NAPLES NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
We prioritized a visit to the National Archaeological Museum during our short time in Naples. We had heard this museum is considered one of the most important museums in the world for ancient Roman archaeology, and we wanted to see the artifacts on display from Herculaneum and Pompeii since we had already visited those ruins.
We mentioned before that our approach to museums is to prioritize the works highlighted on the floor map and then linger in the areas that catch our interest; our approach to Naples' National Archaeological Museum was no different. Photos below include a few of those items listed on the map as well as a few other favorite finds.
Takeaways: 1) The museum is smaller than expected. 2) We expected to see more artifacts on display from Herculaneum and Pompeii. 3) Not all descriptions are written in English. 4) Many of the Farnese Marbles were impressive in size. 5) There's a model of Pompeii that puts it's size into perspective. 6) The Secret Cabinet contains some unusual items. 7) It's not the best idea to visit a museum at the end of a long day.
Recommendations:
1) Plan to spend about two hours here.
2) Spend some time reading about the collections before your visit.
3) Use the museum map to prioritize the works on display.
We mentioned before that our approach to museums is to prioritize the works highlighted on the floor map and then linger in the areas that catch our interest; our approach to Naples' National Archaeological Museum was no different. Photos below include a few of those items listed on the map as well as a few other favorite finds.
Takeaways: 1) The museum is smaller than expected. 2) We expected to see more artifacts on display from Herculaneum and Pompeii. 3) Not all descriptions are written in English. 4) Many of the Farnese Marbles were impressive in size. 5) There's a model of Pompeii that puts it's size into perspective. 6) The Secret Cabinet contains some unusual items. 7) It's not the best idea to visit a museum at the end of a long day.
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| ^^ Hall of the Sundial ^^ |
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| ^^ Farnese Atlas, the oldest surviving depiction of Atlas from Greek mythology ^^ |
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| ^^ Flora ^^ |
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| ^^ Sappho ^^ |
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| ^^ Blue Vase ^^ |
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| ^^ Blue Vase ^^ |
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| ^^ Statues of Runners ^^ |
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| ^^ Cave Canem ("beware of the dog") mosaic ^^ |
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| ^^ Dancing Faun ^^ |
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| ^^ Alexander Mosaic, floor mosaic depicting the battle between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia ^^ |
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| ^^ Alexander ^^ |
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| ^^ the Alexander Mosaic is made of about 1.5 million tiny colored tiles ^^ |
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| ^^ the Secret Cabinet contains a collection of erotic art from Herculaneum and Pompeii ^^ |
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| ^^ Aphrodite Callipygos ^^ |
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| ^^ Farnese Hercules ^^ |
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| ^^ Farnese Bull, considered the largest single sculpture recovered from antiquity ^^ |
Recommendations:
1) Plan to spend about two hours here.
2) Spend some time reading about the collections before your visit.
3) Use the museum map to prioritize the works on display.
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