San Potito is a church in

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 ...

dedicated to Potitus, who was tortured to death in

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

or Ascoli in 166. It is located on the San Potito hill on via Tommaso Salvatori. It was built in the first half of the 17th century in the

Mannerist style Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it. ...

to plans by Pietro de Marino. It was intended as the monastery church for a community of

Benedictines The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...

which had initially been founded as Basilians. The monastery buildings were restored in 1780. During the French invasion of Italy the monastery's lands and goods were confiscated and the monks expelled in 1809 under

Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also ; ; ; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French Army officer and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the military titles of Marshal of the ...

, with some of them moving into the church of

San Gregorio Armeno San Gregorio Armeno ("St. Gregory the Armenian") is a church and a monastery in Naples, Italy. It is one of the most important Baroque complexes in Naples. The church is located on a street of the same name just south of Via dei Tribunali and a fe ...

. The monastery buildings were turned into infantry barracks and later

carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

barracks. The church is still deconsecrated and closed to the public. It has a single

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

with three chapels on each side. The interior is richly decorated with

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

, though its main features are its 18th-century high altar. The high altarpiece is surmounted by three paintings -

Niccolò de Simone Niccolò De Simone, also called ''Nicolò Fiammingo'', ''Lo Zet'', or ''Lopet'', (c. 1600 - c. 1677) was a Flemish painter, active during 1636–1654 in Naples, Italy. He was born in Liège. His style suggests he was in the circle or influenced by ...

's 1654 ''Saint Potitus pierced by a burning nail making the emperor Antoninus share his pain'', flanked by

Giacinto Diano Giacinto Diano or Diana (28 March 1731, Pozzuoli – 13 August 1803, Naples) was an Italian painter, active in Southern Italy in a style that mixes Rococo and Neoclassicism. Biography He began his training in the studio of Francesco De Mura, wh ...

's 1784 ''Saint Potitus felling an idol'' and ''Saint Potitus curing the madness of Antoninus' daughter Agnes''. Diano also painted a 1791 depiction of the ''Immaculate Conception'' in the third chapel on the right, whilst in the first chapel on the right is

Luca Giordano Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Early l ...

's 1663-65 ''Our Lady of the Rosary''. A 17th-century Calvary is in the first chapel on the left, the second chapel on the left has stucco depicting

Saint Cajetan Gaetano dei Conti di Thiene (6 October 1480 – 7 August 1547), known in English as Saint Cajetan ( ), was an Italian Catholic priest and religious reformer, co-founder of the Theatines. He is recognised as a saint in the Catholic Church, and hi ...

and the third chapel on the left has a painting of ''Our Lady with Saints Antony the Great and Roch'' by

Andrea Vaccaro Andrea Vaccaro (baptised on 8 May 1604 – 18 January 1670) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. Vaccaro was in his time one of the most successful painters in Naples, a city then under Spanish rule. Very successful and valued in his li ...

. The

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

contains two paintings by

Pacecco de Rosa Pacecco De Rosa (byname of Giovanni Francesco De Rosa; 17 December 1607 - 1656) was an Italian painter, active in Naples. Biography He was a contemporary of Massimo Stanzione or, according to others, a pupil of him. De Rosa was influenced by his ...

and Domenico Mondo.{{in lang, it}
Histoire et description
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References

Former churches in Italy Potito