San Potito is a church in

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 ...

dedicated to

Potitus Potitus (died around 160) was an early Christian martyr, venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church on 14 January (or 13 January in the pre-2003 Roman Martyrology). Life He was born in Sardica (now Sofia, cap ...

, who was tortured to death in

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...

Ascoli Ascoli may refer to: Places in Italy *Ascoli Satriano, a town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region *Province of Ascoli Piceno, a province of the Marche region **Ascoli Piceno, a city which is the seat of the province above ...

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, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, 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, ...

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

Benedictines , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

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 , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...

, with some of them moving into the church of San Gregorio Armeno. 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 polic ...

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

, 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'', (died 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 Jus ...

'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 – 13 August 1803) was an Italian painter, active in Southern Italy in a style that mixes Rococo and Neoclassicism. Life Giacinto was born in Pozzuoli, and died in Naples. He trained in the studio of France ...

'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 and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Ear ...

'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 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 his feast day i ...

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 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 Domenico Mondo (1734 in Capodrise near Caserta – 1806 in Naples) was an Italian painter, active in both a late Baroque and Neoclassical styles. Biography He studied under Francesco Solimena. Mondo became director of the Neapolitan R ...

. Histoire et description
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References

{{coord missing, Italy Former churches in Italy Potito