Villa Floridiana & Museo Nazionale della Ceramica Duca di Martina
Via Aniello Falcone 171
About
Surrounded by a magnificent park, this museum was once the 18th-century casale (country house) of Lucia Migliaccio, duchess of Floridia and second wife of Ferdinand II di Borbone. It now houses the Museo Nazionale della Ceramica Duca di Martina, a rich collection of ceramics. The core of the museum is the private collection of Duc Placido De Sangro di Martina who, through his travels in Europe, collected precious objects not only in majolica and porcelain, but also glass, ivory, and coral. The collection was then expanded with objects from other museums in Naples. The star of the show is the collection of porcellane di Capodimonte (Capodimonte porcelain), the most important collection in the world of this kind, with works from 1743 to 1759 by important artists such as Giuseppe Gricci; and the collection of Japanese and Chinese porcelain, including precious Ming and Edo dynasty pieces. Decorating the walls are sketches by great Neapolitan artists of the 18th century, including Francesco Solimena, Domenico Antonio Vaccaro, and Corrado Giaquinto. Note: Visits to the museum are only possible during fixed hours with an official guide. Even if you are not interested in ceramics, the villa is well worth a stop both for its architecture and for the splendid views over the whole bay.
