Musa – Musei delle Scienze Agrarie della Reggia di Portici

Between Mount Vesuvius and the sea, in one of the most representative coastal landscapes of Campania, stands the MUSA – Agricultural Science Museum of the Royal Palace of Portici, a unique Bourbon residence dating back to 1738.

Built at the behest of Charles of Bourbon and his spouse, Maria Amalia of Saxony, the Royal Palace was much more than a royal residence: here, in 1758, one of the oldest archeological museum in Europe was founded, the Herculanense Museum, celebrated by Goethe as “the alpha and omega of every ancient art collection.”

Since 1872, the Royal Palace has housed the Royal Superior School of Agriculture; today, the Royal Palace preserves a unique heritage, where science, history and landscape merge in an extraordinary manner. The visitor route extends trough the fascinating Royal Apartments – from the Guards’ Room, with the allegory of Truth Unveiled by Time, to the elegant Chinese Room, which once served as a puppet theatre for the youngest royals – and culminates in the scientific collections of the ancient Agricultural School and the Botanical Garden, including its precious succulents’ greenhouses.

In order to fully appreciate this extraordinary site’s complexity and value, the MUSA offers guided tours which lead visitors on a fascinating trip through archeology, botanical sciences and the memories of the Bourbon family: an intense cultural experience, immersed in one Campania’s most evocative settings.