Santa Brigida is a church located on Via Santa Brigida in central Naples, Italy. The church is a few doors down from one of the entrances to the Galleria Umberto I.

History

The origins of the church date to 1609, when a local merchant Giovanni Antonio Bianco dedicated a chapel to Santa Brigida. He also built a conservatory for widows. But the work was blocked by the curia of Naples, and the structure, with the archbishop's consent, was sold to Giovanna Guevarra, and the church was able to open by 1610 under the Lucchesi fathers, which during 1637-1640 expanded the church and the convent, which now is part of

Palazzo Barbaja A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

. Because of its location near the

Castel Nuovo Castel Nuovo (; "New Castle"), often called Maschio Angioino (; "Angevin Keep"), is a medieval castle located in front of Piazza Municipio and the city hall ( Palazzo San Giacomo) in central Naples, Campania, Italy. Its scenic location and impo ...

, the Spanish authorities demanded that the church only have a low dome (9 metres), which would not have blocked the view from gunners in the Castle. The Lucchese fathers remained until their order was suppressed under the French occupation; they were reinstated during the Bourbon restoration. Ultimately they were again expelled after unification of Italy under the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

in 1862. The interior, in Latin cross with chapels, displays gran Baroque pictorial cycles: ''Glory of Santa Brigida'', ''St Nicola'', ''The Last Judgment'' and ''The Passion'', by Luca Giordano. The painter himself is buried in the church. Some of the Giordano paintings were completed by his pupil,

Giuseppe Simonelli Giuseppe Simonelli (Naples, c.1650–1710) was an Italian painter, active in a late-Baroque style. Biography Born in Naples around 1650, Simonelli was one of the most important painters of the school of Luca Giordano. His early works were often ...

. Other painters active in the church include

Massimo Stanzione Massimo Stanzione (also called Stanzioni; 1585 – 1656) was an Italian Baroque painter, mainly active in Naples, where he and his rival Jusepe de Ribera dominated the painting scene for several decades. He was primarily a painter of altarpiec ...

and Paolo De Matteis. The dome has an artificial vanishing point painted by Giordano, which makes it look more slender. The chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows has a much revered statue. The Church is the historic seat of the Military Order of the Most Holy Saviour and St. Bridget of Sweden

Bibliography

*Renato Ruotolo, ''Santa Brigida'', 1999. *Gennaro Aspreno Galante, ''Le Chiese di Napoli. Guida Sacra della Città di Napoli'', Napoli, XIX secolo. *Dario Nicolella, ''Le cupole di Napoli'', Napoli, 1997 *Francesco Ferraironi, ''Il Santuario di s. Brigida in Napoli : storia, arte, cult''o, Roma, 1931

External links

Mascioni Organ
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brigida Naples Roman Catholic churches in Naples 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1640 Baroque architecture in Naples 1640 establishments in Italy