Museo Novecento Napoletano, Naples Travel Guide

The Museo Novecento Napoletano, inaugurated in 2010, resides within the historic Carcere Alto (High Prison) of Castel Sant'Elmo. The museum's mission is to document the artistic production of Neapolitan artists and those connected to Naples between 1910 and 1980, encompassing movements from the Secession to the Transavantgarde.The collection features paintings, sculptures, and graphic experiments, comprising around 170 works by 90 Neapolitan artists and others who left their mark on the city's cultural landscape. Key artists include Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Mimmo Paladino, and Giovanni Brancaccio. The museum also promotes the "Un'opera per il castello" competition, encouraging young artists and architects to create site-specific works, thereby expanding the collection with contemporary pieces.Castel Sant'Elmo itself is a star-shaped fortress that has evolved over centuries. Originally a church dedicated to St. Erasmus, it was transformed into a castle in 1349 and further fortified in 1538. It served as a military prison until the 1970s and now offers breathtaking panoramic views of Naples, its bay, islands, and beyond.