The Bourbon Gallery and the surrounding underground environments represent a description of the last 500 years of Naples’ history. We work to give glory to those who lived the subsoil and realized magnificent works, and we give back memories of those who suffered terrible experiences but survived thanks to this underground world.
On the 19 February 1853 Ferdinand II of Bourbon signed a decree with which he commissioned the arch. Errico Alvino - an extraordinary commissar for Via Chiaia and S. Ferdinando - to design an underground viaduct that, passing under Monte Echia, joined the Royal Palace with Piazza Vittoria, near the sea and the barracks.
This decree had no social purposes; Alvino considered the realization of a military passage, in defense of the Royal Palace, for the troops stationed in the barracks of via Pace (now via Domenico Morelli), as well as a safe escape route for the same monarchs, after the risks of 1848s riots.
The architect designed an excavation with trapezoidal section, width and height of 12 meters, divided into two ways for opposite directions. These galleries had to be large 4 meters each, and separated by a slim parapet supporting the gas lamps and endowed with lateral 2 meters wide sidewalks.
The gallery in Chiaia had to be named "Royal Gallery" or "Road Regia", while the gallery in the opposite direction was called "Strada Regina". Both galleries would have started from the old cavalry barracks in ex Via Pace but one would have reached Carolina Square behind the Colonnade of Piazza Plebiscito and the other Via Santa Lucia.
Works to open the track started in April 1853; Alvino began the excavation in today's via Domenico Morelli (formerly via Pace) from the widening that corresponded with a former quarry where the current access to the gallery is located. No digging attempt was made from the opposite direction.
Two tunnels, one for carriages and the other one for pedestrians, which proceeded parallel till 84 m, had to end inside the Carafa Caves, which had already been used since the sixteenth century for the construction of various buildings in the area.
Before reaching the Carafa Caves, currently a multi-storey car park, the excavation of the Bourbon Gallery met an active passage pertaining to the sixteenth-century Bolla aqueduct branches. In order to avoid depriving water of some buildings in Via Cappella Vecchia, ingenious hydraulic works were carried out to allow the water to pass at lower altitudes than the gallery. After that he started off with the second section of the tunnel whose excavation had technical problems.
In particular, after about 40 m from the Carafa quarries, the earliest and highest-level environments were intercepted. The excavation section became irregular and created static problems to the structure. The architect Alvino made regularization of the upper and lower sections as far as possible, while at the same time created a series of transversal modules each consisting of a arch. These wall-masonry structures blocked the opening of the fractures and the excavation could safely continue.
After 200 m from the beginning of the excavation, a large tank of the 17th-century water network was found, which supplied the city of Naples, while he met another large tank after about 245 m. Even in this case, in order to avoid depriving of water the above-mentioned houses of Via Egiziaca at Pizzofalcone, he found an impressive solution: a 8 m high bridge from the bottom of the tank was made, and colossal walls in tuff and bricks rose to isolate themselves from possible accesses due to the presence of any further wells.
After this area, the tunnel continued with a section of m 4 of width x 3 m of height and marginally intercepted another huge tank overcome, even in this case, by a 20 m long and 10 m high bridge, after which the excavation continued with the same section.
GENERAL INFOS:
For further information or to book something, contact us:
+39 366 248 4151
081 764 5808
Tours:
The Bourbon Tunnel represents the bourbon civil engineering's pride of the underground; thanks to the “Standard” Tour you can visit and admire it. You can enter to our site from the Morelli Car Parking or from Vico del Grottone, 4, descending a staircase of the 18th century. The tour will show you the fabulous project of the architect Enrico Alvino and the technical problems he met, while he was working. You will walk through the “Bolla” Renaissance aqueduct system, admiring the bridges built by the Bourbon to bypass the cisterns. You will have the chance to visit a World War II air bomb shelter, built in these underground spaces, where a lot of authentic objects of the time have been found. During the whole guided tour you will be surrounded by statues' fragments, vintage cars and motorbikes found buried under tons of debris, illegally dumped into the underground – from the end of the World War II until the '70s-, when the Bourbon Tunnel was used as a police car pound.
Open to the public
DaysGuided tour timeGuided tour timeGuided tour timeGuided tour time
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and on holidays.
10:00am
12:00pm
3:30pm
5:30pm
Entrances
Via D. Morelli, 61 (Morelli Car Parking's pedestrian entry)
Vico del Grottone, 4 (behind Plebiscito Square)
Accessibility
Entering from Morelli Car Parking (Via Domenico Morelli, 61)
disabled people can take part to the 60% of the guided tour.
Additional information
Reservation is not required
Opening on different days: by reservation only
Tour lasting: 1 hour
Kids can join the guided tour
Disabled people can join the guided tour
Taking pictures is not allowed
Smoking – cigarettes or e-cigarettes- is not allowed.
For further information or to book, contact us:
+39 366 248 4151
+39 081 764 5808
WHERE:
Vico del Grottone, 4 – Behind Plebiscito Square
Starting from the harbour
Leaving the port in Municipio Square, move towards Trieste e Trento Square to reach Plebiscito Square. Leaving the Royal Palace behind you, walk by the Gabrinus Café moving towards Gennaro Serra Street to reach Vico del Grottone, 4 -it's the second street on the left side, walking down Monte di Dio's hill. Vico del Grottone is a blind alley, there you will find the Galleria Borbonica's entrance.
Starting from the train station
Catch a tram or a bus to Municipio Square and follow the directions as indicated in the previous point.
Starting from the airport
From the Napoli International Airport catch the Alibus (a shuttle-bus) and, in about 20 minutes, you will reach the port in Municipio Square – then, follow the directions as indicated in the first point.
Via Domenico Morelli, 61 c/o Morelli Car Parking – Around Vittoria Square
Starting from the harbour
Leaving the port in Municipio Square, move towards Vittoria Square passing through the tunnel in Acton Street; then, turn right to Domenico Morelli Street. On the right side you will find the Morelli Car Parking's entrance; go in and inside it you will find the Galleria Borbonica's entrance.
Starting from the train station
Catch a tram or a bus to Vittoria Square; walk down Domenico Morelli Street up to the Morelli Car Parking's entrance. Go in and inside it you will find the Galleria Borbonica's entrance.
Starting from the airport
From the Napoli International Airport catch the Alibus (a shuttle-bus) and, in about 20 minutes, you will reach the port in Municipio Square. From there catch a tram or a bus to Vittoria Square, walk down Domenico Morelli Street up to the Morelli Car Parking's entrance; go in and inside it you will find the Galleria Borbonica's entrance.
Via Monte di Dio, 14 – Palazzo Serra di Cassano – Interno A14
Starting from the harbour
Leaving the port in Municipio Square, move towards Trieste e Trento Square to reach Plebiscito Square. Leaving the Royal Palace behind you, walk by the Gabrinus Café moving towards Gennaro Serra Street. Down the street, turn left to Monte di Dio Street, on the left side you will find the Galleria Borbonica's entrance, right inside the Serra di Cassano Building (Interno A14).
Starting from the train station
Catch a tram or a bus to Municipio Square and follow the directions as indicated in the previous point.
Starting from the airport
From the Napoli International Airport catch the Alibus (a shuttle-bus) and, in about 20 minutes, you will reach the port in Municipio Square – then, follow the directions as indicated in the first point.
