Essential guide to the most famous art in Naples

In Naples, art is not confined to museums. It spills into alleys, clings to church walls, and resurfaces in unexpected forms — holy, political, archaic, and bare. It draws you through Naples’ neighborhoods, where urban murals challenge oppression and chapels are adorned with shrouded marble sculptures. This guide to the most famous art in Naples explores the city’s past and present, providing a path through its web of masterpieces, histories, and the spaces that hold them.

1. Veiled Christ, Giuseppe Sanmartino

Where to see it

Sansevero Chapel; Museo Cappella Sansevero

This haunting marble sculpture is revered in the Sansevero Chapel for its lifelike detail: a shrouded Christ lies under a transparent veil sculpted from a single stone. Sanmartino’s mastery creates the illusion of delicate fabric, making it one of the most famous sculptures in Naples. It’s a pinnacle of Neapolitan Baroque art and an essential stop for any art lover. Housed in a prominent Neapolitan landmark, tickets to the Sansevero Chapel are limited to protect the artwork, so book your visit in advance.

Address

Via Francesco De Sanctis, 19/21, 80134, Napoli

Opening Hours

Daily 9:00 AM-7:00 PM

2. The Flagellation of Christ, Caravaggio

Where to see it

Museum and Royal Wood of Capodimonte

One of Caravaggio’s Neapolitan masterpieces, this painting uses dramatic contrast between light and shadow to depict the brutality of Christ’s torment. The emotion and realism of the scene exemplify Caravaggio’s style and influence on Baroque art. It’s a key example of his time in Naples and can be viewed in its original setting in the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte (Museum of Royal Wood of Capodimonte), one of Naples’ best museums.

Address

Via Miano, 2, 80131 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Thursday-Tuesday 8:30 AM-7:30 PM
Wednesday Closed

3. Madonna with a Gun, Banksy

Where to see it

Piazza Girolamini, outside Girolamini Church

This edgy piece by Banksy shows the Virgin Mary with a pistol in place of her halo, spray-painted on a wall near a bustling street. It’s Naples’ only confirmed Banksy and is a critique of violence and corruption. Though protected by plexiglass, the mural remains exposed to the street, blending sacred iconography with gritty urban commentary.

Address

Piazza Gerolomini, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Open daily 24 hours

4. Hercules at the Crossroads, Annibale Carracci

Where to see it

Museum and Royal Wood of Capodimonte

In this classical allegory, a contemplative Hercules chooses between Pleasure and Virtue, the latter pointing to Pegasus. Carracci’s balanced composition and color mark a transition from Mannerism to the Baroque. This large canvas captures both mythological lavishness and moral reflection, offering insight into late 16th-century aesthetics.

Address

Via Miano, 2, 80131 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Thursday-Tuesday 8:30 AM-7:30 PM
Wednesday Closed

5. Mosaic of Alexander the Great, Philoxenus of Eretria or Apelles

Where to see it

National Archaeological Museum of Naples

Though the original Hellenistic version was lost, this remarkable depiction — discovered among the ruins of Pompeii — is a masterpiece of the ancient world. A Roman-era floor mosaic showing Alexander the Great in battle against the Persian king Darius III, it’s a rare surviving example of ancient painting rendered in stone, with astonishing detail and movement. This work captures the artistic sophistication of classical antiquity and is an essential artwork to see in Naples. It’s currently preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Address

Piazza Museo, 19, 80135 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Daily 9:00 AM-6:30 PM

6. Ael, tutt’egual song’e criature, Jorit Agoch

Where to see it

Parco dei Murales, Ponticelli neighborhood

In Naples’ eastern district, a social housing complex was revitalized and transformed into an open-air gallery for street art. The first mural, Jorit Agoch’s “Ael, tutt’egual song’e criature”, depicts a young Roma girl from a nearby camp that was later burned down. Sponsored to raise awareness of racism, the portrait features Jorit’s signature red tribal marks, symbolizing unity beyond race or religion. At Ael’s feet, painted books emphasize education as the path to inclusion. For perspective on modern Italy outside of the opulence of the Renaissance, visit this district to gain understanding through some of the greatest street art in Naples.

Address

80147 Naples, Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy

Opening Hours

Open daily 24 hours

7. Danaë, Titian

Where to see it

Museum and Royal Wood of Capodimonte

One of Titian’s sensual mythological scenes, “Danaë”, shows the mortal woman receiving Zeus in a shower of gold. The glowing palette and soft forms are quintessential High Renaissance, capturing the richness of Venetian colorism. Commissioned by a Neapolitan noble family, it’s one of the most famous paintings in Naples and a star of the Capodimonte collection.

Address

Via Miano, 2, 80131 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Thursday-Tuesday 8:30 AM-7:30 PM
Wednesday Closed

8. Bronzes from the Villa of the Papyri

Where to see it

National Archaeological Museum of Naples

These lifelike statues were recovered from Herculaneum, one of the towns buried by the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. The bronzes, preserved in volcanic ash, include philosophers, athletes, and mythological figures. These famous statues in Naples are key to understanding ancient art in a broader archaeological context.

Address

Piazza Museo, 19, 80135 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Open daily 9:00 AM-6:30 PM

9. Untitled, Jannis Kounellis

Where to see it

Madre Museum

Kounellis created this installation using raw materials like coal, iron, and burlap as part of the Arte Povera movement. It evokes Naples’ industrial past and the tensions between decay and renewal. It’s a powerful piece of conceptual art that accentuates the city’s layered history.

Address

Via Luigi Settembrini, 79, 80139 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Monday-Saturday 10:00 AM-7:30 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM-8:00 PM

10. The Seven Works of Mercy, Caravaggio

Where to see it

Pio Monte della Misericordia

Commissioned for the Pio Monte della Misericordia, this altarpiece is a masterclass in narrative painting. Caravaggio unites seven acts of mercy — feeding the hungry and burying the dead — into a singular street scene. The dramatic contrast between light and darkness, emotional realism, and moral depth reflect his genius and Naples’ rooted culture of compassion. Find this famous painting in Naples in its original chapel setting in the famed Via dei Tribunali.

Address

Via dei Tribunali, 253, 80139 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Monday-Saturday 10:00 AM-6:00 PM
Sundays 9:00 PM-2:30 PM

11. Vesuvius, Andy Warhol

Where to see it

Museum and Royal Wood of Capodimonte

In characteristic bold neon colors and repeated frames, Warhol reimagines Mount Vesuvius as both icon and threat. Created during his time in Naples in 1985, the work blends pop art with local identity, turning a symbol of destruction into a piece of cultural commentary. It reflects Warhol’s fascination with fame and repetition, filtered through a uniquely Neapolitan lens.

Address

Via Miano, 2, 80131 Napoli NA, Italy

Opening Hours

Thursday-Tuesday 8:30 AM-7:30 PM
Wednesday Closed