MADRE

Museo d'arte Contemporanea Donna Regina Napoli

Nook of Naples: I was surprised to find that with the bevy of old ruins glutting the region, Neapolitans still have a love for the cutting-edge contemporary. Opened in 2005, MADRE has an incredible permanent collection of modern art by some of the 'greats': Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Olderburg, Mimmo Paladino, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Mapplethorpe. My favorite is Michelangelo Pistoletto's "Black Venus":

When I visited, the temporary exhibition space displayed Riccardo Mendoza's eerie series called "The Possessed":

MADRE has a children's area with hands-on activites. You can also wander to the far back of the museum and enter the 8th century church Santa Maria di Donnaregina Vecchia. Evening events are hosted here, making the museum a great place for all ages. For anyone visiting Naples who likes modern art, I'd definitely make this a 'must see' destination point.

Getting There: Via Settembrini 79 (near Piazza Cavour)

www.museomadre.it

Free on Mondays and closed on Tuesdays. Saturdays and Sundays open until midnight.

Metro Station Art

Nook of Naples: Named after the Neapolitan Baroque painter Salvator Rosa, this metro station is a divine place to roam. Designed by architect Alessandro Mendini, during its construction builders found an ancient Roman bridge:

From the metro station, a long escalator takes people up to a piazza where boys play soccer among robot-like science fiction characters and a copper hand displaying a sundial. The artwork by Mimmo Paladino, Riccardo Dalisi, and other modern Italian artists feature here:

Walking one block down, the Piazza Salvator Rosa has a Pulcinella in the bushes, while golden flames shoot across the face of a building, and a monument in the middle has volcano images on each side:

You can find the Salvator Rosa Metro Station on Line 1. Buon divertimento!