NAPLES: IN THE SHADOWS OF THE VOLCANOES authored by HRH Princess Beatrice of Bourbon Two Sicilies and published by the great house of Rizzoli is a masterpiece of a lavish book that captures Naples as both spectacle and spirit—a living palimpsest where every vista tells a story, and every ruin breathes with memory.

Through revolutions and restorations, the city has retained a singular vitality—its identity shaped by the Bourbon legacy, yet always reinventing itself with the rhythm of the sea and the fire of the mountain. Through the eyes of a Bourbon descendant, with this new book we are given stunning insights into the history, culture, and beauty of Naples through the city’s most prestigious palaces, private villas, and hidden cultural gems.

Beautifully illustrated with new photographs by Massimo Listri, Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of Bourbon Two Sicilies invites readers to rediscover her ancestral city through a narrative that blends history, art, and personal reflection. From its volcanic origins and classical legends to its enduring faith and ritual life, Naples emerges as a place where the sacred and the everyday coexist in a rare harmony. The reader moves through cloisters and chapels, palaces and gardens, witnessing the city’s transformation through centuries of triumph and loss. Its shadows, catacombs, and ruined splendor reveal a civilization that has faced catastrophe and renewal with grace and resilience.

We can think of no better holiday gift to give or receive.