You have reached the clearing where the "Toledo" stop of the metro's Line 1 is located, which is the fulcrum of the circuit of the "Naples Metro Stazioni dell'Arte", or Art Stations.
At the intersection with Via Armando Diaz you can see the modern steel statue of the Knight of Toledo by a South African sculptor. Can you see those three hexagonal structures covered with blue and ocher tiles? They are the skylight of the atrium of the station below, and offer a sample of its original underground decoration.
Even if you don't have to take the metro, I highly suggest going down there anyways to admire this masterpiece of contemporary art, a spectacular and monumental "container" of amazing installations by world famous artists. Since its inauguration in 2013, the Toledo metro stop has been a huge success not only because of its functionality, which finally allows residents to get around the Carità and Spanish Quarters without having to face the monstrous Neapolitan traffic, but also and above all for its design by a Spanish architect that has received prestigious architectural accolades.
So while admiring the two giant mosaics decorating the mezzanine and the front wall of the escalator with typical Neapolitan scenes and characters, as you descend you'll be pleasantly welcomed by the sky and cobalt blue of the impressive Sea Gallery by Bob Wilson, a work that with its themed mosaics seems like it's really taking you under the sea!
FUN FACT: number 343 of Via Toledo, where you can see the H&M store, is the eclectic Palazzo Buono that was reconstructed in an Academic style in the first half of the twentieth century, and previously had the strange name Monte dei Poveri Vergognosi, or Mount of the Shameful Poor. And do you know why it was called that? Because it was the refuge of all the poor who were ashamed to ask for alms.
Language: English