Museo Storico Musicale del Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella

The Museo Storico Musicale sits behind heavy wooden doors beneath the shadow of the San Pietro a Majella monastery’s vaulted ceilings. Its most distinct feature is the collection of original manuscripts from composers like Bellini and Rossini, kept in glass cases that line the quiet halls. This conservatory began in the sixteenth century as an orphanage for children to learn music. One student, Alessandro Scarlatti, stayed to direct the school, shaping the distinct Neapolitan style that defined opera for generations.