Ovo Castle

The exteriors of the Ovo Castle, which are always open to visitors, include the Ramaglietto pier that overlooks the sea and the Normandy Tower that displays ancient Guelph battlements. The Church of San Salvatore is a major attraction, where visitors can witness granite columns and Roman capitals made of bones, along with frescoes from the late Byzantine period. There are three Terraces, of which the Terrace of the Cannons is renowned for its magnificent views of the sunset. While the West Loggiato terrace faces towards the city and lies next to the interior rooms that were used for royal meetings, the East Loggiato terrace faces the Gulf and stands partially on the site of a destroyed church complex. Rock-carved cells of the old monastic complex still stand and are a popular attraction.

The numerous interior rooms of the Ovo Castle are generally inaccessible to the public except during events and exhibitions. While the Sala Italia is the largest and most prestigious room of the castle with its stunning vaulted ceiling, Sala Sirena is carved entirely of tuff rock. Sala delle Colonne, among the most elaborate interior rooms, houses columns resting on pointed arches and is divided into several naves. While the Hall of Prisons was apparently constructed for fortification purposes, Virgilio’s Antro is used today for numerous events and purposes. The Sala Compagna is renowned for its modernity and stands at the highest point in the Ovo Castle, while the Sala Megaride can hold an audience of 80 people.

The Castel dell’Ovo Napoli’s halls and terraces are available for conducting meetings, exhibitions, and special events. Upon submission of an official request detailing the event and the required documentation, the castle’s interior spaces can be rented for several kinds of events. Both buffets and small snack parties can be organised on the grounds that no highly inflammable entities are stored on the premises. Concerts and shows during buffets are restricted, while personal events like weddings are allowed film and photo shootings. Exhibitions encashing the historical settings are frequently organised, as are events and even business meetings.

As the oldest surviving fortification of Naples, the history of Castel dell’Ovo can be traced back to the first century BCE when a wealthy Roman constructed the majestic Castellum Lucullanum at the site, followed by the addition of a fortification in the mid-fifth century CE. By the end of the fifth century, a monastery had been established at the site by a Christian clergyman.

The Roman structures were destroyed by locals in the ninth century, which was followed by the construction of the Norman Castel dell’Ovo in the twelfth century. From being the seat of the king of Naples, the castle became the seat of the Royal Chamber and the State Treasury after the construction of Castel Nuovo. The current structure dates back to the fifteenth century.

The Italian Wars of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries saw the Ovo Castle being struck by Spanish and French artillery. During the 1799 Neapolitan Republic, it again came to be used by rebels for attacking the Bourbon population of Naples. The castle later fell into neglect and was restored to its current glory in the 1970s.