Palazzo dello Spagnolo

In baroque-rich Naples, even staircases can be an event and the recently restored masterpiece gracing the courtyard of the palazzo is one of the city’s showstopping best. Designed by Ferdinando Sanfelice and dating from 1738, its double-ramped, five-arched flights are a wildly theatrical affair. Indeed, the staircase is so dramatic that it features in several film classics, including Luigi Zampa’s Processo alla Città (A City Stands Still) and Vittorio de Sica’s Giudizio Universal (Judgement Day). Believe it or not, horses once used the stairs, providing door-to-door service for lazy cavaliers.