Naples took a major step forward in urban transport on 11 September 2025 with the official inauguration of Monte Sant’Angelo station on the new Line 7. The station, designed by British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor, has been more than two decades in the making.
The governor of Campania, Vincenzo De Luca, joined Kapoor for the opening ceremony, which marked the latest achievement in the city’s celebrated “art stations” programme.
Monte Sant’Angelo station was commissioned in 2003 as part of Naples’ long-running initiative to combine infrastructure with public art. Building began in earnest in 2008, but the project experienced long delays, with funding reorganised only in 2016 to resume work. Technical testing of the line between Soccavo and Monte Sant’Angelo was completed earlier this year, paving the way for the inauguration.
Architecture, Art, Myth
Kapoor’s vision for the station reflects the city’s volcanic geology and rich mythology. He has said that Naples, home to Mount Vesuvius and Dante’s legendary entrance to the Inferno, demanded a design that captured the experience of going underground. The result is a dramatic combination of architecture and sculpture.
The station has two entrances, each conceived as a monumental work of art. At the University of Naples Federico II, a vast form made of weathering Corten steel rises from the ground like a volcanic eruption. Towering nearly 19 metres high and weighing over 200 tonnes, the structure is both gateway and sculpture, designed to oxidise and shift in colour as time passes. The second entrance, at the Rione Traiano side, presents a very different aesthetic: a smooth, polished aluminium opening that sinks into the landscape, with its gleaming tubular form standing in stark contrast to the raw steel of the university side.
Inside, passengers descend into a cavernous space where rough concrete finishes evoke the feeling of a cave. Escalators and inclined lifts connect the entrances to the single underground platform, giving travellers a sense of movement through both sculpture and geology.
Operational Details and Connectivity
The Monte Sant’Angelo station forms part of Line 7, also known as the Bretella di Monte Sant’Angelo, a short but strategic stretch of rail linking the Soccavo-Circumflegrea station with the university hub. Once operational on 15 October 2025, the line will improve access to Naples’ western districts and serve thousands of students and staff at Federico II University.
Located between the districts of Soccavo and Fuorigrotta, the station includes exits both at the university and in the Rione Traiano neighbourhood. It will also connect with existing lines, such as the Circumflegrea and Cumana services, providing greater integration for commuters across the city.
Broader Urban Impact
Monte Sant’Angelo is part of the Infraflegrea project, which involves major rail and urban works in both Naples and Pozzuoli. The link includes around two kilometres of double-track tunnel, along with trench sections leading into the new station. Built by the Webuild Group, it represents one of 14 “Art Stations” developed in Naples, joining celebrated examples such as the award-winning Toledo station.
Beyond transport, the new station is also a civic landmark. For Kapoor, whose international career includes icons such as Chicago’s Cloud Gate and London’s Orbit Tower, Monte Sant’Angelo is a statement about the possibilities of public space.
