 Introduction
The grand staircase leading to the upper floor takes you to a collection of art from the Bank of Naples with treasures from the 16th to the 19th century.
The basement floor, completely restructured, host's conferences exhibitions and cultural initiatives.
Since 1960 the old stables have housed the Mario d'Alessandro di Civitanova Carriage Museum.
The rooms in the villa were decorated and furnished in accordance with the refined taste of the Pignatelli family: the sumptuous ballroom and elegant salons filled with photographs and precious porcelain and majolica; the library hung with leather and gold; a dining room with the tableware of the Pignatelli family.
Location
How to get there: Villa Pignatelli is situated along the Riviera di Chiaia near to Piazza della Repubblica.
- It is 12 km from the airport of Naples-Capodichino.
- Those arriving by car should leave the motorway at Via Marina, following the directions for Via Acton and Riviera di Chiaia.
- Public transport: use the R2 bus as far as Piazza Municipio and then take the R3; otherwise, use the underground, getting off at the station of Piazza Amedeo and continuing on foot.
History
Maria Concessa d'Aragona (probably around the year 1500 AD)- the only surviving descendant of Orlando d'Aragona - married Giovanni Tagliavia, first Marchese and later Duca di Terranova, who became - on the basis of Spanish law (i.e. the daughters transmitted titles and estates if there were no male heirs) - Giovanni d'Aragona Tagliavia.
In 1648 Diego - a direct descendant of said Giovanni - married Stefania Cortes, the only surviving descendant of Hernan Cortes, the Conqueror of Mexico, and thus became Diego d'Aragona Cortes Tagliavia.
Diego and Stefania's daughter, Giovanna, married Ettore IV Pignatelli (1620-1674) who thus became Ettore Pignatelli Aragona Cortes. The surname of Tagliavia was dropped at that time, rather unfairly, as several, but indeed not all, of the properties and titles - including the title of Prince of the Holy Empire - came to the Pignatellis (the "PAC" branch) via the family Tagliavia Aragona Cortes.
Nicolo's II and Giovanna's II direct descendant, Giuseppe (“P.A.C.”), (1795-1859), Duca di Terranova and Marques de la Valle de Oaxaca, had two sons, Diego sr., who died without children, and Antonio (1827-1881) who had three sons. Diego sr. bought in 1848 from the Rothchilds the Villa Acton in Naples, which is now Villa Pignatelli, and left it at his death to his nephew Diego (1862-1930): it has become in 1961 the Museum Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes as a result of the donation of the Villa to the State by Annamaria (“PAC”), his daughter.
Rodolfo was Counselor of the Norman King, William the Wise, and his ambassador in 1156 to Pope Adrian IV for the investiture of the Kingdom of Sicily. Bartolomeo Pignatelli, Bishop of Cosenza, mentioned in the Purgatory of Dante's Divine Commedy, was ambassador of Pope Bonifazio VIII in 1264 to the King of France for the purpose of inviting Charles of Anjou to become King of Naples. Ettore I (b. 1465-1535) was 1st Duca di Monteleone, Capitan General of Emperor Charles V and viceroy of Sicily. He remained famous for his valour in war against the French and for the draconian repressions of various rebellions carried out under his leadership in Sicily and in Monteleone.
Fabrizio (circa 1510-1570) fought the Turkish pirates in Southern Italy and the French armies in Sicily. He founded the famous Pellegrini Hospital in Naples.
Ettore II, Duca di Monteleone (circa 1585- 1615), Grandee of Spain, Knight of the Toson d'Oro, Captain General of Spain and Viceroy of Catalunja.
Fra' Tommaso Pignatelli (1605-1634), Dominican monk, was the common law son of the Principe di Noja. After being repeatedly tortured in order to extract from him a confession - an unsuccessful attempt - the High Court of Inquisition found him guilty of alleged rebellion against the Spaniards and alleged heresy and was executed with the “garrota” in the Castel dell'Ovo in Naples.
Nicolo' (1648-1730), Grandee of Spain, Captain General and Viceroy of Sicily, Grand Admiral and Great Constable of the Kingdom of Spain.
Cardinal Antonio Pignatelli, former Apostolic Delegate to Poland and later Archbishop of Naples, was elected Pope in 1691 as Innocent XII. He issued the “Bulla” abolishing nepotism and remained famous also for the public works carried out under his reign, such as: the ports of Civitavecchia and Anzio, near Rome, the Via Appia Pignatelli, a road parallel to the Ancient Appian Way, the road leading up to the Campidoglio in Rome, the Palace of Montecitorio - presently housing the Italian Parliament - the huge home for the old age people along the river Tiber: San Michele, the restoration of the road leading up to the Rome Capitol Hill.
Don Ramon Pignatelli ("PAC") Fuentes built in Saragoza (Spain) a huge and impressive palace, commonly called “El Pignatelli”. It is presently the seat of the Generalidad (i.e. Government) of the Aragona Region.
Saint Joseph Pignatelli (1737-1811), Gesuit, of the Pignatelli Aragona Cortes y Fuentes - the Spanish branch - whom the Gesuit Order regards as the second founder (in 1805) of the Gesuit Order which had been disbanded in the early 1700.
Between 1624 and 1950 there were seven Pignatelli Cardinals in the Sacred College (in addition to the aforementioned Cardinal Antonio Pignatelli who became Pope Innocent XII). Several members of the Pignatelli Aragona Cortes were Grandees of Spain, Viceroys of Sicily, Sardinia, Catalunja, Grand Admirals of the Spanish Kingdom and ten of them, between 1585 and 1801, received - for services rendered to the Holy Roman Empire, to Spain and to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies - the Order of the Toson d'Oro, the highest recognition then awarded by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain.
The Pignatelli Aragona Cortes acquired the right to display the Toson d'Oro on the family coat of arms. The motto in Latin of the Pignatelli Aragona Cortes family was inherited from Hernan Cortes: “Iudicium Domini apprehended eos et fortitude eius corroboravit brachium meum”.
The Villa
The XVII-century works include Judith and Holofernes, attributed to Luis Finson, the Adoration of the Magi by the Master of the Good Tidings to the Shepherds, the three paintings by Bernardo Cavallino: St Paul and the centurion, Moses in the bull-rushes, Christ and the woman taken in adultery and Giovan Battista Ruoppolo's Larder interior. They are followed by The healing of Tobias by Hendrick van Somer and an Immaculate Conception by Luca Giordano.
In the XVIII-century section are two paintings by Gaspare Traversi, The concert and The secret letter, some canvases by Sebastiano Conca, and the four ovals with Allegories of Piety by Francesco De Mura.
XIX-century Neapolitan painting is represented by the four canvases by Antoon Sminck von Pitloo and the watercolors of Giacinto Gigante from the Casciaro collection. Also important are the collection of Baron Chiaranda, the sculptures and drawings of Vincenzo Gemito from Consolazio collection and the drawings of Domenico Morelli.
On the first floor above ground level, the “piano nobile”, is the Ball Room, used as a conference room. It is decorated with pier glasses with carved wooden frames, and on some doors are musical Cupids, the work of Vincenzo Paliotti in the 1870-1880's. Also of note are a gilded bronze bust of Ferdinando Cortes and an elegant toilet decorated in Pompeii style, attributed to Guglielmo Bechi.
The Blue Room, decorated with XIX-century Neapolitan furniture, displays the candelabra, bronze clock and a series of photographs of members of the Pignatelli family
The Red Room has a ceiling decorated with the Allegory of Architecture, and is furnished with large neo-Baroque console tables, overhung by richly framed monumental pier-glasses, neo-Renaissance book-cases, cabinets and wood paneling. There are also three paintings on wood with Stories of the Life of the Virgin by Giovan Filippo Criscuolo (1530 circa) and a Narcissus by Vincenzo Gemito.
The Green Room displays a collection of porcelain from the most important European factories such as Meissen, Vienna, Venezia, Capodimonte and Naples. The most significant group is that from Meissen, with the Coffee Service decorated with landscapes and seascapes and the statuesque group of the Rape of Proserpine (1750 c.). The XVIII-century Italian ceramics include objects from the Royal Factory of Capodimonte such as the Washerwoman, and the Gentleman in tails.
The Carriage Museum
Useful Information
Closed: Tuesday.
Prices: 2.07 euro (Full price). 1.03 euro (Reduced).
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Museo Principe Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes
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