Art sights in Naples
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Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine
Doting mothers, political drama and the odd miracle: it’s little wonder that this veteran church plays a starring role in Neapolitan folklore. According to legend, when Conrad (Corradino) of Swabia was charged for attempting to depose Charles I of Anjou in 1268, his mother, Elisabetta di Baviera, desperately tried to collect the money required to free her son. Alas, the money arrived too late, Conrad lost his head and his grief-stricken mamma handed the cash to the church (on the condition that the Carmelite brothers prayed for him every day). They agreed, the church went up and a monument to Conrad still remains in the transept. Yet Christ’s own mother is the real prot…
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Chiesa Santa Maria del Parto
Founded by poet Jacopo Sannazzaro, this Renaissance favourite was built on land donated to him by King Frederick of Aragon in 1497. The church was completed shortly before the poet died in 1530. Sannazzaro's tomb sits behind the altar.
Created in 1537 by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, Bartolomeo Ammannati and Francesco del Taddain, it features various mythological gods, including Apollo, Minerva, Pan and Mars in a depiction of Arcadia.
Another resident icon is Leonardo da Pistoia's painting of St Michael Vanquishing the Devil, also known as the Devil of Mergellina. Tradition holds that the devil in question was a lusty local lass who'd made a move on the unwavering bishop Dio…
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Cappella Sansevero
The simple exterior of the Cappella Sansevero belies the sumptuous sculpture inside. The centrepiece is Cristo Velato (Veiled Christ), Giuseppe Sanmartino’s jaw-dropping depiction of Jesus covered by a veil so realistic that it’s tempting to try and lift it. Also intriguing is Corradini’s Pudicizia (Modesty), which is more erotic than modest. Downstairs are two meticulously preserved human arterial systems, testament to the bizarre obsession of alchemist Prince Raimondo di Sangro, the man who financed the chapel’s 18th-century makeover.
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Chiesa San Pietro a Maiella
Dedicated to hermit Pietro del Morrone, upgraded to Pope Celestine V in 1294, this church is a striking combo of 14th-century Gothic restraint and blingy baroque. The latter is exemplified by its rich wooden ceiling, featuring 10 superlative paintings by Mattia Preti. Further baroque touches are provided by Cosimo Fanzago and Massimo Stanzione, whose Madonna Appearing to Celestine V hangs in one of the side chapels on the right. Naples Conservatory – one of Italy’s finest music schools – is housed in the adjoining convent.
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Chiesa San Giovanni a Carbonara
Built on the site of an Angevin carbonarius (waste disposal and incineration site), the Chiesa San Giovanni a Carbonara is a Gothic church, chapel and cloister complex famed for its priceless booty of sculpture. Ferdinando Sanfelice’s 18th-century double-flight staircase leads up to the church, in which the colossal mausoleum of King Ladislas soars 18m behind the main altar. Fusing Renaissance and Gothic styles, it was a collaborative effort between Andrea de Firenze, Tuscan sculptors and northern Italian artists.
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Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore
Backing on to lively Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, the Gothic Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore was completed in 1324 and much favoured by the Angevin nobility. The interior, a cross between baroque and 19th-century neo-Gothic, features some fine 14th-century frescoes by Pietro Cavallini and, in the sacristy, 45 coffins of Aragon princes and other nobles.
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Chiesa Santa Maria degli Angeli
This yellow-hued baroque church was financed by Costanza Doria del Carretto, a noble lady with a deep purse and pious heart, and donated to the priests of the Teatini order.
Step inside for works by Neapolitan stalwarts Massimo Stanzione and Luca Giordano, as well as Francesco Grimaldi's famous dome.
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Chiesa di San Paolo Maggiore
Across Via dei Tribunali, a grand double staircase leads up to the Chiesa di San Paolo Maggiore, whose huge gold-stuccoed interior features paintings by Massimo Stanzione, as well as frescoes by Francesco Solimena in the exquisite sacristy.
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Chiesa di Sant’Anna dei Lombardi
Calata Trinità Maggiore leads down to Piazza Monteoliveto and the 15th-century Chiesa di Sant’Anna dei Lombardi, worth a look for its fine Renaissance sculpture, including a superb terracotta Pietà (1492) by Guido Mazzoni.
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Chiesa e Chiostro di San Gregorio Armeno
hiesa e Chiostro di San Gregorio Armeno is a blast of bombastic baroque. Highlights include sumptuous wood and papier-mâché choir stalls and lavish frescoes by Paolo de Matteis and Luca Giordano.
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Chiesa e Pinacoteca dei Girolamini
Opposite the Duomo is the entrance to the Chiesa e Pinacoteca dei Girolamini, a rich baroque church with two facades. Church opening hours vary.
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