ROMANTIC GARDENS OF ROYAL NAPLES
Not many visitors to Naples realise that right in the heart of the city, next to the San Carlo Opera House, they can visit a fairytale garden with a magnificent view over the Bay of Naples. The Hanging Gardens of the Royal Palace of Naples were finally restored to the public in 2018, after extensive repairs and replanting to restore them to their former botanical splendour after the damage they suffered in the last War, when a shipload of explosives blew up in the adjacent harbour. The palace itself was hit by over 100 bombs and was further damaged by the Irpinia earthquake in 1980, and has required years of meticulous repairs to return it to its original splendour as the royal residence of the Bourbon dynasty.
The Hanging Gardens are laid out on a wide terrace that runs along the side of the palace and are partially shaded by a long pergola. The slender cast iron bridge that connects directly with the royal apartments has been rebuilt according to the original 19th century plan of the king's architect, Gaetano Genovese.
Info: Tel. +39.0639967050 https://palazzorealedinapoli.org
