Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Churches in the Historical Center
The archaeological museum is at the edge of the historical core of the city, an easy
launching point for visiting Naples's most venerable churches, including its main
basilica,
Il Duomo
(Via Duomo, 147;
%
081-449097).
If you're coming
from other Italian cities like Rome or Milan, you may be disappointed by its drab
neo-Gothic facade. But venture in and you'll be justly rewarded by the stunning
interior built between the 1200s and 1300s. It holds many remnants of the two
previous churches that occupied this site, including much of Naples's oldest
church, the 4th-century Basilica di Santa Restituta, which now serves as the
chapel on the right-hand side. The left-hand nave leads to the
archaeological
area
(
€
3; Mon-Fri 9am-12:30pm and 4:30-7pm, Sun 9am-1pm)
and to more
remains of the Basilica di Santa Restituta. These excavations are worth exploring
to see the ancient Greek and Roman columns that remain. Remnants of an old
Greek road will give you an idea of the level of ancient Neapolis.
Back inside the church, most of the relics have to do with San Gennaro, Naples's
patron saint. There are frescoes of the saint's life, statues of his contemporaries, and
a bust with his skull bones inside. Beside the main altar are two vials said to con-
tain his congealed blood. In May, September, and December, the Neapolitan faith-
ful (and curious tourists lucky enough to be in town for the spectacle) crowd into
the tiny Chapel of the Treasury to witness a miracle, as a vial of St. Gennaro's blood
liquefies. Legend tells us that this miracle will save Naples from disaster. It's hard
not to get caught up in the moment and even to believe the legend because the last
time the blood failed to liquefy was in 1944, when Mt. Vesuvius last erupted.
The area between the Spaccanapoli and Via dei Tribunali is rich with churches,
cloisters, and monasteries. Each has its own story to tell, though unfortunately,
not many offer any sort of explanation. If you see a nun or priest lingering around
the naves, don't be shy about asking questions. More often than not, they will
speak some English and many are happy to help if they know the answers. You
might even be lucky enough to get a quick private tour, or be let into a locked
room. On the other hand, there is just as good a chance that you'll be greeted with
an annoyed shrug.
You can wander in and out of the tiny churches and chapels in this area if
you've got the time, but definitely save time for the area's two most famous
churches that border the Piazza del Gesù (see below). And don't be put off by the
heavy police presence and the seemingly random searches they conduct on local
thugs and suspicious-looking tourists. It's not uncommon to watch as an
attempted arrest leads to a foot chase down the narrow streets by the police, so
stay alert and stay out of their way.
On the piazza, just past the permanent police barricade, is the
Gesù Nuovo
555
55
(Piazza del Gesù;
%
081-5518613).
This former 15th-century
palazzo
is now a
church with a baroque interior
full of fabulous art,
from the Cosimo Fanzago
sculptures of David and Jeremiah to the enormous 1725 fresco
Expulsion of
Heliodorus from the Temple
by Francesco Solimena. Off to the left is a room of
relics dedicated to the popular local saint Giuseppe Moscati, who tended med-
ically to the poor. The walls are lined with a bizarre collection of golden syringes
and notes of thanks offered up by the faithful who came here to ask the saint for
health. There's even a handwritten note on the left-hand side announcing when
the local vicar will let the devoted into a private sanctuary to kiss the saint's relics.
