Gabriele Finaldi

live like a local in

Born and raised in London by an Italian father and half-English, half-Polish mother, art historian Gabriele returned to his home city in 2015 to take up the position of director of the National Gallery, after a stint at Madrid’s Prado. Our music-loving friend has a baby grand piano in his office – and a passion for Puccini and pizza.

Gabriele's tips

Museo Nacional del Prado

Madrid

culture

This is a truly impressive collection in an even more stunning building. It's not only one of the museums you absolutely cannot miss in Madrid but a must-see globally. The museum is enormous and can be somewhat intimidating, so use one of their approachable audioguides.

The National Gallery

London

culture

This world-class address houses the greatest collection of paintings in the country. There’s Jan van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Portrait, the medieval Wilton Diptych and, in the Sainsbury Wing, a phenomenal collection of Italian Renaissance works. The exhibition programme is also wonderful. What a lot of people don’t know is that it’s open until 9pm on Fridays, so go late and then nab a table around the corner at The Portrait.

50 Kalò

Naples lunch

dinner

When in Naples, it seems only right to head to 'the master of the dough'. Three generations have helped shape this iconic spot into the place it is today so you must try their speciality: pizza topped with potato puree. Don't knock it until you've tried it!

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