The Cathedral’s Roofs

Cappella degli Illustrissimi

The tour begins on the ground floor in the Cappella degli Illustrissimi. Originally dedicated to Saint Paul, this chapel is one of the most significant spaces in the Cathedral of Naples.

It was designed and built by Archbishop Umberto d’Ormont between 1308 and 1320 with the intention of creating a chapel for bishops of French and Lyonese origin. From an architectural and decorative standpoint, the chapel is symmetrical and parallel to the small chapel dedicated to Saint Peter, the Minutolo Chapel, reflecting the shared desire of the bishops of that time to symbolize their power and their connection to the Princes of the Apostles.

Fourteenth-century masterpieces: the Tree of Jesse and the Stories of the Passion

Two extraordinary pictorial cycles from the chapel’s original decoration survive today. The large fresco depicting the Tree of Jesse, attributed to Lello da Orvieto, spans the entire wall opposite the altar. This iconographic motif, common in Christian art from the 11th century through the Counter-Reformation, represents a schematic depiction of Christ’s genealogy beginning with Jesse, the father of King David, with the Virgin Mary symbolizing the root of Christ in this context. At the top is Jesus, sometimes on the cross, sometimes as a child, and in this case within a mandorla.

Altrettanto rilevanti all’interno di questa cappella sono le Storie della Passione di Cristo, dipinte sulla porticina laterale da cui si ha poi accesso ai tetti. L’opera trecentesca – di alta qualità pittorica e inventiva – è emersa solo nel XX secolo, sotto uno strato d’intonaco, ed è composta da quattro scene principali: Cristo schernito e spogliato; la Flagellazione; l’Andata al Calvario e la Deposizione. All’interno di quest’ultima scena, particolarmente suggestiva è la scelta della croce a forma di Y, strettamente legata a un preciso concetto teologico che vede la croce come l’Albero della Conoscenza. Lo stile dell’opera presenta una forte influenza dell’arte senese del primo Trecento e l’autore, anonimo, dimostra una notevole competenza, integrando influssi duecenteschi e le più moderne tendenze giottesche e avignonesi.

Storia celata e strutture rivelate

Hidden History and Revealed Structures

Climbing onto the rooftops through this small door grants access to parts of the Cathedral that were once hidden, such as the attic of the central nave and the remains of the 15th-century dome.

The architectural evolution is palpable here: the dome, rebuilt in 1484 at the behest of Archbishop Alessandro Carafa, immediately exhibited serious stability issues. Despite subsequent restorations, such as that by Domenico Fontana in the 16th century—featuring frescoes by Giovanni Balducci that are now almost entirely lost—the structural problems worsened due to earthquakes. For this reason, in the 18th century, a radical transformation was undertaken: the dome was replaced by a false suspended dome, covered by a truss roof and known as the 18th-century “incannucciata,” the so-called “forest” that overlooks the church’s apse. From here, it is possible to visually reconstruct the 15th-century design: a twelve-segment dome supported by external buttresses.

The historical and artistic heritage of the Neapolitan landscape

From the walkways, particularly from the apse area, a panoramic view of Naples unfolds, allowing visitors to trace its millennia-old history.

The view stretches from the sea, with Mount Vesuvius, Capri, and the Sorrento Peninsula, all the way to the hinterland. From here, you can make out the boundaries of the ancient Greek city, with its classic Hippodamian layout, bounded by Piazza Cavour to the north, Via Carbonara to the east, the sea to the south, and Piazza Bellini to the west. With the arrival of the Romans, the city expanded, becoming a center of culture and prosperity, enriched by theaters, thermal baths, and villas. The fall of the Empire led to urban contraction, characterized by a dense network of narrow streets and convents.

The golden age arrived during the Angevin and Aragonese periods, when Naples became the capital and expanded westward and southward, enriched by new castles and palaces. Under Spanish rule, growth was unstoppable, transforming the city into one of Europe’s largest metropolises. The Bourbon 18th century marked a period of great beautification: the San Carlo Theater, the Capodimonte Royal Palace, and the first grand boulevards were built. Between the 19th and 20th centuries, new neighborhoods such as Vomero and Chiaia changed the city’s face, while the 20th century saw expansion into the suburbs, the war, and the subsequent rebirth.

Today, Naples is undergoing constant renewal, with major restoration projects, new metro stations, and a vibrant social and cultural revival.

500 cupole sui tetti del Duomo

500 domes on the roofs of the Duomo

To the north lies the Sanità valley, once the city’s cemetery, as evidenced by the ancient hypogea and catacombs. Here you can see the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, named after an image of the Virgin Mary, and the majestic Capodimonte Palace, which marks the northern boundary of the city and was connected to the historic center only in the 19th century with the construction of a bridge. In the same direction, you can catch a glimpse of the Borgo dei Vergini (whose name refers to men who lived in chastity) and notice:

• The dome of the Church of Sant’Aspreno ai Crociferi, now home to the Jago Museum;
• The green dome of the Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio in Capodimonte, known as the “little St. Peter’s”;
• The Torre Palasciano, dating from the late 19th century and inspired by Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio.

The historic center is traversed by the famous Spaccanapoli, which divides the city in two, offering a view of the Santa Chiara complex (damaged by the bombings of 1943), the bell tower of San Gregorio Armeno, and the San Lorenzo Maggiore complex (the ancient Greek agora), where Boccaccio fell in love with Fiammetta. In the distance, you can also catch a glimpse of the Maschio Angioino (Castelnuovo) and the Palazzo Reale.

Right below the Cathedral, you can admire the Pio Monte della Misericordia, home to Caravaggio’s famous Seven Acts of Mercy, and the Spire of San Gennaro by Cosimo Fanzago, erected after the eruption of 1631. A little further on, the massive dome of the Cappella del Tesoro di San Gennaro rises up, one of the greatest examples of Neapolitan Baroque.

On the Vomero hill, the area that extends above the Quartieri Spagnoli (commissioned by Don Pedro de Toledo for his troops), two imposing structures stand out: the Certosa di San Martino, founded in the Gothic era, is a prime example of Neapolitan Baroque and houses the City History Museum and the famous Tavola Strozzi. Adjacent to it, Castel Sant’Elmo is a six-pointed fortress dating back to the late Middle Ages, expanded by the Spanish in the 16th century. Its strategic location made it crucial during the Masaniello revolt, and it served as the birthplace of the Parthenopean Republic of 1799.

The route winding across the rooftops of Naples Cathedral offers an unexpected and evocative perspective, revealing the artistic and historical layers of the cathedral and the entire city. It is a true journey into the deep roots of Naples, allowing visitors to take in, at a single glance, the centuries of history that have shaped the face of this Mediterranean capital.