Naples is one of those cities that get a ‘bad rep;’ people are willing to believe almost any negative stereotype about it—and for Naples, that’s been going on for a long time. In the late 1880s, that led to a ‘risanamento’ movement, to ‘make Naples healthy again.’ It replaced a cholera-ridden neighborhood—and its inhabitants.
One of the key pieces of that plan was the massive and beautiful Galleria Umberto I, with four monumental buildings grouped around an airy open space topped with an intricate glass roof. It was designed to bring together businesses, shops, cafes and other social life, and to function as a central public space for the city. The upper floors were built as apartments. If it reminds you of Milan’s Vittorio Emanuele II galleria, it’s not an accident. The architect, Emanuele Rocco, drew inspiration from the Milan project. Each Galleria was named for the king reigning at the time.
In the later part of the 20th century, like many other urban areas, the gallery and its neighborhood slid toward decay, and parts of the Galleria were empty. There were even proposals to tear it down in another wave of renewal. Fortunately, restoration was chosen instead.
From the hills above the city, the massive dome and its glass arms look almost like giant greenhouses, but if you look closely you can see the building facades sticking up at the ends of the arms.
The four buildings that constitute the Galleria area each decorated in similar but not identical styles. Taken as a whole, it is the unity and not the differences that strike the eye.
Awesome photos!