Naples Things to Do

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Completed in 1678, la Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore alla Pietrasanta was designed by Cosimo Fanzago in a Baroque style. An 18th century renovation resulted in the addition of the beautiful, albeit faded, painted majolica tiled floor. Just like many churches in central Naples, this one replaced a more ancient church that dated from the 6th century AD. Its name "Pietrasanta" refers to a Holy Stone that was once kept inside. Although the actual church was completely rebuilt, its 10th century campanile (bell tower) was spared and is said to be the only early Mediaeval structure to have survived in Naples. The odd looking tower is one of the most interesting features in the church. It was built from redbrick and reinforced with numerous recycled fragments from Roman structures, including columns and carved friezes (see main photo).

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This reclining statue marks the district in Graeco-Roman Neapolis where Alexandrian merchants were headquartered. It was dedicated to the deified personification of the Nile (Nilus), a god worshipped by Ancient Egyptians, and erected in their honour. It was also a testament to the important link between the two Mediterranean cities at the time. Long after the Alexandrians departed, the statue was buried and forgotten, but it was rediscovered without its head in the 15th century and re-erected in its original location. Subsequently, the headless statue became known as il Corpo di Napoli (the body of Naples), but a century or two later, it received a new head of a bearded man, clearly not what the original sculptor had intended.

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A small Baroque church at Piazzetta Nilo, Santa Maria Assunta dei Pignatelli was commissioned by the Pignatelli family. They were of noble extraction, originally from Puglia and Sicily, and even boast Pope Innocentius XII (17th century) as their own. They built this church in the 14th century next to their namesake palazzo in central Naples, but it was renovated twice thereafter, in the 15th and 18th centuries. During these later renovations, the church gained its its Baroque façade and Renaissance details and frescoes in its interior. One of the interesting features is an exposed ancient spiral fluted column in the exterior structure, recycled from Roman times (see attached photos). The church fell into disrepair in recent times, but it when I visited in May 09, it was undergoing a much needed restoration. Still, I was able to enter and take the attached photos of the splendid interior.

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The distinctive grey and red ochre church, Chiesa Sant'Angelo a Nilo, contains one of the most important works of art in Naples from the Renaissance period: il Sepolcro del Cardinale Brancacci, the monumental marble tomb of Cardinal Rinaldo Brancaccio by Donatello, with help from Michelozzo. The church was built in 1385 by the same Cardinal, originally in a Gothic style, but it received its Baroque look during a renovation in 1709 by the architect Arcangelo Guglielmelli. Its name - "a Nilo" - refers to the small square (piazzetta) it overlooks, which is dedicated to the Ancient Egyptian god representing the River Nile, revered by Alexandrian merchants who frequented this area in antiquity.

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Designed by Domenico Fontana in the 16th century for the prominent Carafa family, this palazzo is known to have one of the most striking portals in Naples. Sculptures of two satyrs hold the family shield above the arched portal, which leads into a courtyard with a typically Neapolitan grand staircase. Flanking the portal are sculptures of sea creatures thought to be sculpted on truncated Roman columns. The portal along with other Baroque details were added to the palazzo during a 17th century renovation. Although fairly rundown these days, the palazzo still shows the grandeur it once possessed.

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Yet another monastic complex in Napoli, Monteverginella was founded by Bartolomeo di Capua in 1314 AD. The complex was originally Gothic in style but it was redesigned in the 16th-17th centuries in a Neoclassical/Renaissance style. The most notable architectural features are the church (Chiesa di Santa Maria di Monteverginella), which was completely rebuilt in the 16th century, and the arcaded rectangular cloisters (Chiostro di Monteverginella).

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Located in the courtyard of Palazzo Carafa, the Cappella del Monte di Pietà was built in the late 16th century as part of Monte di Pietà. This charitable organisation was set up in 1539 to combat usury and to help poor Neapolitans with heavy debts. It acquired the palazzo of Girolamo Carafa in 1579 and later appointed the Roman architect, Gian Battista Cavagna, to restore the building and to construct the Renaissance-style chapel. Flanking the doorway of the chapel are two sculptures by Pietro Bernini representing "la Carità" and "la Sicurezza" (charity and safety).

Frescoed from top to bottom, the Oratorio dell'Assunta is one of the most beautiful secrets of Naples. The small chapel is part of the Girolamini monastic complex, located across from il Duomo, but is probably skipped by most visitors. The actual chapel is rather simple architecturally; it consists of a single nave topped by a plain barrel vaulted ceiling with no carvings or mouldings, but the entire ceiling and walls were painted with breathtaking trompe-l'oeil frescoes that bring the chapel to life. They were drawn in the 18th century mostly by Giuseppe Funaro with a few contributions by Crescenzo Gamba. Although the frescoes in the chapel appeared fairly well preserved when I visited in May 2009, sadly there were large cracks in the ceiling, possibly from an old earthquake. Hopefully it will undergo some restoration in the near future.