Hakasalmi Villa, Helsinki, Finland

Hakasalmi Villa was built in 1843 by the procurator and privy counsellor Carl Johan Walleen as a combined city and country residence. The architect was E.B. Lohrmann from Berlin. Two wings were added to the front of the main building in 1847, the north one served as a bakery and the south one as a greenhouse. The villa was surrounded by a large English garden.

The municipality of Helsinki bought Hakasalmi from Aurora Karamzin in 1896. After her death the historical museum of state was moved to the villa. Since 1911 it has been owned by Helsinki city museum. Today there are changing exhibitions. The villa itself is one of the rare empire-style buldingins still existing in Helsinki.

User Reviews

Ashlen Naiko (7 months ago)
Worth a visit due to central location - opposite the National museum... Helsinki 1960's was exhibited when i was there in Oct 2021. There was a small live concert on the 2nd floor, woman with accordion and a man playing the sample beat pad + keyboard (both very skillful). That was just awesome, could have stayed there for hours to listen to them.

Pasi Virtanen (9 months ago)
Worth a visit if you want a breather, an unexpected oasis of calm in a central location. Currently also a venue for the intimate jaZZanti -concert series of improvised music.

Kari Ingman (2 years ago)
November 2020 - Great exhibition - Helsinki 1960's - photographer Ismo Hölttö

Mikko Forsström (3 years ago)
A very nice museum.

HillaryKills (3 years ago)
Very nice area and a large lot. Not sure if this is common but we were here for a gathering and had the place rented out. A ton of space outdoors to mingle and a lot of room inside to lean back and relax or seek shelter from outdoors.

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Royal Palace of Naples

Royal Palace of Naples was one of the four residences near Naples used by the Bourbon Kings during their rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1734-1860): the others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples, and the third Portici, on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, count of Lemos. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo, Giovanni Balducci, and Belisario Corenzio. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of Assumption was not completed until 1644 by Antonio Picchiatti.

In 1734, with the arrival of Charles III of Spain to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony in 1738, Francesco De Mura and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a 'new wing' was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to Reggia of Caserta, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of Gaetano Genovese. Further additions of a Party Wing and a Belvedere were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo.

In 1922, it was decided to transfer here the contents of the National Library. The transfer of library collections was made by 1925.

The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

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