If you were lucky enough to travel to Naples in the 18th century  and hoped to catch a glimpse of the antiquities being excavated at Herculaneum and Pompeii, you would likely have needed an invitation to one of the royal palaces of Charles VII of Naples. 

In 1734, at the request of King Philip V of Spain, eighteen year old Charles of Bourbon along with his Spanish troops journeyed to Naples to reclaim control of the region from Austria. 

King Philip had appointed his son Charles as the inaugural king of Naples, where he ruled until 1759. Upon the death of Charles’s half-brother, Ferdinand VI of Spain, Charles abdicated his throne in Naples and named his son Ferdinand king of Naples and Sicily at the tender age of eight.

Charles VII was viewed as an enlightened king due to his passion for the arts and culture. In 1738, he married Maria Amalia of Saxony. Together they were largely responsible for Naples becoming a required stop on the Grand Tour. 

As patrons of the arts, the couple were enchanted by the beauty of the Bay of Naples and spearheaded the excavation of the ancient sites that had been buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. 

Today you don’t need to travel to Naples to view the legacy of Vesuvius. Until January 5, 2025, there is a small but splendid exhibition at the Meadows Museum in Dallas, Texas. The exhibit juxtaposes stunning frescoes and other artifacts from the Bourbon excavations in Naples with 18th century furniture, art, and porcelain designs inspired by these antiquities. For example, frescoes of dancing maenads, taken from Pompeii in early excavations, appear alongside a Capodimonte porcelain plate depicting the same motif. 

The Legacy of Vesuvius: Bourbon Discoveries on the Bay of Naples is a collaboration with the Meadows Museum in Dallas, Texas, and features work from two institutions in Naples: the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte and the Museo Archaeologico Nazionale di Napoli. There are additional loans from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Wellcome Collection in London, SMU’s DeGolyer library, and private collections. 

They have never been seen before outside of Naples, and this is the only exhibition in the USA.

Included in the exhibition are portraits of the royal couple, Charles and Maria Amalia by Francesco Liani, as well as Elizabeth Vigée-LeBrun’s Portrait of the Young Francis of Bourbon, their son. 

Vesuvius was the muse of many artists of the period and there are several lovely landscapes from the period featuring the volcano in the background. Some of them portray the landscape in a very realistic style, while others give the viewer a glimpse into the awe they must have felt in the presence of the volcano. 

Pietro Fabris (Italian, active 1756–1779), View of the great eruption of Mount Vesuvius on Sunday night August the 8th 1779, c. 1779. Hand-painted etching on paper, 15 1/4 x 8 1/4 in. (38.8 x 21 cm). Wellcome Collection, London. Photo Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection, London.

Though I had been to Pompeii, I was overwhelmed with emotion when I saw the first massive wall painting taken from an excavation at the royal stable of Portici, another of the Bourbon palaces. I felt I had a sense of what those first excavations must have meant to Charles and Marie Amalia who, in the beginning, kept the discoveries to themselves. 

If you do travel to Naples, visit the Museo Archaeologico Nazionale di Napoli, where there are thousands of artifacts from the excavations. I recommend hiring a guide so that you don’t become overwhelmed, especially if you’ve never been there before.

Also visit the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, one of the Bourbon palaces built specifically to house the spectacular Farnese Collection, as well as some of the antiquities from the excavations. Capodimonte includes extensive gardens and a huge park with walking trails. As it is located on a hillside overlooking the city, you’ll also have a good view of Vesuvius in the background. 

Learn more: 
https://meadowsmuseumdallas.org/exhibitions/legacy-of-vesuvius/

Penny Sadler is a freelance writer and content provider for consumer and B2C platforms worldwide. Her works appear in numerous publications, including Inside Hook, Cheese Professor, Vintner Project, Wine 365, Wine Country Media, and other outlets. She is always planning her next trip, usually to another fabulous wine region. Curious about life and people, her glass is always full. Find her at www.pennysadler.com and https://adventuresofacarryon.com/

Photos courtesy and copyright Kevin Todora, published with permission.