Museo nazionale di Napoli; Monaco, Domenico [Oth.]; Neville-Rolfe, Eustache [Oth.]: Specimens from the Naples Museum: one hundred and sixty plates engraved on copper by the best italian artists, illustrating four hundred and sixty objects from every branch of art and archaeology (Naples: [Verlag nicht ermittelbar], 1889)

THE NAPLES MUSEUM.

I. The Museum. South Front.—The build-
ing which is now known as the National
Museum of Naples has passed through many
vicissitudes. It was originally intended for
a stable, and was begun in 1586, but owing
to the deficiency of the water supply it
was left unfinished till 1610, when it was
prepared for the use of the University.
Subsequently the Law Courts held their
sittings there, and in the revolution of 1701
it was turned into a barrack. It was not
till 1790- that the upper floor and the
grand staircase were built by Ferdinand IV,
who then made a museum of the building
and placed in it all the specimens found
in the various excavations of the neigh-
bourhood, as well as the splendid collection
of antiquities which had been inherited
from the Farnese family by Elizabeth, the
mother of the Bourbon King, Charles III,
The Bourbons of Naples were generous

benefactors of the Museum , which they
declared to be their private property under
the name of the Real Museo Borbonico.
General Garibaldi, when Dictator in 1860,
proclaimed the Museum and the excava-
tions generally , to be national property ,
and caused the latter to be more actively
carried on.
On the accession of King Victor Emma-
nuel II, the Museum was reorganised, and
important additions were made to its con-
tents , which were then classified by the
accomplished archgeologist, Professor Fio-
relli , who for many years has occupied
the important position of head of the Royal
Commission for arranging and superintend-
ing all the excavations of antiquities in Italy.
The Museum contains about a hundred
and twelve thousand specimens, which are
being daily added to , and ranks among
the first of the world.