San Giorgio Maggiore is a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

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

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. 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 Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...

. In 1640, a fire destroyed part of the church, and reconstruction followed plans by Cosimo Fanzago, 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. Cosimo Fanzago transferred into this church some of the granite columns from the nearby church of Santa Maria degli Angeli alle Croci. During the 18th 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 Severus is the name of various historical and fictional figures, including: ;Emperors of the Roman empire *Septimius Severus (145–211), Roman emperor from 193 to 211 (rarely known as ''Severus I.'') *Severus Caracalla (188–217), Roman emperor f ...

, 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 Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sever ...

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