The Church of San Ferdinando is a historic church located on the Piazza Triesti e Trento, near the

Royal Palace of Naples The Royal Palace of Naples () is a historic building located in Piazza del Plebiscito, in the historic center of Naples, Italy. Although the main entrance is located in this square, there are other accesses to the complex, which also includes th ...

, in central

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 ...

, Italy.

History

The original church at the site was dedicated by the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

to Saint

Francis Xavier Francis Xavier, Jesuits, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; ; ; ; ; ; 7 April 15063 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Kingdom of Navarre, Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus ...

, and was built in 1636. Reconstruction in mid 1650s was entrusted to

Cosimo Fanzago Cosimo Fanzago (Clusone, 12 October 1591 – Napoli, 13 February 1678) was an Italian architect and sculptor, generally considered the greatest such artist of the Baroque period in Naples, Italy. Biography Early life and education Fanzago was ...

. In 1767, with the expulsion of the Jesuits from the realm, the church was granted to the

Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (; ), also historically referred to as the Imperial Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Order of the Constantinian Angelic Knights of Saint George, is a dynastic order of knighthood ...

who dedicated the church to Saint

Ferdinand III of Castile Ferdinand III (; 1199/120130 May 1252), called the Saint (''el Santo''), was King of Castile from 1217 and King of León from 1230 as well as King of Galicia from 1231. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berengaria of Castile. Through his ...

, the patron saint of the reigning king of Naples Ferdinand IV. The vault has a fresco with the story of Saint Francis Xavier and other Jesuits by

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

. The church contains statues by

Domenico Antonio Vaccaro Domenico Antonio Vaccaro (June 3, 1678 – June 13, 1745) was an Italian painter, sculptor and architect. He created many important sculptural and architectural projects in Naples. His later works are executed in an individualistic Rococo s ...

and

Giuseppe Sanmartino Giuseppe Sanmartino or Sammartino (1720 – 1793) was a prominent Italian sculptor in Naples during the late Baroque period who focused on religious sculptures. His most famous work is the '' Veiled Christ'' (1753) in Sansevero Chapel in Naple ...

. The main altarpiece is a canvas depicting ''San Ferdinando'' by Federico Maldarelli.Comune of Naples
entry on church.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdinando Naples 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Churches in Naples Baroque church buildings in Naples 1636 establishments in Italy Religious organizations established in the 1660s Roman Catholic churches completed in 1759 1759 establishments in Italy

History

See also

References

External links