The Bourbon royal palace at Capodimonte, north of the city centre, houses one of the great Italian art collections. The paintings span the thirteenth to the eighteenth century and include major works by Titian, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Simone Martini. The Caravaggio flagellation scene, originally painted for a Neapolitan church, is one of the museum's central works.
The palace occupies a large park — the Real Bosco di Capodimonte — which provides a cool escape from the city in summer. A shuttle bus runs from Piazza Dante to the museum entrance; the walk uphill from the Centro Storico takes about 45 minutes but passes through interesting neighbourhoods. Allow half a day for the museum.