In Naples, in the heart of the Sanità district, a maison d’art with 5 designer rooms, housed inside Palazzo Giannattasio, which reminds us of the residence of a refined explorer from the late 19th century.

A blissful amazement, underlined by the contrast between the elegant apartment and the lively popular street on which the baroque noble palace is located, welcomes guests when they cross the threshold of Casa D’Anna ai Cristallini and get immersed in a classy residence whose foundation dates back to the early 1400s.

An allure that allows us to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of the ancient capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, among antique collections and original decorations, such as the 6-meter high ceiling with chestnut beams and eighteenth-century decorations or the wrought iron staircase.

I fell in love with the Sanità district and the history of the Cristallini Hypogeum, which is why I wanted to make Casa D’Anna ai Cristallini a creative hub in order to introduce these beauties to the many guests we welcome in the city.

(Alessandra Calise Martuscelli)

Via dei Cristallini has, in fact, a significant past for the city, as it was once the road that brought the royal family with their carriages to the residence of Capodimonte and was therefore dotted with splendid palaces and important artisan shops that served them, such as those of crystals, from which it takes its name.

In love with this story, about 20 years ago, the architect and artist Davide D’anna and Ken Mc Taggart, together with their friend Pierre Vercoustre, purchased the house and began the renovation works to make it their dream residence. To do so, they enriched it with objects purchased during their travels, such as collections of 19th and 20th century paintings, including the beautiful San Sebastiano by Massimo d’Orta placed at the beginning of the staircase, deco lamps, antique books and many cabinets of curiosities.

Turned into a charming B&B since 2013, in 2020 the couple decided to move but didn’t want the beauty they created to be lost. In the meantime, a miracle was happening in the building next door: Alessandra Calise Martuscelli, together with her family, had begun the laborious recovery of one of the greatest treasures of Naples, the Ipogeo dei Cristallini. Strengthened by their common love for Beauty, D’anna and Mc Taggart propose that she purchase Casa D’Anna to continue its history of high-level hospitality.

Thus, since 2020, Alessandra has been the new landlady of the splendid residence which she has continued to enrich with works of art, from the works of Piero Livio, Renato Guttuso and Lorenzo Ambrosino up to the collection of theater booklets and binoculars that betray her great passion for opera.

A magical “theatricality” that at Casa D’Anna ai Cristallini can be felt in particular in the spectacular living room with fireplace, the heart of the house, which welcomes the guest at any time of day or night with soft lights always on, an inebriating ambient scent and opera music in the background.

There are five rooms to choose from, all different and furnished with art objects, Pierre Frey fabrics, Vietri tiles, Farrow&Ball wallpapers, each with the name of a Neapolitan island: Ischia, Capri and Procida arranged along the corridor of the ground floor of the residence, and Palmarola and Nisida on the second floor, the latter once the pictorial studio of Davide D’Anna, whose allure it retains as an artist’s studio.

Breakfast is served in the romantic lounge on the first floor and is a real ritual to be enjoyed without haste, based on fresh desserts, homemade jams and yoghurt, freshly squeezed orange juice and delicious fresh fruit salads from the Sanità market.

An experience absolutely worth living in what is today the neighborhood undergoing the greatest artistic ferment in the city of Naples.

The Secret

This part of the city still preserves ancient archaeological sites dating back to the Greek and Roman periods. Thanks to the commitment of the Calise Martuscelli family, Ipogeo dei Cristallini was reopened to the public on 24 June 2022, a rare and incredible testimony of perfectly preserved Hellenistic painting and architecture that takes us back in time 2300 years.

Useful Info

Casa D’Anna ai Cristallini
Via dei Cristallini 138
80137 Napoli
Tel. +39 081 446611

Ipogeo dei Cristallini

Rooms from 200 euro, breakfast included