The Palazzo D'Afflitto is a palace located in the San Giuseppe neighbourhood of

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, Italy, adjacent to the Palazzo Capomazza di Campolattaro. It used to belong to the princely family

d'Afflitto The d'Afflitto family is an ancient princely family originally from Amalfi, documented since the IX century, and spread throughout southern Italy. The mythical origins date back to the Roman general Placidus, who lived at the time of Trajan (I ...

. In the third floor is the recently restored Church of the Real Monte Manso di Scala, built atop the famed

Cappella Sansevero The Cappella Sansevero (also known as the Cappella Sansevero de' Sangri or Pietatella) is a chapel located on Via Francesco de Sanctis 19, just northwest of the church of San Domenico Maggiore, in the historic center of Naples, Italy. The chapel ...

. The palace was built in the 15th century but underwent numerous reconstructions.

Real Monte Manso di Scala Foundation

The Real Monte Manso di Scala Foundation originated in 1608 as a charitable institution patronized by the Marchese di Villa,

Giovanni Battista Manso Giovanni Battista Manso (1570- 28 December 1645) was an Italian aristocrat, scholar, and patron of the arts and artists. Biography Giambattista Manso was a wealthy nobleman and a prominent patron of the arts and letters in Naples during the late ...

di Scala. The aim was to support the seminary studies of poor aristocrats. Education was entrusted to the

Jesuit order , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

. For these purposes the charity acquired the present palace in 1654 from the Principe di Scanno, Girolamo d’Afflitto. Manso in 1611 was also one of the founders of a literary humanist group,

Accademia degli Oziosi The Accademia degli Oziosi (Academy of the Idle) was the most famous Neapolitan literary academies of the Renaissance. History The Accademia degli Oziosi was founded in 1611 by Giovanni Battista Manso, Marquis of Villa. The Academy was official ...

(Academy of the Idle) in Naples. He was helped in this regard by the Viceroy Don

Pedro Fernández de Castro y Andrade Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...

, to whom Miguel de Cervantes dedicated many of his works. In 1747, the charitable foundation also acquired from

Raimondo di Sangro Raimondo di Sangro, Prince of Sansevero (30 January 1710 – 22 March 1771) was an Italian nobleman, inventor, soldier, writer, scientist, alchemist and freemason best remembered for his reconstruction of the Sansevero Chapel in Naples. Early l ...

, Prince of Sansevero, the area above the

, where they built the church, based on designs of

Mario Gioffredo Mario Gaetano Gioffredo, also called the ''Neapolitan Vitruvius'' (14 May 1718 – 8 March 1785), was an Italian architect, engineer, and engraver. Biography He was born and died in Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, ...

. The palace and the seminary archive suffered pillaging during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, and was abolished in 1820, although the charitable foundation continued to exist even to today. One wing of the palace had severe damage during the second world war. The church had been closed since 1959, and suffered more damage, specially in the maiolica pavement, choir, and ceiling, during the earthquake of 1980. In 2009, the restored church was reopened, and avid to capture some of the tourism to the adjacent chapel, it has organized tours. Of note it contains an altar with statues of the Jesuit Saints Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, with a canvas of ''Madonna and child, and Saints'' by

Francesco de Mura Francesco de Mura (21 April 1696 – 19 August 1782) was an Italian painter of the late- Baroque period, active mainly in Naples and Turin. His late work reflects the style of neoclassicism. Life Francesco de Mura, also referred to as ''Fran ...

. The statue of the Immaculate Conception with putti was completed by

Nicola Ingaldi Nicola may refer to: People * Nicola (name), including a list of people with the given name or, less commonly, the surname **Nicola (artist) or Nicoleta Alexandru, singer who represented Romania at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest * Nicola people ...

. A new addition is a modern statuary group of ''Christ Unveiled'' by

Giuseppe Corcione Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. It is the most common name in Italy and is unique (97%) to it. The feminine form of the name is Giuse ...

; the statue references the ''Christ Veiled'' by

Giuseppe Sanmartino Giuseppe Sanmartino or Giuseppe Sammartino (1720 – 1793) was an Italian sculptor during the Rococo period. Sanmartino was born in Naples. His first dated (1753) work is '' Veiled Christ'' or ''Christ lying under the Shroud'', commissioned initia ...

in the Capella Sansevero.Real Monte Manso di Scala
Foundation and website.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Afflitto, naples Palaces in Naples Baroque palaces in Naples 1654 establishments in Italy