Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE ART OF THE NEAPOLITAN PRESEPE
Christmas nativity cribs may not be exclusive to Naples, but none match the artistic brilliance of the
presepe na-
poletano
(Neapolitan nativity crib). What sets the local version apart is its incredible attention to detail, from the
lifelike miniature
prosciutti
(hams) in the tavern to the lavishly costumed
pastori
(crib figurines or sculptures) ad-
oring the newborn Christ.
For the nobility and bourgeoisie of 18th-century Naples, the
presepe
provided a convenient marriage of faith
and ego, becoming as much a symbol of wealth and good taste as a meditation on the Christmas miracle. The
finest sculptors were commissioned and the finest fabrics used. Even the royals got involved: Charles III of Bour-
bon consulted the esteemed
presepe
expert, Dominican monk Padre Rocco, on the creation of his 5000-
pastore
spectacular, still on show at the Palazzo Reale (
Click here
). Yet even this pales in comparison to the upsized Cu-
ciniello crib on display at the Certosa e Museo di San Martino, considered the world's greatest.
Centuries on, the legacy continues. The craft's epicentre is the
centro storico
(historic centre) street of
Via San
Gregorio Armeno
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
, its clutter of shops and workshops selling everything from doting don-
keys to kitsch celebrity caricatures. Serious connoisseurs, however, will point you towards the very few work-
shops that completely handcraft their
pastori
the old-fashioned way. Among the latter are
Ars Neapolitana
MAP
392 537 71 16; Via dei Tribunali 303;
10am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat, also
open 10am-6.30pm Sat & Sun late Oct-early Jan;
C55 to Via Duomo) and
La Scarabattola
MAP
081 29 17 35;
www.lascarabattola.it
;
Via dei Tribunali 50;
10am-2pm & 3.30-7.30pm
Mon-Sat;
C55 to Via Duomo), both in the
centro storico
.
Duomo
MAP
CATHEDRAL
GOOGLE MAP
( 081 44 90 97;
www.duomodinapoli.com/it/main.htm
;
Via Duomo; baptistry admission €1.50; cathedral &
baptistry 8am-12.30pm & 4.30-7pm Mon-Sat, 8am-1.30pm & 5-7.30pm Sun; C55 to Via Duomo)
Whether
you go for Giovanni Lanfranco's fresco in the Cappella di San Gennaro (Chapel of St
Janarius), the 4th-century mosaics in the baptistry, or the thrice-annual miracle of San
Gennaro, don't miss Naples' spiritual centrepiece. Sitting on the site of an ancient temple
to Neptune, the cathedral was initiated by Charles I of Anjou in 1272, consecrated in 1315
and largely destroyed in a 1456 earthquake. Copious alterations over the subsequent cen-
turies have created a melange of styles and influences.
While the neo-Gothic facade was only added in the late 19th century, the high sections
of the nave and the transept are the work of baroque overachiever Luca Giordano. Off the
left aisle, the 17th-century
Cappella di San Gennaro
(Chapel of St Januarius, also known as the
Chapel of the Treasury) was designed by Giovanni Cola di Franco and completed in 1637.
The most celebrated artists of the period worked on the chapel - Giuseppe de Ribera
painted the gripping canvas
St Gennaro Escaping the Furnace Unscathed
and Giovanni
Lanfranco created the dizzying dome fresco. Hidden away in a strongbox behind the altar
