Umberto I Gallery of Naples

The beautiful Umberto I Gallery in Naples in Umberto-art nouveau style and with a glass ceiling is an unmissable stop, halfway between a monument and a shopping gallery.

It is possible to reach the gallery via the L1 metro line which stops at Toledo station, and enter from the entrance on via Toledo 257 in front of the Augusteo Theatre.

The Umberto I Gallery was built in three years, from 1887 to 1890, on what was the Santa Brigida district, considered unhealthy and dangerous, and dedicated to King Umberto I as a sign of gratitude for having helped Naples during the cholera epidemic.

It was designed by an impressive team of Neapolitan engineers and architects, led by Emmanuele Rocco and Antonio Curri, who in just three years managed to reorganize the sewer system and build the magnificent metal and glass ceiling 57 meters from the ground, as well as a small theater called Salone Margherita, later destroyed by Nazi bombs and reopened in 1960 as a red light venue, which came to us as an event hall and restaurant.

After its inauguration in 1892, the gallery became a meeting place for the Neapolitan nobility. The now extinct profession of the shoe shiner, the shoe shiner, was born in the gallery hall.

The Umberto I gallery has 4 entrances: via Toledo, via Santa Brigida, via San Carlo and Vico Roto San Carlo. The main entrance is considered to be that of via San Carlo which overlooks the theater of the same name.

The gallery is full of works of art, such as statues symbolizing the various geographical areas of the world (Europe, Asia, Africa and America), Physics and Chemistry, the 4 seasons, Science and Work, as well as arches , emblems and busts scattered here and there.

Right under the dome of the gallery is the floor with mosaics of the wind and the zodiac signs dating back to the mid-1900s. According to legend, if you want to see Naples again you have to go around your zodiac sign 3 times.

In the Umberto I gallery there are restaurants, cafes, shops, ateliers and professional offices. During your walk you can do some shopping, and then stop in one of the bars for a coffee or lunch. Remember that even if the shops have opening and closing hours, the gallery is always open to the public