Naples - December 31, 2011 - Albergo Dei Poveri

We were thwarted on our attempt to go to the Palace of Caserta by the Italian train system, but no matter, I had built in fail-safes for this very eventuality. Our first stop that day was the Albergo dei Poveri a poor/work house begun by King Charles II (Bourbon) in 1749, while he was actually building the Palace of Caserta.

The walk from the train station took about twenty minutes and passed through not the best neighborhoods of Naples. Each street and piazza had it's own charm or character. The area closer to the Albergo and further from the Centro Direzionale and Centro Historico had a little more character than might normally be desired. In fact if it were a character in a movie (say circa 1920) it would have been hiding behind a tree twiddling it's mustache waiting to tie Mary Pickford to the train tracks.  Believe me I know that I am very privileged to be able to visit Naples and I can't complain, but I have never seen that much canine fecal matter on a single stretch sidewalk, ever, not even in Paris. I eventually stopped looking at the sidewalk realizing that stepping in some was inevitable.

The Albergo dei Poveri (also known as the Bourbon Hospice for the Poor) immediately impresses with its tremendous size and brilliant whiteness.  The thing that impresses the most is that only one side of the building was actually built. The original plans called for a gigantic building with five courtyards, a chapel and a facade of 1,900 feet (about 600 meters). As it is the building stretches for 1,000 feet down the Via Foria with its large portal and pediment centered on the Piazza Carlos II. Which is not a delightful square, but is very much part of Naples as lived in by Neopolitans.  There was a little hole in the wall market, a couple of cafes and a bar or two, plus plenty of palm trees.

The building has been restored in recent years and is now used for various exhibitions (most recently Gunther von Hagens Body Worlds. I saw his Body World & The Brain in Portland, Oregon earlier this year, still not sure, I thought it was a little "artistic" and working in a medical university I was expecting something a little more clinical.). 

Albergo dei Poveri looking North along the Via Fiori. The Orange letters are the sign for the Napoli Teatro Festival Italia
Yes it is supposed to look like that...

The most awesome building ever! On the VIa Fiori and Piazza Carlos II across the street from the Albergo dei Poveri