Orto Botanico
Founded in 1807 by Joseph Bonaparte and Prince Joachim Murat as an oasis from hectic Naples, this is one of the largest of all Italian botanical gardens, comprising some 30 acres. The 19th-century greenhouses and picturesque paths still provide a welcome refuge from the urban tumult, and there are important collections of shrub, cacti, and floral specimens from all over the world, as well as impressive groves of palm and citrus. A fascinating ethnobotanical museum shows how different cultures have utilized trees for everything from ropemaking to dye extraction. Next to the Orto Botanico, with a 1,200-foot facade dwarfing Piazza Carlo III, is one of the largest public buildings in Europe, the Albergo dei Poveri, built in the 18th and 19th centuries to house the city's destitute and homeless; it's now awaiting an ambitious restoration scheme.
