Santa Maria della Pace is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church attached to a monastery and hospital, located on

Via dei Tribunali Via dei Tribunali is a street in the old historic center of Naples, Italy. It was the main ''decumanus'' or Decumano Maggiore — that is, the main east-west street — of the ancient Greek and then Roman city of Neapolis, paralleled to the sou ...

corner with Via

Castel Capuano Castel Capuano is a castle in Naples, southern Italy. It takes its name from the fact that it was at that point in the city walls where the road led out to the city of Capua. The castle is at the southwest end of via dei Tribunali, and until re ...

, just after the piazzetta Sedil Capuano, in

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 church and the attached ''Sala del Lazzaretto'' (Hall of the

Leprosarium A leper colony, also known by #Names, many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. ''Mycobacterium leprae, M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believ ...

) were built in the 16th century. The monastic complex of ''Santa Maria della Pace'' includes the Hospital of the Order of brothers of the Hospital of San Giovanni di Dio (built 1587). The complex is arranged around a more ancient palace built by

Giovanni Caracciolo Giovanni Caracciolo, often called Sergianni (c. 1372 – 19 August 1432), was an Italian nobleman of the Kingdom of Naples, prime minister and favorite of queen Joan II of Naples. Due to his relationship with queen Joan (starting around 1416), ...

in the early 15th century (designed by

Andrea Ciccione Andrea Ciccione (1388–1455), also known as Andrea di Onofrio, Nofri, and da Firenze, was an Italian architect and sculptor of the Renaissance. He was born and died in Florence, but spent much of his career in Naples. He trained under Masuccio ...

). The

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

entrance archway is a residua of the earliest palace. Pietro De Marino designed the church (built 1629–1659); it was consecrated to ''Holy Mary of Peace'', because it was the last year of the agreed peace and truce between

Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

and

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV (, ; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the ...

. The church has a Latin cross plan. The interior was restored after the earthquake of 1732 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 ...

; by Donato Massa and decorated with

Majolica In different periods of time and in different countries, the term ''majolica'' has been used for two distinct types of pottery. Firstly, from the mid-15th century onwards, ''maiolica'' was a type of pottery reaching Italy from Spain, Majorca a ...

tiles. The apse was designed by Nicola Tagliacozzi Canale.

Sala del Lazzaretto

The Hall of the Leprosarium is entered through a grand staircase to the left of the vestibule. It was so called, because in this room of the hospital were tended individuals with

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

, the plague, and other infectious maladies. An elevated gallery runs along the sides of the walls, from which, to avoid contagion, drinks and food were handed to the patients. Frescoes by Andrea Viola and

Giacinto Diano Giacinto Diano or Diana (28 March 1731, Pozzuoli – 13 August 1803, Naples) was an Italian painter, active in Southern Italy in a style that mixes Rococo and Neoclassicism. Biography He began his training in the studio of Francesco De Mura, wh ...

are in the ceilings above the window.

Gallery

Image:Pace.jpg, Nave Image:Volta pace.jpg, Frescoed ceiling Image:Ospedale Pace.JPG, Entry to Hospital

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 Pace Naples Churches in Naples Leper colonies 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1659 Defunct hospitals in Italy 1659 establishments in Italy