Very close to the famous Archeological Museum (where you can find the marble sculptures from the amazing Farnese collection and many treasures of Pompei) there is a remarkable hotel with rich history: Palazzo Caracciolo runned by Accor hotel group’s MGallery chain. It is located in the heart of the historical center thus it is not a surprise that the palace itself has a long history. The Caracciolos, after which the hotel is named, were an ancient Neapolitan family of Byzantine origins, who lived in the city from the 9th century. The palace was built in the 13th century on the foundations of a pre-existing military fort, which was a place dedicated to sword fighting and jousting tournaments of the brave knights of the Kingdom of Naples.

The history of the Caracciolo’s family and of the palace met in the year 1309, when the building was donated to Landolfo Caracciolo by King Charles II of Anjou. In 1548, the medieval palace was renovated and remodelled to its current form. The building still has the typical renaissance style central cloister. From the year 1650, Palazzo Caracciolo increasingly gained reputation and was often used to host high-profile weddings (as nowadays), often becoming the home of the newlyweds. It was also the home of Emperor Napoleon’s brother-in-law, general Joachim Murat, before his coronation in 1808 as King of Naples.

The modern era renovation of the palace was also respectful of the long history of the palace. It focused on re-using and integrating the old, not on demolishing and replacing it. The objective was to identify the “Soul of the Palace” and enhance it, thus keeping the unique identity of the place. In the design process of the hotel, the designers, in line with the pre-existing architecture and decorations, took inspiration from Naples: from its nature (the sun, the sea, the intense colors of the flowers) and from its myths (The Munaciello or Ghost Monk, Parthenope the mermaid and so on). While exploring Neapolitan culture, the designers naturally found inspiration in the decors of the local handcraft tradition as well.  Thus, artisanship took on an important role in the design of each room and the interiors.

The wide monumental staircase, of great architectural value, is the pièce de résistance of the hotel. On every floor of the main stairscase there is a insept of majolica tiles based on original drawings by the artist Eduardo Alarmo dedicated to the Muses and to Beauty. The tiles (which Neapolitan people call “riggiole”) capture, both in their design and in their making, the sense of tradition of the place while combining it with the innovation and sensibility of our modern times. The furnishing also mixes the old styles with the minimal shaped contemporary pieces. There is a lot of white with silver or gold accents in the interiors which let the artistical shapes and artpieces shine.