Naples, Italy

November 27, 2024

We considered revisiting Pompeii again, because it was so spectacular when we visited during the World Cruise.  However, after researching other options, we decided to visit the National Archaeological Museum instead.

I will give you fair warning NOT to purchase your Hop On Hop Off (HoHo) bus tickets and museum tickets ahead of time from Isango.  They charged $200 for each of us and emailed vouchers, saying that they would send us the tickets later to download.  When we arrived at the HoHo bus, our vouchers were readily accepted. However, the museum would not take the vouchers.  We spent an entire hour trying to contact Isango for the tickets to no avail, with museum staff and fellow passengers trying to help us.  Isango requires you to state a time for the ticket, and we had said noon, but we arrived at the museum at 10:30. Isango did not send the email until 11:55, but we had no Internet when off the ship.  When we did receive that email, we still could not download the tickets.  We had to purchase museum tickets for $20 each.  I submitted several requests for a refund, but Isango refuses.

It would have been so easy and much much less expensive to simply purchase both HoHo and museum tickets when we arrived.  Because this was a slow season, there were no lines. We have chalked this up as a learning experience and will never use such a service again.

Traffic was an absolute nightmare.  We left the museum when students were dismissed from school.  The streets and sidewalks were jammed.  Another lesson learned.  Additionally, the HoHo bus did not drop us off close enough to the port, so we had a long, chilly walk back to the ship.

Despite all of that, the museum visit was absolutely extraordinary.  Definitely, all of the frustration was worth it once we entered the museum.  I was absolutely enthralled.  I had no idea that so many Greek and Roman statues existed in the world.  The more we traveled Italy, the more we realized how extensively ruins and treasures have been beautifully preserved. Photos and books cannot possibly portray the expansiveness of these incredible treasures.

For one section of the museum, visitors must wear shoe covers, because ancient mosaics cover the floors.  The displays are amazing, so this part of the museum must not be missed.

What I loved the most was seeing the sophisticated cookware, jewelry, medical instruments, and free blown glass from Pompeii and Herculaneum.  We spent quite a bit of time studying the scale model of Pompeii and watching the video.

You get an idea from visiting the ruins how advanced the Pompeii society was, but you don’t fully get it until you see the artifacts, sculptures, mosaics, and paintings preserved in this fantastic museum.

The museum also has the third largest collection of of Egyptian artifacts in the world. We saw a sampling, but somehow missed most of the collection.  The museum is so massive, it is easy to miss sections. 

In the the Secret Room, with a collection of 250 sexually-themed objects, mainly from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The most outrageous was a statue of Pan, but it isn't a photo I can publish on this blog.

There are Renaissance paintings, colossal statues of gods and goddesses, and must see masterpieces such as:  The Farnese Hercules, the Gabinetto Segreto, the Battle of Alexander against Darius Mosaic, the Portrait of Terentius Neo and his wife, Donarium of Dying Figures (which we missed), and the Bronze Runners. 

I was particularly impressed with the massive statue, The Farnese Bull, which has been praised as one of the most remarkable, complex ancient sculpture ever carved.  I must have spent twenty minutes admiring just that one statue.

Cliff and Joan were very patient with me as I slowly examined everything and took it all in.  It is too much to see in one day.

The Naples Archaeological Museum is definitely one of the world’s greatest museums.  Just seeing the sweeping curved staircases, soaring ceilings, and gardens alone are worth the price of the ticket. 

If you ever have a chance to visit Naples, this museum is as important to see as the ruins of Pompeii.

Beautiful bakery near the archaeological museum.