with the death of Grand Duke Gian Gastone de’ Medici without heirs, the Florentine dynasty came to an end, leading to the closure of the renowned tapestry workshop founded by Cosimo I. Seizing the moment, Carlo swiftly concluded negotiations to acquire its machinery and hire some of its workers. By November of that year, Domenico Del Rosso and Giovan Francesco Pieri, who had held leading roles in the Florentine manufactory, arrived in Naples. The Neapolitan workshop was set up in a building annexed to the convent and church of San Carlo alle Mortelle. The following year, nine more Medici tapestry weavers arrived, joined by Neapolitan apprentices and the Frenchman Gaetano Laurie. By June 1739, work was already underway on the tapestry Portrait of Carlo di Borbone, now housed in Capodimonte. The first series dedicated to the Four Elements also began, now displayed in Palazzo Reale in the Third Antechamber and the Guards’ Hall.
The second major series of tapestries produced in Naples was dedicated to Don Quixote. To oversee its creation and establish a high-warp tapestry factory, the Roman artist Pietri Duranti was invited to Naples. The new factory was divided into two workshops: the first, specializing in high-warp tapestries, was led by Duranti, while the second, dedicated to low-warp tapestries, was directed by Del Rosso.
Meanwhile, in 1763, the missing element, Fire, was completed, finalizing the first series of elemental tapestries. Other series followed, including the Allegories of the Virtues (1763-1767), created for the Belvedere Room of the palace, and Cupid and Psyche (1783-1786), now displayed in the Salone d’Ercole.
In 1778, the tapestry manufactory moved to Palazzo Reale. In 1799, following the devastating events of the Neapolitan Republic, both the tapestry and porcelain manufactories suffered severe damage, along with most of the documentation from 1760 onwards. As a result, reconstructing the last 20 years of the Arazzeria’s activity is challenging, and it was never reopened, even after the definitive return of the Bourbons in 1815. Duranti remained active until at least 1791. He was no longer involved in what is considered the last series produced by the Arazzeria: The Royal Apotheosis, created between 1794 and 1799, which is now displayed in the Salone d’Ercole.
In the First Antechamber and the Gallery, other tapestries of French manufacture (Gobelins) are displayed. These works, distinctly different in tone and color from the Neapolitan series, are dedicated to the Four Natural Elements and celebrate the Sun King. The series was donated to the Apostolic Nuncio at the Neapolitan court in 1719.
