The monumental marble staircase leading to the State Apartments retains its original mid-seventeenth century design by architect Francesco Antonio Picchiatti and is modelled after the staircase of the Alcázar in Toledo, Spain. Its Neoclassical style decoration dates from the mid-nineteenth century, when the palace was refurbished by architect Gaetano Genovese after the fire that damaged a portion of the building in 1837. At that time the former viceroyal palace – onto which the staircase was built – was demolished and wide windows were opened towards the Giardino Italia, transforming this area into a beautifully lit space.
The walls are covered with full-length panels of marble from quarries in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies; the bas-reliefs represent military trophies, Glory among the symbols of Justice, War, Art, and Industry and Victory between the Genius of Fame and Valour. The four plaster statues in the niches represent Fortitude (by Antonio Calì), Justice (by Gennaro Calì), Clemency (by Tito Angelini) and Prudence (by Tommaso Solari).
The decorative elements of the vault in white stucco include the rampant horse, symbol of the city of Naples and the trinacria – a head with three legs – an emblem of Sicily. The Savoy royal symbol of the shield with a cross replaced the Bourbon coat of arms after 1861, when Naples was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy.
