Christianity and religion in general has always been an important part of the social and cultural life of Naples. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Naples, and the Catholic faith is highly important to the people of Naples and there are hundreds of historic churches in the city (about five hundred, 1000 in total).Giornaledellarte.com
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Cathedral of Naples The Naples Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Napoli; nap, Viscuvato 'e Napule), or Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary ( it, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, links=no), is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the main church of Naples, southern Italy, and the s ...

is the most important

place of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

in the city, each year on September 19 it hosts the ''Miracle of Saint Januarius'', the city's patron saint. In the miracle which thousands of Neapolitans flock to witness, the dried blood of Januarius is said to turn to liquid when brought close to

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

s said to be of his body: this is one of the most important traditions for Neapolitans.

Churches and their styles

The cathedral of

San Gennaro Januarius ( ; la, Ianuarius; Neapolitan and it, Gennaro), also known as , was Bishop of Benevento and is a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, lat ...

(Saint Januarius), was built under the patronage of Charles of Anjou in 1272, on the site of the ancient Stefania cathedral of the 8th century, and completed in 1341, the work of

Nicolò Pisano Nicola Pisano (also called ''Niccolò Pisano'', ''Nicola de Apulia'' or ''Nicola Pisanus''; c. 1220/1225 – c. 1284) was an Italian sculptor whose work is noted for its classical Roman sculptural style. Pisano is sometimes considered to be the ...

, Maglione, and Masuccio. The church is in

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

style with three naves; the façade, modified by the restoration of 1788, has been brought again to its original style; its principal door is a work of Babuccio Piferno (1407), while its chapel of San Restituta is said to date from the time of

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...

. The fourteen pilasters are adorned with busts of famous archbishops of Naples. In the crypt, which was built by Malvito by order of Archbishop Carafa, is venerated the body of St. Januarius, taken there from Montevergine in 1479. Of the lateral chapels, that of the Treasure is the most notable; it is there that the head of

St. Januarius Januarius ( ; la, Ianuarius; Neapolitan and it, Gennaro), also known as , was Bishop of Benevento and is a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, later ...

and the ampullæ that contain the martyr's blood are preserved. The cathedral contains the superb sepulchres of Innocent IV and of a Cardinal Minutoli. the second, a work of

Girolamo d'Auria Girolamo D'Auria (1577–1620) was an Italian sculptor, active mainly in Naples, Italy. His first name is variously used as Hieronymus, Ieronimo, Hieronimo, Jeronimo, Geronimo or Gerolamo. Girolamo's father, Giovanni Domenico D'Auria, and An ...

; also, valuable 13th-century frescos of Santafede,

Vincenzo Forti Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art * Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor *Vincenzo Bell ...

, Luca Giordano, and others, and paintings by

Giovanni di Nola Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...

, Franco, Perugino, and Domenichino. Among other churches are the church of Sant Agostino alla Zecca, which has a pulpit of the 15th century, sculptures by

Vincent d'Angelo Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists * Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

and Giovanni da Nola, and a painting by Diana (the Communion of

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...

). The church of the Santi Apostoli was completed in 1608; it houses works by Giordano,

Marco da Siena Marco Pino or Marco da Siena (1521–1583) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance and Mannerist period. Born in Costalpino and first trained in Siena, he later worked in Rome and in Naples, where he died. He was putatively a pupil of the pain ...

, Bonomini, and Dolci, the tabernacle of the high altar being the work of Caugiano. The church of San Domenico Maggiore, dating from 1255, is rich in paintings, mosaics, and sepulchres, and in the ancient monastery connected with this church is the cell of San Thomas Aquinas. The church of Donna Regina, built by Mary of Hungary, in 1300, and rebuilt by the Theatine Guarino in 1670, contains valuable paintings and frescos, and also, the tomb of the foundress. The church of San Filippo Neri, in baroque style, by

Dionisio di Bartolomeo Dionisio, a variant of Dionysius, may refer to: People Given name * Dionisio Lazzari (1617-1689), Italian sculptor and architect * Dionisio Aguado y García (1784-1849), Spanish classical guitarist and composer * Papa Isio (1846-1911), Dionisio Mag ...

(1592), contains statues by Sammartino, and both the church and the sacristy have very valuable paintings by Luca Giordano,

Camillo Guerra Camillo Guerra (Naples 21 May 1797 – 10 March 1874 Naples) was an Italian painter, active mainly in Naples, Italy. Biography Born to a family of artists; his father, however, led a crew performing excavations at Pompei. Initially his father ...

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...

, Polidoro da Caravaggio,

Spagnoletto Jusepe de Ribera (1591 – 1652) was a painter and printmaker, who along with Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and the singular Diego Velázquez, are regarded as the major artists of Spanish Baroque painting. Referring to ...

and others. The church of San Francesco di Paola (1817) is a Neoclassic imitation of the

Pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...

, with two wings that have porticos, is adorned with paintings of the 19th century. The Basilica of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli (1540) is decorated in a Renaissance style. The church of

San Giovanni a Carbonara San Giovanni a Carbonara is a Gothic church in Naples, Southern Italy. It is located at the northern end of via Carbonara, just outside what used to be the eastern wall of the old city. The name ''carbonara'' (meaning "coal-carrier") was given to ...

(1343) contains the mausoleums of King Ladislaus of Naples, and of the constable Sergianni Caracciolo, and paintings by famous artists. The church of Santa Barbara, a work of Giuliano da Maiano, has a beautiful bas-relief of the ''Madonna with angels'' over the principal entrance, and another fine bas-relief within the edifice; adjacent to the church is the cell inhabited by

Saint Francis of Paola Francis of Paola, O.M., (or: Francesco di Paola or Francis the Fire Handler; 27 March 1416 – 2 April 1507) was an Italian mendicant friar and the founder of the Roman Catholic Order of Minims. Unlike the majority of founders of men's religiou ...

. The church of Santa Chiara (1310), restored in 1752, contains the mausoleums of Robert the Wise and of other personages, and also, paintings by

Lanfranco Lanfranco (active in Modena from c. 1099 to 1110) was an Italian architect. His only known work is the Modena Cathedral. Record of his work there is in the early 13th-century manuscript ''Relatio de innovatione ecclesie sancti Gemeniani'' in the ...

, Giotto, and other artists. The church of Santa Maria del Carmine, built in the 13th century, and restored in 1769, contains the tomb of Conradin, and a statue (1847) of the tragic young medieval king designed by the Neoclassic sculptor

Thorvaldsen Thorvaldsen is a surname. People with the name include: * Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844), Danish/Icelandic sculptor * Randi Thorvaldsen (1925–2011), Norwegian speedskater * Thor Thorvaldsen (1909–1987), Norwegian Olympic sailor * Unn Thorva ...

and commissioned by then crown-prince, Maximilian II of Bavaria. The church of St. Mary of Piedigrotta, where each year, about September, popular feasts are celebrated. The church of Santa Anna of the Lombards of Monte Oliveto (1411) contains many works of art, and also the tomb of the architect Carlo Fontana. The church of

San Pietro ad Aram The Basilica of San Pietro ad Aram is a Baroque architecture, Baroque-style, Roman Catholic church in Naples, Italy. It is located about a block from the church of the Santissima Annunziata Maggiore, Naples, Santissima Annunziata on Corso Umberto ...

, so called because it contains an altar upon which St. Peter is said to have celebrated Mass. The church of Santa Maria del Parto, built by the poet Sannazaro, contains the mausoleum of its founder, a work of Fra

Giovanni Montorsoli Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli (1507 – 31 August 1563), also known as Giovann'Agnolo Montorsoli, was a Florentine sculptor and Servite friar. He is today as often remembered for his restorations of famous classical works as his original cre ...

The church of San Paolo Maggiore, built on the ruins of the ancient temple of Castor and Pollux, after the plans of the Theatin Francesco Grimaldi; the church of SS. Severinus and Sosius, which is very ancient, was restored in 1490 and in 1609. While painting the vault of this temple, the artist Correnzio, falling from the scaffolding, was killed and he lies buried at the place of his fall; other artists have also adorned this church with fine works. The church of the Most Holy Trinity, or the new

Gesù Nuovo Gesù Nuovo ( it, New Jesus) is the name of a church and a square in Naples, Italy. They are located just outside the western boundary of the historic center of the city. To the southeast of the spire, one can see a block away the Fountain of Mont ...

, an ancient palace converted into a church by the Jesuit Provedo (1584). Mention should be made, however, of the catacombs, near the church of San Gennaro degli Poveri, famous in the 2nd century, and of the new cemetery, rich in artistic monuments, among which are the ''Pietà'' by Calì in the chapel, and the statue of ''Religion'' by

Tito Angelini Tito Angelini (1806–1878) was an Italian sculptor and leader of the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, where he was born and died. Biography Fountain of the River Amenano in the Piazza del Duomo, Catania His father, Costanzo Angelini, born ...

Some churches in Naples

* Certosa di San Martino * Naples Cathedral * San Francesco di Paola *

* Girolamini * San Domenico Maggiore *

Sant'Angelo a Segno Sant'Angelo a Segno, Naples Sant’Angelo a Segno or Sant’Archangelo a Segno is a Roman Catholic church in Naples, Italy, located on Via dei Tribunali number 45. History This church recalls the apparition of St Michael, the church's patron, alo ...

* Santa Chiara * San Paolo Maggiore *

Santa Maria della Sanità, Naples The Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità is a basilica church located over the Catacombs of San Gaudioso, on a Piazza near where Via Sanità meets Via Teresa degli Scalzi, in the Rione of the Sanità, in Naples, Italy. The church is also calle ...

* Santa Maria del Carmine *

Sant'Agostino alla Zecca Sant Agostino alla Zecca, also known as Sant'Agostino Maggiore is a church in central Naples, Italy. Originally granted to the Augustinian Order, Augustinian monks by Robert I of Anjou in 1259. The church underwent extensive reconstruction in the ...

Madre del Buon Consiglio The Madre del Buon Consiglio (or Basilica dell'Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio or Maria del Buon Consiglio) (Italian: Crowned Mother of Good Counsel) is a Roman Catholic church in Naples, southern Italy. It is located on the hillside leadin ...

Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova Santa Maria Donnregina Nuova is a church in central Naples, Italy. It is called ''Nuova'' ("new") to distinguish it from the older Angevin church of Santa Maria Donna Regina Vecchia. History The earliest church was built on this location in the ...

* San Lorenzo Maggiore *

Santa Maria Donna Regina Vecchia Santa Donna Regina Vecchia is a church in Naples, in southern Italy. It is called ''Vecchia'' ("old") to distinguish it from the newer and adjacent church of Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova. The earliest mention of a church on this site is from t ...

* Santa Caterina a Formiello * Santissima Annunziata Maggiore *

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 f ...

* Santa Maria La Nova * Sant'Anna dei Lombardi *

Sant'Eligio Maggiore Sant’Eligio Maggiore is a church in Naples, southern Italy. It is located near Piazza Mercato (Market Square), and was built during the reign of Charles of Anjou by the same congregation that built the nearby Sant’Eligio hospital in 1270. It ...

* Santa Restituta * Sansevero Chapel *

San Pietro a Maiella San Pietro a Majella is a church in Naples, Italy. The term may also refer to the adjacent Naples music conservatory, which occupies the premises of the monastery that used to form a single complex with the church. The church stands at the west ...

* San Gennaro extra Moenia * San Ferdinando * Pio Monte della Misericordia *

Santa Maria di Montesanto Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria di Montesanto are two churches in Rome. They are located on the Piazza del Popolo, facing the northern gate of the Aurelian Walls, at the entrance of Via del Corso on the square. The churches are often ...

* Sant'Antonio Abate *

Santa Caterina a Chiaia Santa Caterina a Chiaia (also known as ''Santa Caterina martire'') is a Roman Catholic church located on via Santa Caterina 76 in Naples, Italy. It is located near Piazza dei Martiri in the Chiaia section of the city, near where Via Santa Cateri ...

Santissima Trinità alla Cesarea The church of the Santissima Trinità alla Cesarea (or Santa Maria del Rimedio a Salvator Rosa) is a Baroque-style church, located in Piazetta Trinità alla Cesarea, in central Naples, Italy. History The church and the convent were built by friar ...

Spires of Naples The Spires of Naples ("spire" in Italian: ''guglia''; plural, ''guglie'') are monumental columns in the historic center of the city of Naples, Italy. These '' plague columns'' were built to celebrate the end of, or deliverance from, the plague. The ...

* San Pietro Martire * Hermitage of Camaldoli * Archbishop's Palace *

Fontanelle cemetery The Fontanelle cemetery in Naples is a charnel house, an ossuary, located in a cave in the tuff hillside in the Materdei section of the city. It is associated with a chapter in the folklore of the city. By the time the Spanish moved into the cit ...

* Santa Maria Avvocata

Notes

References

;Attributions {{DEFAULTSORT:Churches In Naples