Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mausoleum of King Ladislas, soaring 18m behind the main altar. Behind it, the circular
Cappella Caracciole del Sole uplifts with its colourful 15th-century frescoes and Leonardo
da Besozzo's tomb for Giovanni Caracciolo, the ambitious lover of King Ladislas' sister
Queen Joan II of Naples.
Caracciolo's increasing political power led the queen to plot his demise and in 1432 he
was stabbed to death in the nearby Castel Capuano.
Other important works include the Cappella Caracciolo di Vico (renowned for showcas-
ing early-16th-century Roman style in southern Italy), the
Monumento Miroballo
by Tom-
maso Malvito and Jacopo dell Pila and the colourful 14th-century Cappella Somma, com-
plete with mannerist frescoes and an exquisite 16th-century altar executed by Annibale
Caccarello and Giovan Domenico d'Auria. The 18th-century double-flight staircase lead-
ing up to the church itself is the work of baroque great Ferdinando Sanfelice.
The church derives its name from its location, on the former site of an Angevin
carbon-
arius
(waste disposal and incineration site).
Laboratorio Oste
( 081 44 44 45;
www.facebook.com/LaboratorioOste
; Via dei Cristallini 138; usu-
ally 9am-6pm Mon-Fri; Piazza Cavour, Museo)
The late Annibale Oste was one of
Naples' most celebrated sculptors and designers and his workshop is now a small gallery/
archive showcasing some of his works, including whimsical light sculptures, vases, and
fantastical furniture pieces spanning 2001 to 2010. The venue, charming in itself, is now
lovingly run by his artist children, Mariasole and Vincenzo, the latter's striking contem-
porary jewellery also on display (and for sale).
Deemed a visionary by his peers, Annibale Oste breathed a sense of energy and playful-
ness into materials as diverse as bronze, steel, wood, alabaster and glass. His use of fibre-
glass in the 1970s was lauded as pioneering, and his creations - which include a storage
unit that evokes a deliciously giant chocolate block - are an extraordinary symphony of
textures, shapes and colours. Interestingly, the building's courtyard was once used for sta-
ging plays, with the workshop's office used as a changing room by local actors. Among
them was a young Totò, who would go on to become one of Italy's greatest comic film
stars.
If you plan on visiting, it's always a good idea to email or call ahead to ensure that
someone is there to let you in.
MUSEUM, GALLERY
