The Capodimonte Museum

The Capodimonte Museum, located in the historic Reggia di Capodimonte in Naples, houses a vast collection of porcelain, including masterpieces from the Royal Factory of Capodimonte. In addition to porcelain, the museum also offers works of art by artists such as Caravaggio and Raphael, immersed in a charming setting surrounded by a large park.

The Royal Factory of Capodimonte of Charles of Bourbon

Capodimonte porcelain originates in the homonymous hilly area of Naples, where in the eighteenth century King Charles of Bourbon and his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony founded the Royal Factory of Capodimonte. Today, the works of this famous factory are exhibited in various museums, including the National Museum of Capodimonte, the Duca di Martina Museum, the Filangieri Museum and the Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes Museum.
In 1743, inside the Royal Palace of Capodimonte, the royal couple started a craft tradition that continues today. Among the factory's collaborators are the Belgian chemist Livio Ottavio Schepers and the decorator Giovanni Caselli from Piacenza.
The porcelain produced in this region is distinguished by unique characteristics, due to the lack of kaolin in southern Italy. The mixture is composed of different local clays mixed with feldspar, creating a soft material with a milky color. This gives Capodimonte porcelain a peculiar appearance, which clearly differentiates it from the Northern European one.
During firing, the "soft" porcelain undergoes a 20% shrinkage, which leads to a loss of details typical of northern productions. However, this process allows for the development of an unmistakable style, characterized by a structural harmony of naturalistic inspiration. The Capodimonte manufacture, therefore, is not only an example of craftsmanship, but also a reflection of Neapolitan culture and history.