Santa Maria Egiziaca a Forcella (or church of Santa Maria Egiziaca all'Olmo) is a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

-style,

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church located in the quartiere di Forcella, in the city of

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;

History

The church was founded in 1342 under the patronage of Queen

Sancha of Aragon Sancha of Aragon (1478 in Gaeta – 1506 in Naples), or Sancia of Aragon, was an illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples and his mistress Trogia Gazzela. In 1494, she was married to Gioffre Borgia, youngest son of Pope Alexander VI. U ...

. The queen and her husband were very devout; and Sancha herself entered a monastery of the Poor Clares after her husband's death. The church and attached buildings served as a Madgalen asylum, meant to shelter ''donne di mondo convertite'' (prostitutes). The titular saint,

Mary of Egypt Mary of Egypt ( cop, Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ Ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ; ; c. 344 – c. 421) is an Egyptian saint, highly venerated as a Desert Mother in the Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Churches. The Catholic Church commemorates her a ...

, had history of repenting a life of lust and prostitution, and converting herself into a saintly hermit. The function of the convent as a ''home for fallen women'' was later pursued mostly by Santa Maria Maddalena, and this church became attached to a small nunnery for aristocratic women. The church underwent reconstructions in 1500 by

Gabriele d'Agnolo Gabriele Agnolo, also known as ''Gabriele d'Angelo'' (died 1510) was an Italian architect active in Naples in the early-Renaissance manner. He was born in Naples, and followed in the style of the contemporaries, Novello da San Lucano and Giovann ...

, and in 1684 by

Dionisio Lazzari Dionisio Lazzari (17 October 1617 – 9 August 1689) was an Italian sculptor and architect. He was born in Naples in 1617, the son of Jacopo Lazzari and Caterina Papini. Jacopo was born in Florence, and his and Dionisio's work shows Tuscan i ...

. The latter reconstruction gave the church its present Baroque appearance. The original facade faced the piazza dell'Olmo, and it is also sometimes named with the suffix ''all'Olmo''.

Interior

Chiesa di Santa Maria Egiziaca a Forcella (Naples) 002

The interior is decorated with polychrome marble by

Nicola Tagliacozzi Canale Nicola Tagliacozzi Canale (Naples, 1691 – Naples, 1764) was an Italian architect, engineer, engraver, and scenic designer of the Rococo period in Naples, Italy. He was influenced by his contemporaries Domenico Antonio Vaccaro and Ferdinando Sanfel ...

. The presbytery displays paintings by

Paolo de Maio Paolo de Maio or Paolo de Majo (15 January 1703 – 20 April 1784) was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque or Rococo period. Biography Paolo de Maio was born in Marcianise, province of Caserta, in the region of Campania. His brother Ludovi ...

. The elaborate main altar (1713) was completed by Gennaro Ragozzino, and hosts an altarpiece depicting ''First communion of Santa Maria Egiziaca'' (1696) 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 ...

. Flanking the altar are paintings depicting ''The Conversion'' and ''Flight from Egypt'', by Luca Giordano. The second chapel on the right has an altarpiece depicting ''Virgin of the Rosary and Saints'' by

Fabrizio Santafede Fabrizio Santafede or Fabrizio Santaféde (c. 1560–1623/28) was an Italian painter known for his altarpieces. He painted in a style that rejected the Mannerism popular in the Naples of his time and evident in the works of Francesco Curia. Lif ...

. The third chapel of the right has two canvases:''Madonna and Saints Angelo and Clare Montefalco'' and ''Saints Cajetan and Francis'' by

Francesco Solimena Francesco Solimena (4 October 1657 – 3 April 1747) was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen. Biography Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino in the province of ...

. One chapel housed an altarpiece of ''Mary and St Anne with Angels crowning the Virgin Mary'' attributed to Giordano.Catalani, page 179. Among the other works in the church are ''Madonna with Saints Augustine and Monica'' by Solimena, an ''Immaculate Conception'' by

Ferrante Amendola Ferrante Amendola (1664-1724) was an Italian historical painter, active in Naples. Biography He studied under Francesco Solimena, in whose style he painted for some time, but afterwards imitated that of Luca Giordano. He painted many works at Napl ...

(pupil of Solimena), a ''Young Virgin Mary'' by

Paolo de Matteis Paolo de Matteis (also known as ''Paolo de' Matteis''; 9 February 1662 – 26 January 1728) was an Italian painter. Biography He was born in Piano Vetrale, a hamlet of Orria, in the current Province of Salerno, and died in Naples. He trained wit ...

, and a ''San Nicola'' by

Giacomo Farelli Giacomo Farelli (1629 in Naples – 26 June 1706) was an Italian painter active in Naples. Biography He trained under Andrea Vaccaro, whose style he at first followed, but he afterwards imitated with more success that of Guido Reni and Luca Gio ...

. Naples has another church dedicated to Santa Maria Egiziaca (Saint

who died in the fourth century) on a hill of Pizzofalcone, which has the name of the church is

Santa Maria Egiziaca a Pizzofalcone Santa Maria Egiziaca a Pizzofalcone is a Baroque-style, Roman Catholic, Basilica church on the street of the titular name in the hill of Pizzofalcone, in the historic center of Naples, region of Campania, Italy. The church layout was initially des ...

References

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.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Egiziaca a Forcella, Naples Churches in Naples Baroque architecture in Naples Egiziaca a Forcella Roman Catholic churches completed in 1683 1683 establishments in Italy