Palazzo Reale was the royal palace located in downtown Naples, still the heart of Naples today. Built around 1600 when Naples was under Spanish rule, it was not completed for two centuries. Inside, a beautiful double staircase leads you up to the royal apartments which these days house the palace's museum of furnishings and etc. Don't miss the huge 18th century nativity scene in the Cappella Reale (Royal Chapel). The Palazzo Reale also houses the national library which contains thousands of papyrus scrolls found at Herculaneum and the remains of a 5th century Coptic bible.
The palace is situated on the elegant Piazza Plebiscito, the largest square in Naples and named after the vote in 1870 which brought Naples into the unified Kingdom of Italy. The palace makes up one side of this square, alongside the domed church of San Francesco di Paolo and the elegant curve of Doric columns.
The CS bus to Piazza Trieste e Trento will take you to the Palazzo Reale. You will need ID to enter the library.
