Castel Nuovo, also known as Maschio Angioino, brings the Angevin court and the Aragonese fortress together in the centre of Naples. Begun in 1279 for Charles I of Anjou, it became a royal residence and a centre of courtly culture. During Robert of Anjou’s reign, Giotto, Petrarch and Boccaccio were among those who stayed here. The Palatine Chapel preserves the castle’s Angevin phase, while much of the complex’s present form belongs to later rebuilding.
After Alfonso of Aragon’s conquest in 1442, the castle became his royal residence and was gradually reconstructed for new defensive needs. The trapezoidal plan has five cylindrical towers, four in piperno and one in tuff. Between the Torre di Mezzo and Torre di Guardia, Alfonso’s triumphal arch celebrates his victorious entry into Naples. Its sculpture includes work by Francesco Laurana within a larger programme shaped by several artistic traditions.
Inside the courtyard, low arches and an exterior piperno stair give the space its Catalan character. The stair, attributed to Majorcan architect Guglielmo Sagrera, leads to the Sala dei Baroni. Sagrera also designed the hall: sixteen ribs converge around the central oculus of its octagonal vault. The contrast between the massive exterior and this intricate roof makes the hall a rewarding part of the castle to look at closely, when it is open.
The Palatine Chapel’s marble portal is by Andrea dell’Aquila. Giotto and his workshop originally frescoed its interior; the collection includes fourteenth-century paintings by Niccolò di Tommaso and his circle, brought from the Castello del Balzo at Casaluce. Renaissance works include Domenico Gagini’s edicola, Jacopo della Pila’s tabernacle and Francesco Laurana’s Madonna and Child, once placed in the chapel portal.
The Civic Museum has occupied the castle since 1990. Its first-floor collection brings together religious works from different institutions: Marco Cardisco painted the Adoration of the Magi around 1519 for the Palatine Chapel, while a fifteenth-century Madonna and Child with Saints came from Sant’Eligio. Ask which rooms are available before buying a ticket, especially if the chapel or Sala dei Baroni is central to your visit. To follow Naples’ royal history into a different residence, continue to the Royal Palace of Naples.
Begun for Charles I of Anjou in 1279, Castel Nuovo preserves the history of an Angevin royal court and the gradual Aragonese reconstruction after 1442. Its chapel, triumphal arch, Catalan courtyard and Sala dei Baroni connect royal patronage, defensive architecture and the Civic Museum’s collections.
