Castel dell'Ovo has always marked the political and historical changes in the city of Naples: in 1733 it was besieged and bombed by the Bourbons, who replaced the Austrians (who had been governing Naples after the Spaniards for about thirty years, during the war for the Spanish Succession). In 1799 it was occupied by the revolutionary Jacobins and then conquered again by the cardinal Ruffo di Calabria, who guided the troops supporting the Bourbon's restoration. After the unification of Italy (and until 1963) the castle has been military centre for the Italian government. Recently Castel dell'Ovo received deep restorations that have highlighted numerous and important architectural episodes belonging to all periods along the history of Naples.

The inner and higher zone of the castle are reachable through the Norman Ramp, which is still today the main way of access. It is possible to visit only some areas of the castle, and particularly the panoramic terrace with the Catalan Loggia. The name Castel dell'Ovo (Egg's Castle) is derived from a medieval legend about the Latin poet Vergilius, at those times believed a wizard. According to this legend Vergilius, during his stay in Naples, hid a magic egg inside an amphora, which was put into an iron cage, that was hanged on the truss of a crypt under the castle: if that egg will ever have fallen and broken, this will have meant the ruin of the castle and of the entire city of Naples.