San Giorgio Maggiore is a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

church located on the corner of Via vicaria Vecchia and Via Duomo, in central

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, Italy. The apse of the church lies diagonally across the street from San Severo al Pendino. A church at the site was built by the 4th century, and was initially known as "la severiana", after the bishop San Severo of Naples. The present name dates to the 9th century, and is dedicated to a martyred warrior in the battles against the

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

. In 1640, a fire destroyed part of the church, and reconstruction followed plans by

Cosimo Fanzago Cosimo Fanzago (Clusone, 12 October 1591 – Napoli, 13 February 1678) was an Italian architect and sculptor, generally considered the greatest such artist of the Baroque period in Naples, Italy. Biography Early life and education Fanzago was ...

, who inverted the orientation. The present church's entrance is the former apse of the primitive church. After 1694, it was rebuilt after an earthquake.

transferred into this church some of the granite columns from the nearby church of Santa Maria degli Angeli alle Croci. During the 19th century ''Risanamiento'', when certain streets in Naples were being widened, the nave on the right side of the church was eliminated to widen Via Duomo. Near the lateral door of the church is the marble seat, constructed from spolia, of St Severus, founder of the church. In the left of main altar of the church are frescoes painted by a young Solimena. The church also holds a painting in Byzantine style, a wooden crucifix from the 13th century, and the relics of St Severus. The church has canvases by Camillo Lionti and Francesco Peresi.

Bibliography

* Vincenzo Regina, ''Le chiese di Napoli. Viaggio indimenticabile attraverso la storia artistica, architettonica, letteraria, civile e spirituale della Napoli sacra'', Newton and Compton editor, Naples 2004. {{DEFAULTSORT:Giorgio Maggiore Naples Giorgio Maggiore 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Baroque architecture in Naples