by Redazione 28/10/2026
Categories: Exhibitions / Disclaimer
The first exhibition opens in the restored Piano Nobile Gallery of the Royal Palace of Portici, which has been transformed into an exhibition space after serving for decades as classrooms and offices: more than thirty photographs by Luciano D’Inverno, taken between 2019 and 2026, depict the Campania landscape, balancing nature and human presence. The exhibition marks the debut of the Gallery’s new
The landscape around Vesuvius is not merely a natural setting: it is a territory where human presence, the transformations of time, and the force of nature intertwine. It is from this relationship that Luciano D’Inverno’s photographic exploration takes shape; his work is the focus of the exhibition *L’amante del Vesuvio* at the Reggia di Portici . Continuous and discontinuous visions of the sublime—a previously unseen series of images dedicated to the artist’s homeland.
The exhibition marks an important milestone in the recent history of the Bourbon complex: it is, in fact, the first exhibition hosted in the Galleria del Piano Nobile following the restoration carried out by the Metropolitan City of Naples, which owns the Reggia. The space was reopened to the public in June 2026, after decades during which it had been used as classrooms and offices.
On display will be over thirty color photographs, taken between 2019 and 2026 as part of a research project that D’Inverno has been pursuing for more than twenty years. The images capture landscapes shaped by the presence of Vesuvius, the natural scenery of the Phlegraean Fields, and the sites along the “Golden Mile,” stretching along the coast between the volcano’s slopes and the sea. The territory is observed in its enduring features and its changes, through a contemporary lens that engages, in an ideal sense, with the tradition of Campania landscape views that developed following the Grand Tour.
The exhibition, curated by Ennery Taramelli and sponsored by MUSA – Musei della Reggia di Portici, will open on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. in the Sala Cinese of the Reggia. The following day, Friday, October 30, it will open to the public and remain on view through March 29, 2027.
Over 35 meters long, the Gallery serves as a link between the monumental staircase and the Court Theater and overlooks the historic Strada Regia delle Calabrie. The restoration project has restored the space to its original appearance, recovering the frescoes and restoring the Neapolitan terracotta floor and the historic shutters. The work was carried out by the Metropolitan City’s Technical Heritage Department under the supervision of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Naples metropolitan area. The restoration is part of an agreement with the University of Naples Federico II, which calls for the gradual restoration of the rooms on the Piano Nobile to a fully functional museum setting, with management entrusted to MUSA.
With D’Inverno’s exhibition, the architectural restoration thus begins to translate into an exhibition program: the Gallery is not only restored to its historical significance but also becomes a space dedicated to hosting contemporary art.
The relationship between the building and the landscape is, after all, one of the defining elements of the project. Its view of the Strada Regia places the Gallery at a point where the history of the Royal Palace meets the surrounding territory and the axes that ideally connect the Miglio d’Oro to the Campi Flegrei. D’Inverno’s photographs fit into this context, inviting viewers to observe a landscape that the very presence of the Royal Palace helps to narrate.
The Metropolitan City of Naples, which has granted its patronage to the exhibition alongside the Federico II University and the Department of Agriculture, presents the initiative as part of the process of reopening the Piano Nobile. The goal is to proceed gradually, in collaboration with the University and the Superintendency, toward a unified museum experience that allows visitors to traverse the entire floor and appreciate its architecture and decorations.
“The Lover of Vesuvius: Continuous and Discontinuous Visions of the Sublime” will be on view at the Royal Palace of Portici from October 30, 2026, to March 29, 2027. Information on hours, tickets, and guided tours is available on the website of the Museums of the Royal Palace of Portici.
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| The first exhibition in the Piano Nobile Gallery at the Royal Palace of Portici opens to the public |
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