Steps of the Gardens of Princess Jolanda — Ascent of Capodimonte
The Steps of the Gardens of Princess Jolanda form part of the historic ascent connecting the lower city of Naples to the Capodimonte hill, traversing a layered urban landscape of Bourbon-era garden terraces, aristocratic villas, and vernacular housing. The route rises through the Bosco di Capodimonte, the 134-hectare royal park surrounding the Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte, and passes landscape features laid out during the 18th and 19th centuries under the patronage of the Bourbon and Savoy royal families. Princess Jolanda of Savoy, eldest daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III, lends her name to a section of these historic gardens.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic garden stairway and urban ascent route
- Period
- 18th century Bourbon layout; Savoy-era modifications, 19th–early 20th century
- Style
- Italian formal garden; Bourbon royal landscape design
- Location
- Capodimonte hill, Naples, Campania, Italy
- Coordinates
- 40.8665° N, 14.2483° E
Overview
The ascent of Capodimonte is one of Naples’ most historically stratified urban itineraries, linking the dense fabric of the old city to the royal park and palace on the hill above. The route passes through garden terraces, stair sequences, and tree-lined avenues that accumulated over two centuries of royal and aristocratic intervention. It offers a sequence of views across the Bay of Naples and the urban panorama below, and remains one of the city’s valued green corridors connecting historical and natural heritage.
History
The Capodimonte hill was chosen by Charles III of Bourbon in the 1730s as the site for his hunting lodge and royal palace, initiating the transformation of its slopes into a formal landscape. The Bosco di Capodimonte was planted and organised as a royal hunting park and pleasure garden over subsequent decades, with stairways and paths designed to connect the palace to the city below. Under the Savoy dynasty in the 19th and early 20th centuries, sections of the park were rededicated to members of the royal family, including the gardens associated with Princess Jolanda. The ascent route preserves elements of all these phases of royal patronage.
What you see
The steps and terraced paths wind upward through a mixture of formal garden beds, mature tree plantings, and informal woodland typical of the Bosco di Capodimonte. Stone balustrades, garden pavilions, and ornamental ironwork punctuate the ascent, while glimpses of the royal palace emerge through the canopy on higher sections. The gardens associated with Princess Jolanda include more intimately scaled terrace areas with ornamental planting characteristic of early 20th-century royal garden taste.
Cultural significance
The Capodimonte complex, including its park and ascent routes, is a UNESCO-recognised component of the historic landscape of Naples, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1995. The garden itinerary offers a rare experience of the Bourbon royal landscape vision on a monumental scale, integrating art, nature, and urban topography in a manner unique to Neapolitan heritage. The naming of the gardens for Princess Jolanda also preserves a layer of Savoy-era history within the predominantly Bourbon character of the site.
Practical information
- Address
- Bosco di Capodimonte, Via Miano, Naples, Campania 80131, Italy
- Hours
- The park is generally open daily; check official website for current hours and access points
- Admission
- Park access is free; Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte museum admission charged separately
Getting there
Bus line 178 from Piazza Cavour in the historic centre serves the Capodimonte area directly. The ascent routes can also be approached on foot from the Sanità and Materdei neighbourhoods below the hill. Taxi and rideshare from Naples Centrale station take approximately 10–15 minutes depending on traffic.