Piazza del Plebiscito 1.
Napoli, Italy

This imposing palace was designed by Domenico Fontana and built in 2 years, from 1600 to 1602, for the Spanish king Filippo III. Ironically, he never made it to Naples, and the castle was used by later kings who enlarged it in the 18th century. Luigi Vanvitelli worked on the facade, closing some of the arches to strengthen the walls and creating niches that were filled in 1888 by Umberto I, king of Italy, with eight statues of Neapolitan kings. Badly damaged during World War II, the building has been completely restored. Today, you can admire much of the interior, and we recommend doing so by guided tour to get a full appreciation of the sprawling place.