Palazzo Sanfelice

Lonely Planet review

Don't be fooled by the run-of-the-mill exterior and scruffy La Sanità address. When Ferdinando Sanfelice built this pile for his family in 1726, it quickly became an avant-garde icon. The main talking point was the wildly theatrical double-ramped staircase in the second internal courtyard. From hereon, there was no stopping Sanfelice, who perfected his dramatic staircase design in various palazzi across the city. Unmissable is the one in the Palazzo dello Spagnola.

While neither of these two buildings is technically open to the public, the porter should let you through if you ask nicely. Porters generally work office hours, so avoid the early afternoon if you want to find someone there.