Galleria Umberto I, Naples

The Galleria Umberto is a public shopping arcade in Naples located opposite the San Carlo opera house. It was named after King Umberto I, who was the King of Italy at the time of its construction.

The Galleria Umberto was designed by architect, Emanuele Rocco and built between 1887 and 1891. It was meant to be a residential and commercial complex and has one of the largest glass roofs in the world. It was the most famous structures constructed during the ten-year Rebuilding of Naples that ended with the beginning of World War I.

The Galleria Umberto has three floors topped by a 184 feet tall arched dome. The dome is supported by 16 metal ribs. The arcade is designed in the shape of a cross with a beautiful mosaic depicting the signs of the Zodiac at the center of the floor. Shops, cafes and offices occupy the first and second floors and the third floor has residential apartments. It consists of four glass roofed wings. One wing opens to the main thoroughfare of the city, the Via Toledo and another opens to the San Carlo Theatre. The Galleria Umberto is the setting of the book, ‘The Gallery’, by John Horne Burns about life in occupied Naples in 1944 after World War II.

Tip:
The food here is amazing – you cannot go wrong with pizza and pastries.