Chiesa Santa Caterina a Formiello

Despite the grime, this richly decorated Renaissance church is one of Naples' most beautiful. Harmoniously proportioned and softly lit, it boasts a series of exceptional frescoes by Luigi Garzi, as well as the relics of the martyrs of Otranto. The martyrs were all killed in 1480 when Turkish invaders swept into the Puglian coastal town after a lengthy siege and vented their bloody fury by killing 800 citizens.

Dedicated to Alexandrian martyr Santa Caterina, the church was completed in 1593. For 300 years it belonged to the Dominicans, but in the 19th century they moved out and the military moved in, transforming it into a wool factory.