The Appartamento di Etichetta of the Palazzo Reale di Napoli offers a journey through the splendor of the Bourbon court. With its lavish halls, frescoes, and refined furnishings, it provides a unique experience to explore the history and art of an era when Naples was at the heart of European culture. A symbol of beauty and prestige, it is the perfect place to immerse oneself in the traditions and magnificence of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
The historic core of the entire building is the Appartamento di Etichetta, located on the main floor. It has been open to the public since 1919, when it was included among the State Institutes of Antiquities and Art.
It consists of three antechambers leading to the Throne Room, the first of which stands out as the waiting area once reserved for the diplomatic delegations’ entourage. This room is dominated by Francesco De Mura’s ceiling painting, The Royal Genius and the Virtues of Charles and Maria Amalia.
The Throne Room, featuring a neoclassical ceiling designed by Antonio De Simone with Allegories of the Twelve Provinces of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, houses the 19th-century throne and portraits of court figures, kings, princesses, and queens.
The Gallery, which follows the Throne Room, retains its original 17th-century fresco decoration depicting the Glories of the House of Spain, painted by Belisario Corenzio.
Next is the Sala di Maria Cristina, which includes a small private oratory dedicated to the devotion of Ferdinand II’s first wife, who died giving birth to the future Francesco II and was later beatified by the Catholic Church.
The following Gran Capitano Room features a ceiling frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo in the early 17th century, illustrating The Stories of Gonzalo de Córdoba and the Spanish conquest of the Kingdom of Naples, led by the Great Captain, who became its first viceroy.
The Flemish Room houses a unified collection of Flemish painters’ portraits, including The Tax Collectors by Marinus van Reymerswaele. Among the furnishings, a rare musical clock by Charles Clay from 1730 stands out.
The adjacent King’s Study contains remarkable furniture crafted in Paris between 1810 and 1812 for the Quirinale Palace, later acquired by Joachim Murat.
The ceiling of Room XIV, the Queen’s Chamber, is adorned with gilded stucco, recalling its original use as Queen Maria Amalia’s private bedroom in the 18th century. The central doorway leads to the alcove, frescoed by Nicola Maria Rossi with A Wish for a Happy Offspring.
The next two rooms, part of the Queen’s Private Apartment, preserve their elegant 18th-century white and gold stucco ceilings in refined Rococo style. Among the paintings, notable is Venus, Cupid, and a Satyr by Luca Giordano.
In the Second Antechamber of the Queen, paintings from the Farnese collection are displayed, including two works by the Mannerist painter Bartolomeo Schedoni: The Charity of Saint Elizabeth and The Workshop of Saint Joseph.
The First Antechamber of the Queen is dedicated to Still Life paintings, a genre influenced by Iberian-Flemish culture that flourished in Naples from the 15th century, reaching its peak in the 17th century with the naturalistic trend. The displayed 18th- and 19th-century paintings reflect the iconographic revival of Baroque still life.
Connecting the Appartamento di Etichetta with the 19th-century Private Apartments of the Sovereigns, the Neoclassical Vestibule features an exedra structure and leads to the so-called Strangers’ Staircase. In this room, a patinated and gilded bronze table with an inlaid marble top is displayed, inspired by artifacts excavated in Pompeii.
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