Museo del Novecento a Napoli

The Museo del Novecento at Castel Sant'Elmo brings together modern and contemporary artworks associated with Naples and its artists.

Why it matters

The museum offers a sustained account of Naples's twentieth-century art, complementing the city's better-known ancient and Baroque collections. Its setting in a historic fortress places modern artistic movements within a much older urban landmark.

What to notice

The collection follows movements from the Secessione dei 23 and Futurism through postwar art, the Movimento Arte Concreta and the Transavanguardia. Gian Maria Tosatti's 2014 installation, created for the museum, is part of the permanent collection.

Context and history

Castel Sant'Elmo has medieval origins and was substantially rebuilt in the sixteenth century under the Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo. After serving as a prison and later a military facility, it was restored for cultural use. The Museo del Novecento opened in 2010 in the castle's piazza d'armi.