Villa Pignatelli, Naples

Located on the seafront, north of the Villa Comunale is this beautiful Greco Roman style residence that houses the Museo Principe di Aragona Pignatelli Cortes. It is popularly called the Villa Pignatelli.

The Villa Pignatelli was commissioned by Ferdinand Acton, the son of the then Prime Minister of Naples, Sir John Acton and designed by architect, Pietro Valente. It was completed in the year 1856 and was the most striking building in the area. Karl Meyer von Rothschild of the famous German family of bankers and financiers purchased and enlarged the building in 1841. It was sold to the Duke of Monteleone, Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes in 1867 and after his death, his widow bequeathed the building to the State in 1952.

The Villa Pignatelli, from the date of construction has remained the architectural centerpiece of the Villa Comunale. The Doric columns in the façade can be seen by viewers from 50 yards away. Today, it is a venue for exhibitions and temporary shows and houses a small museum. The ground floor consists of a magnificent ballroom, a library, a large dining room and a series of rooms where museum objects are displayed. The green room houses the display of porcelain objects from the 17th to the 19th centuries and other rooms exhibit valuable sculpture and landscapes. The treasure at the museum is the painting of Saint George by Francesco Guarino. The grounds of the Villa Pignatelli host a small coach museum with 18th and 19th century French and German vehicles on display.