Pietrarsa Museum celebrates 187 years of the Naples-Portici railway

The Pietrarsa National Railway Museum is hosting celebrations to mark the 187th anniversary of the Naples-Portici railway, the first railway line in the Italian peninsula. Inaugurated on October 3, 1839, in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the line spanned just over seven kilometers and was made possible by engineer Pierre-Joseph Bayard de la Vingtrie.

To commemorate the event, the museum is offering special programming, including a symbolic entry fee of 3 euros for visitors. Highlights include the ‘Pietrarsa Express,’ which uses 1930s ‘Centoporte’ carriages, and a multimedia ‘Virtual Journey’ designed to recreate the experience of the original 1839 trip. The museum will also feature historical exhibits such as the E. 551. 001 steam locomotive and the restored Cesa De Marchi railway model.