Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory (Real Fabbrica di Capodimonte)

It was founded by Charles of Bourbon in the new climate of development and patronage of all the fine arts to which the sovereign gave rise during his reign. The decisive impulse for the start-up of the manufactory was undoubtedly Charles’ marriage to Maria Amalia Valpurga, daughter of Frederick II of Saxony and thus granddaughter of the founder of the Meissen manufactory. Desirous of owning a porcelain manufactory, the sovereign entrusted the task to Livio Vittorio Schepers, a goldsmith born in Florence, assisted by his son Gaetano. They were responsible for the creation of the splendid milky-white paste, translucent and full-bodied but, at the same time, transparent and with a plasticity superior to all other types of paste, due to the lack of kaolin: this was remedied by combining various clays that generated a particular mixture that was particularly ductile and malleable. The results of this work were immediately extremely satisfactory, so much so that in 1743, Charles of Bourbon commissioned the architect Ferdinando Sanfelice to construct a building in the Capodimonte woods to house the factory, which was named the Real Fabbrica di Capodimonte. During the same period, a shop was also opened for sale near the church of San Ferdinando and in front of the palace square.
In 1759 Charles was appointed King of Spain with the name of Charles III and his departure from the Kingdom of Naples marked the end of the Real Fabbrica Capodimonte, leaving an indelible mark on the history of porcelain and art.