BEST CHURCHES ITINERARY IN NAPLES + AIRBNB STAY/OLD TOWN ⭐🏺🛕💀
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- The historic centre of Naples is also a UNESCO world heritage site. In fact, due to its plethora of churches, it is known as the city of 500 domes.
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SAN SEVERO CHAPEL and THE VEILED CHRIST, 16th
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- TIP : pre-book On-line ticket offcial website : https://www.museosansevero.it/acquista-il-ticket
- Audio Guide or Official tour Guide
- Best times to visit : the quieter early morning or late afternoon
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- Address : Via Francesco de Sanctis, 19/21, 80134 Napoli NA
- Opening times : Daily: 9.00 am – 7.00 pm / Closed on Tuesdays
Last entry 30 mins before closing
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- Located in the heart of the historic center of Naples, near Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, the Sansevero Chapel, also called "Santa Maria della Pietà " or "Pietatella", with its Veiled Christ, is a priceless art masterpiece.
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But it is impossible to speak about it without mentioning its creator: Raimondo di Sangro, prince of Sansevero. A person with a eclectic personality, who was, among other things, inventor, esoteric, alchemist, patron and grand master of Neapolitan Freemasonry.
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In fact, although the origin of the chapel dates back to the early 1600s after a legendary appearance of the Virgin Mary image, there is little left of the original structure. Raimondo di Sangro in the 1740s completely reorganized the Chapel with new and personal criteria, giving it the appearance we see today.
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With the aim of making this mausoleum worthy of his family greatness, he hired the most renowned painters and sculptors of the time in order to enrich it with works of great value. Each of them had to perform a specific function in the iconographic project he imagined and probably unknown to the artists themselves.
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AN EXTRAORDINARY MASTERPIECE : THE VEILED CHRIST
In this context one of the world's greatest sculptural masterpieces was born: the Veiled Christ realized by Giuseppe Sanmartino.
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Just think that Antonio Canova, one of the greatest exponents of the sculpture, declared that he would have given ten years of his life just to be the author of this piece and it seems that he also tried to buy it during a visit to Naples.
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The work represents the dead Christ, life-size, lying on a marble mattress, covered with a veil made from the same block as the statue, which covers the body without concealing it. The sculptor's skill lies precisely in the realization of the veil which reveals the signs of the suffered martyrdom, transmitting us and intensifying the pain.
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This masterful realization of the veil, such as to seem real, fomented the legend according to which it was a true veil "marbled" following an alchemical process, thanks to the magical knowledge of the Prince of Sansevero. It is also said that Raimondo di Sangro blinded Sanmartino so that he could not reproduce similar masterpieces for other people. Obviously these are only popular legends, among the many that centre on the Prince of Sansevero.
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BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA DELLA SANITA' 17th , AND THE CATACOMBS OF SAN GAUDISO AND SAN GENNARO 4th and 5th century AD
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TIP : Free entry , same entrance with the catacombs .
Catacombs ticket on the spot or pre-book on line with one ticket you can vist both catcombs ( San gaudioso + San Gennaro)
Address : Piazza Sanità, 33, 80136 Napoli NA
Churc Opening times : 10:00 to 13:00
Catacombs Opening times : 10 :00 to 17 : 00
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The Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità was erected in 1600 on the site of the catacombs of San Gaudioso. It was dedicated to Santa Maria, but it is also known as San Vincenzo Sanctuary Church as it houses the statue of the Holy Spanish Dominican Vincenzo Ferreri, known as’ O Munacone. The church contains numerous testimonies of manieristic, classicist and baroque style , and is famous for the majestic staircase leading to the apse where the sculpture of the “Madonna della Sanità” by Michelangelo Naccherino is placed; below the presbytery, the entrance to the early Christian basilica opens. It contains many works by Luca Giordano and Andrea Vaccaro.
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CATACOMBS OF SAN GAUDISO AND SAN GENNARO
Just below the Churc of Santa Maria alla Sanità lie thousands of years of Neapolitan history! Originally housing the remains of the Tunisian bishop Saint Gaudiosus, these sacred tombs were expanded to make room for nobles and high-ranking Christian figures over the centuries.
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CERTOSA DI SAN MARTINO 14th
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TIP : ticket on the spot ( not crowded)
Address : Largo S. Martino, 5, 80129 Napoli NA
Opening times : 9: 30-17: 00
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The Church of San Martino is located inside the Certosa homonymous, erected in 1325 by Carlo D’Angiò. The sovereign wanted it in a dominant position of the city, which is why it rises on the hill overlooking the whole Gulf of Naples. The complex has undergone remodeling and extensions in Baroque style, to the point that today the Certosa is one of the greatest examples of Neapolitan painting and sculpture of the sixteenth century. The church is made up of a single nave with eight side chapels, covered with precious marble tarsie. The vault, which retains the early 14th century structure, is redone by Giovanni Lanfranco in 1637 and depicts the Ascension of Christ in a glory of golden light . In the chorus, large canvases on the walls are commissioned to the greatest artists of the seventeenth century: Guido Reni , Massimo Stanzione, Jusepe de Ribera , Battistello Caracciolo. In the monumental sacristy, the precious walnut cabinets were made by Flemish and Neapolitan artists.
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BASILICA DI SAN LORENZO MAGGIORE 13th AND THE RUINS OF THE GREEK/ROMAN CITY 6th century AD ( AGORA'/FORUM OF THE ANCIENT CITY )
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TIP : below the church visit the ancient GREEK/ROMAN MACELLUM
Ticket on the spot (free entry only for the church)
advisable audioguide or tourguide (on the spot)
Link to the Greek/roman city below : https://www.laneapolissotterrata.it/
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Address : Piazza San Gaetano, 316, 80138 Napoli NA
Opening times : 9:30-17:30
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The Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore is located in Piazza San Gaetano, in the heart of the ancient city center where the extraordinary Naples undergrounds tour starts as well LA NAPOLI SOTTERRATA (do not mistake with NAPOLI SOTTERRANEA). It's an architectural jewel of inestimable importance, the result of the stratification of three different epochs: the greek one, the roman one and finally the medieval one. It was built in 1270, on the remains of an early Christian church from the 6th century AD, by the the monarch Carlo I D’Angiò, according to the unmistakable French Gothic style (visible in the spectacular circular apse ), mixed with the Franciscan one. It was in this basilica that the italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio met his beloved “Fiammetta” for the first time, exactly in 1334, during the mass of Holy Saturday took place.
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CHURCH OF GESU' NUOVO 16th
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TIP : free entry inside
- The church is the final resting place of much-loved local saint Giuseppe Moscati (1880–1927), a doctor who served the city's poor. Many devotees visit this church to ask for healing and any kind of grace to the Saint "healing" doctor
- Discover the esoteric legend of the church's facade......
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Address : Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, 2, 80134 Napoli NA
Opening Hours :
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In the Gesù Nuovo Square , behind the facade of black stone of the Renaissance Palace Sanseverino , you can find the amazing Church of Gesù Nuovo. The Church was built by the Jesuits and inaugurated in 1597 ; it boats the highest concentrations of painting and baroque sculpture of the most influential artists of the neapolitan school . Among the rich marble decorations, frescoes and paintings, the interior features, among others, works by Ribera , Fanzago and Giordano
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CHURCH OF SAN DOMENICO MAGGIORE 13th
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Address : P.za S. Domenico Maggiore, 8a, 80134 Napoli NA
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Opening hours : 9:00 - 18:00 free entry
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Located on the square of the same name in the heart of the old town, it was built by Carlo d’Angiò between 1283 and 1324 in Gothic forms , incorporating a pre-existing church from the 10th century BC. It is considered the most important place for the spread of dominican order in southern Italy and hada long tradition ofcollaboration with illustrious personalities, such as Tommaso D’Aquino , Giordano Bruno and Tommaso Campanella . Over the centuries, it has been restored several times, but the most important remake was operated by Vaccaro who transformed its original Gothic forms into Baroque . The church is full of works of art, in particular, the seventeenth-century major altar work of Fanzago and the canvases of Solimena and De Vivo .
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CHURCH OF SAN GREGORIO ARMENO 17th
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TIP : inside the church the remains of Santa Patrizia she performs the miracle of blood liquefaction every week , Saint Patrizia, who died a virgin, is venerated as the patron saint of single ladies. Women seeking life mates, flock to Saint Patrizia’s relics to pray for love and marriage.
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Address : Via S. Gregorio Armeno, 24
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Opening hours : 9 :00 - 12 :00 - free entry
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The Church of St.Gregory of Armenia, also known as the Church of Santa Patrizia the patroness of Naples ( she is the second patron of naples after san Gennaro ), is a wonderful example of Neapolitan Baroque. The complex is situated above the ruins of a sanctuary dedicated to goddess Cerere. It was founded in the eighth century by the nuns of San Basilio fleeing the East with part of the relics of St. Gregory, patriarch of Armenia. Inside the building was also brought to the nineteenth century the body of Saint Patrizia , considered a descendant of Emperor Constantine. Along with the well-known miracle of St. Gennaro, Santa Patrizia also performs the miracle of the blood liquefaction , it occurres every tuesday and every August 25
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The street of the same name, Via San Gregorio Armeno, is also known for being the center of the art of the Neapolitan nativity scene, with the artisans' workshops open and active all year round.
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BASILICA DI SANTA CHIARA 14th
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Address : Via Santa Chiara, 49/c, 80134 Napoli NA
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TIP : Inside the complex you must visit th ancient cloister "maiolicato" + the archeological remains of a Roma spa + the museum + the nativity scene ( presepe)
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Ticket on the spot - you can visit the cloister of clarisse + museum + roman spa remains ( not crowded)
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Opening hours : 7: 30-12: 30/16: 00-19: 45 free entry only for the church
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The monumental complex of Santa Chiara was built from 1310 to 1340 by the monarch Roberto D’Angiò and located in the heart of the historic center of Naples. The original Gothic plant followed a Baroque renovation in the 17th century, until it was almost completely destroyed by the bombings of the allies during the Second World War. Then the basilica was restored in its original Gothic form. The interior strikes for its vastness and simplicity; inside the building you could also find the tomb of King Roberto and the tomb of the national italian hero Salvo d’Acquisto. More over in the Basilica you could visit a priceless treasure: the cloister of the Clarisse, designed by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro and decorated with eighteenth century majolica by Giuseppe and Donato Massa.
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NAPLES CATHEDRAL 13 th ( DUOMO DI NAPOLI )
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Address : Via Duomo, 147, 80138 Napoli NA
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TIP : Must visit inside : THE CHAPEL OF SAN GENNARO + THE BASILICA OF SANTA RESTITUTA (the most ancient church in the city from the early Christian era), which today is incorporated inside the Cathedral. It was built in the 7th century AD. on the remains of a temple of Apollo , outsdie the churc a "must visit" is THE TREASURE OF SAN GENNARO ( the building flanks the church, ticket on the spot )
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Opening hours : 8:30-12:30/16:30-19:00 everyday ,free entry for the cathedral
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The Cathedral was built under the Anjou in 1200, on the remains of the ancient temple dedicated to God Apollo, but reworked over the centuries, to become one of the most important churches in the city. The Naples Cathedral is the result of the overlapping of three different styles: the pure Gothic style of the 13th century, the 17th-century Baroque and the 19th-century neo-Gothic (evident by the imposing white marble facade ). Inside the building you can find treasures well known all over the world, such as the famous byzantine mosaic entirely conceived and made up of gold and the wonderful paintings by Luca Giordano. The main attraction is the crypt of St. Gennaro, the patron saint of the city, where we find the skull of the saint and the ampoule that encloses his blood, the object of the “miracle” of liquefaction. The primacy is attributed to the basilica of Santa Restituta, from the early Christian era, which today is incorporated inside the Cathedral. It was built in the 7th century AD. on the remains of a temple of Apollo.
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CHURCH OF SANT'ANNA DEI LOMBARDI 15th ( The 'Little Sistine Chapel' of Naples and the Giorgio Vasari's Sacristy)
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ADRRESS : Piazza Monteoliveto, 4, 80134 Napoli NA
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TIP : must visit inside : the lamentation of the dead christ + the cherub by michelangelo buonarroti + the hypogeum
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Opening hours : mon/sat 9 : 30 - 18 : 30 - Sunday 12 : 30 - 17 30 free entry
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Ticket : On the spot ( not crowded)
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Sant'Anna dei Lombardi is an authentic 'hidden gem' of Neapolitan art. It is truly difficult to find such Renaissance jewel in the city, even more vaguely in the whole of Campania. The most majestic example at our disposal resides in the church's Sacristy, frescoed by the artistic-literary genius of Giorgio Vasari in 1545. The sublime mind of the artist from Arezzo renewed the room by remodelling the medieval architecture that characterised that room. By stuccoing the vaults, Vasari thus created a pictorial cycle divided into three bays, each corresponding to a precise iconographic programme.
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In the composition of the Sagrestia, Giorgio Vasari was strongly inspired by Michelangelo, he who was always a great admirer of his. In fact, the final product is also referred to as the 'little Sistine Chapel', because the inspiration was precisely taken from that masterpiece. The vault thus became a fantastic, outstretched celestial sphere, where the 48 tolemaic constellations alternating with personifications of virtues were depicted. The theme of the entrance vault is that of Religion, while in the central octagon is that of Eternity; in the third bay is that of Faith. Vasari's Sacristy represents as best it could the harmony of the Renaissance style, where elegance and balance come together.
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THE SYMBOLIC SCULPTURE OF SANT'ANNA DEI LOMBARDI THE LAMENTATION OVER THE DEAD CHRIST
- Another symbol of Renaissance art in the Monumental Complex of Sant'Anna dei Lombardi is The Lamentation over the Dead Christ. We are talking about a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture, a work created by the Modenese artist Guido Mazzoni in 1492. Mazzoni, a true master in working with terracotta, rendered the scene with a unique realism, giving extreme emphasis to the details. We find evidence of this in the rendering of the expressiveness of the faces, where the suffering is vivid, manifested between cries of pain and fainting, almost as if to hold back tears. The centrepiece of the scene is the body of Christ being deposed from the cross. Around him we find the following figures, thus forming a semicircle around him: Joseph of Arimathea, Magdalene, Mary of Salome holding the Virgin Mary, John the Evangelist, Mary of Cleophas and Nicodemus.
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Modanino, as Guido Mazzoni was also called, made the Lamentation of Christ one of his masterpieces ; in fact, there were many of his realisations of this type, including those in Busseto, Ferrara and Venice. The uniqueness of the sculpture of St. Anne of Lombardi lies in the personification of the Spanish royals within the work. Indeed, the faces of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus actually conceal the features of Ferdinand I and his son Alfonso of Aragon. In short, an impressive realism behind which are hidden really curious historical anecdotes.
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THERE'S A MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI TOO IN SANT'ANNA DEI LOMBARDI
- The magical aura of the Church of Sant'Anna dei Lombardi cannot leave one indifferent, from the moment one enters . Above all, the Correale Chapel, also clearly of Tuscan Renaissance style, has a great visual impact. It is a cubic space whose history is made famous by Benedetto da Maiano, who created the marble altarpiece depicting the Annunciation between Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist together with busts of Sybils, Tiburtina and Delfica specifically. Among the various sculptures in this chapel, a cherub positioned high up to the right of the altar, with his lively, bright gaze, definitely get the scene.
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This little putto, so naughty and clever, has even been attributed to Michelangelo Buonarroti, for what was one of his earliest works. It is studies from the last century that have reconstructed such a noble and important attribution. Michelangelo, then aged 14, was most probably a pupil at the workshop of Benedetto da Maiano, which was an authentic institution in Florence at the time. Hence his early works, including this cherub. It must be said that this is not an official attribution, but only one of style, since Michelangelo's style is almost identical to that expressed in this sculpture. So, if we needed another reason to make Sant'Anna dei Lombardi one of the most important churches in Naples, we now have it.
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THE SECRETS OF THE HYPOGEUM : THE PLACE OF EXPIATION AND BURIAL OF THE DEAD
- Another part of the Sant'Anna dei Lombardi Monumental Complex that is rich in fascination and mystery is the Hypogeum, also known as the Crypt of the Abbots. A hypogeum, in the most generic sense of the term, was conceived as an underground construction that could have many uses and purposes. It could have been designed for hydraulic works, military purposes, but above all for religious purposes. And this is precisely the case with the hypogeum of Sant'Anna dei Lombardi, since its main function was precisely that of expiation and burial of the dead.
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There is a large number of drains in the chamber, and it is precisely in this way that the technique of burying the dead was perfected. As mentioned, not only buried, the dead also received atonement for their sins. Recently, the Crypt of the Abbots was chosen as the place to keep the remains safe from the demolition of the church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini in Naples. The latter also contains the remains of Bernardo Tanucci, trusted man to the royals Charles of Bourbon and Ferdinand IV.
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CHAPEL OF PIO MONTE DELLA MISERICORDIA ( caravaggio ,seven act of mercy) 17th
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TIP : take an audioguide , inside : CARAVAGGIO MASTERPIECE Le sette opere di Misericordia (The Seven Acts of Mercy). Considered by many to be the most important painting in Naples, you'll find it above the main altar in the ground-floor chapel.
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ticket : on the spot ( not crowded)
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Address : Via dei Tribunali, 253, 80139 Napoli NA
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Opening hours : mon/sat 10 :00 - 18 :00 - Sun 9 : 00 - 14 30
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The 1st-floor gallery of this octagonal, 17th-century church delivers a satisfying, digestible collection of Renaissance and baroque art, including works by Francesco de Mura, Jusepe de Ribera, Andrea Vaccaro and Paul van Somer. It's also home to contemporary artworks by Italian and foreign artists, each inspired by Caravaggio's masterpiece Le sette opere di Misericordia (The Seven Acts of Mercy). Considered by many to be the most important painting in Naples, you'll find it above the main altar in the ground-floor chapel.
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Magnificently demonstrating the artist's chiaroscuro style, which had a revolutionary impact in Naples, Le sette opere di Misericordia was considered unique in its ability to illustrate the various acts in one seamlessly choreographed scene. Pio Monte della Misericordia's archives are home to the Declaratoria del 14 Ottobre 1607, an original church document acknowledging payment of 400 ducats to Caravaggio for the painting. A photocopy of the document is on display in the 1st-floor gallery, where you can also view the painting from the gallery's Sala del Coretto (Coretto Room).
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On the opposite side of the street stands the Guglia di San Gennaro. Dating back to 1636, with stonework by Cosimo Fanzago and a bronze statue by Tommaso Montani, the obelisk is a soaring grazie (thank you) to the city's patron saint for protecting Naples from the 1631 eruption of Mt Vesuvius.
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My last TIPS
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