GALLERIA UMBERTO 1 -- part 6

19TH CENTURY NAPLES ITALY

Based on Giuseppe Mengoni’s design for the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan (1863 – 1875), Galleria Umberto I (1885 – 1892) was designed by Emanuele Rocco and Francesco Paolo Boubèe as a covered passageway connecting the San Carlo Theater to Via Roma.

Its iron and glass construction is a rare example of “industrial architecture” in Naples. 

Today, Galleria Umberto I is a shopping arcade. 

Below the Galleria, is the Salone Margherita, a fixture of Naples Belle Époque.

-- Bonnie Alberts

GALLERIA UMBERTO 1 -- part 5

19TH CENTURY NAPLES ITALY

Even without the shops, the people watching opportunities and the architecture of the Galleria Umberto I make it an essential part of any visit to Naples.

--https://www.worldwidewriter.co.uk/architecture-of-galleria-umberto-naples.html

GALLERIA UMBERTO 1 -- part 4

19TH CENTURY NAPLES ITALY

The Galleria fell into disrepair for some decades but is now being extensively renovated in keeping with its status as a part of the UNESCO listing of the Historic Centre of Naples. 

Today it is a place for shopping, eating and meeting your friends. 

There is also an upmarket hotel (the Hotel Art Resort Galleria Umberto) built and furnished in the Baroque style within the Galleria itself.

--Karen Warren

GALLERIA UMBERTO 1 -- part 3

19TH CENTURY NAPLES ITALY

Built in the shape of a cross, the gallery has the feeling of a cathedral, soaring upwards to a vaulted glass ceiling and a vast glass dome at the centre. 

As you walk around, note the rich architectural detail and the mosaics on the floor, in particular the central mosaic with the signs of the zodiac.

--https://www.worldwidewriter.co.uk/

GALLERIA UMBERTO 1 -- part 2

19TH CENTURY NAPLES ITALY

The Galleria is no ordinary shopping arcade.

Unlike many modern constructions, it is of architectural interest in its own right, a magnificent confection of iron and glass. 

Modeled on the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II in Milan, it was intended as a centrepiece for the risanamento, or revitalisation, of Naples in the late 19th century.

--Karen Warren

GALLERIA UMBERTO 1

19TH CENTURY NAPLES ITALY

Naples' most famous 19th-century arcade is a breathtaking pairing of richly adorned neo-Renaissance fronts and a delicate glass ceiling capped by a lofty 56m dome. 

Complete with a sumptuous marble floor, the galleria is at its most spectacular at night, when it becomes a surreal setting for impromptu soccer games.

--Lonely Planet