Palazzo Reale (Naples Royal Palace)

The former royal palace, also known as Palazzo Reale, is located on the eastern side of the Piazza del Plesbiscito. The construction of Royal Palace started in 1600, in the era of Spanish viceroys. The Neapolitan architect Domenico Fontana was responsible for the design of Palazzo Reale.
On the façade stand eight marble statues of the kings who ruled Naples. These statues and the hanging gardens were added in the palace in later part of the 19th century. The place also houses a theatre, a grand white marble staircase, and seventeen state apartments.

The royal apartments inside Palazzo Reale have a large collection of paintings, frescoes, chandeliers, and furniture from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Built in 1768, the Teatrino di Corte theatre is gloriously ornate. Tourists are also greeted by a pleasant roof garden featuring flowerbeds, fountains, and neoclassical benches. Visitors will be surprised to know that although the palace was built in two years, certain features such as the staircase were added 50 years later. The building was extended eastwards under the rule of Bourbon monarchs. The interior of the building got its current neoclassical appearance under the French rule.
While you are there, also visit the Biblioteca Nazionale, the national library. This library has 12,000 manuscripts, 1500,000 volumes, and grandiose reading rooms. Some of the books date back to the 5th century. The library also has thousands of papyrus scrolls found at Herculaneum.