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Once crossed the huge gate, you enter the large Floridiana park; it is divided in winding paths; there are cypress-trees, pine-trees, holm oaks,citron-trees, plane-trees and blooming cammelias.
Turning left in the middle of the main path, you go up to the pretty open Theater. Going down in the path you will see the villa; on the building back you will find an esplanade; from the left terrace you can admire an enchanting view of Naples, its Gulf, the island of Capri. The small fountain brightens the esplanade.
The villa Floridiana was made by Antonio Piccolini between 1817 and 1819 according to the will of king Ferdinando I who gave it as a present to his morganatic wife Lucia Migliaccio Partanna, duchess of Floridia.
The style of this building is from the neoclassical Pompeii period; it is the seat of the Ceramics Museum "Duca di Martina". This museum has first of all a rich collection of ceramics, but also of majolicas from the best European factories, from Chine and Japan. There is also a collection of minor arts. In the second half of Nineteenth century this collection was started by don Placido di Sangro, duca di Martina. He was a lover of "applied arts" and after a stay in Paris he came back to Naples. He was among those who revalued the minor arts, rediscovered after the huge universal exhibitions organized in the second half of Nineteenth century.
Don Placido di Sangro collected in his villa valuable and different works representing almost all the minor arts: corals, enamels, avories, leather goods, glasses, bronzes, snuff-boxes and many ceramics and majolicas.
His nephew Placido di Sangro, earl de Marzi, donated the collection to the city; the Museo del Duca di Martina belongs to Naples from 1911 and the Floridiana park was aquired in 1919 by the Italian State. The State wanted the villa to become the permanent seat of the ceramics collection in the 20ies.