Torre del Greco, a town on the slopes of Vesuvius between Naples and Pompeii, has been the world capital of coral and cameo carving since the 18th century. At its peak, over 30,000 Torre del Greco artisans worked Mediterranean red coral and shell into cameos, necklaces, brooches, and sculptures of extraordinary delicacy. The tradition survives: workshops still operate, the Istituto Statale d'Arte trains new coral and cameo carvers, and the Museo del Corallo (inside the school) displays two centuries of masterworks — coral branch sculptures, shell cameos the size of a fingernail with portraits of impossible detail, jewelry that shows what human hands can do with natural materials and infinite patience. Naples guide →
Plan my Naples trip →The museum collection: Located inside the Istituto d'Arte (Piazza Luigi Palomba 6), the museum displays coral sculptures (religious scenes, mythological figures, portrait busts carved from single coral branches), cameos (shell and coral, 18th-20th century — the precision of the carving is breathtaking), and coral jewelry from the Grand Tour era when English and German aristocrats bought Torre del Greco coral as souvenirs. The cameo carving demonstration: When the school is in session (October-June), students demonstrate the carving process — cutting a helmet shell or piece of coral with hand tools that haven't changed in 200 years. Free entry.
Buying coral and cameos: Workshop-showrooms throughout Torre del Greco sell directly. De Simone, Rajola, Aucella: established names. A genuine hand-carved coral necklace starts at €50-100. Fine cameos: €80-500+. Be careful of mass-produced imitations — genuine hand-carved pieces have slight asymmetries and tool marks visible under magnification. If it's perfect, it's machine-made.
Address: Piazza Luigi Palomba 6, Torre del Greco. Entry: free. Hours: check with the Istituto d'Arte (variable — usually Mon-Fri 9am-1pm during school term). Getting there: Circumvesuviana train from Naples (20min) or Pompeii (15min) — Torre del Greco station. Combine with: Pompeii (15min), Herculaneum (10min), Naples (20min), Vesuvius crater hike (30min by car from Torre del Greco).