The Routes of the Diffused Diocesan Museum of Naples

The Succorpo lies beneath the main altar, a fascinating place commissioned by Cardinal Oliviero Carafa between 1497 and 1505 to house the relics of San Gennaro, transferred from Montevergine.

The Succorpo Chapel is a rectangular hall with three naves and six altars on each side. The ceiling features marble coffers, while the floors are made of inlaid marble. The walls are decorated with reliefs and niches containing candelabras, and the windows are adorned with angels and embellished with the Carafa coat of arms.

In the apse, the urn containing San Gennaro’s relics is preserved. Facing the altar, a praying statue of Cardinal Oliviero Carafa looks toward the Saint’s relics, which has been tentatively attributed to Michelangelo.

The Old Treasury Chapel housed the Saint’s precious relics for centuries before the construction of the new chapel.

The frescoes and decorations tell the story of the artistic and spiritual evolution of San Gennaro’s cult, while the preserved works bear witness to the bond between the Saint and the city.

The Treasury Chapel of San Gennaro in Naples Cathedral is a symbol of faith and culture. It was built between 1608 and 1646 as a vow to the Saint, who had freed the city from a terrible plague. On January 13, 1527, in the presence of a notary, the people united in a public vow, and members of a specially constituted Deputation signed the city’s commitment to build the Treasury Chapel of San Gennaro.

The chapel, designed by the Theatine father Francesco Grimaldi, was built to replace the previous “Old Treasury,” which had become inadequate for the numerous relics and donations. The dome is frescoed with Giovanni Lanfranco’s paradise and virtues, while the other chapel frescoes are by Domenichino, depicting stories from the Saint’s life and legends. The chapel houses relics, including the famous reliquary bust of San Gennaro and the ampullae containing his blood, along with finely crafted gold, silver, and copper objects, carefully preserved.

The chapel’s management belongs to the Municipality of Naples and the Treasury Deputation, an institution that has guaranteed the survival of Naples’ cultural and spiritual heritage for centuries.

The original nucleus dates to the 2nd century AD, probably beginning as the tomb of a noble family that donated the spaces to the Christian community. The decorations are in Pompeian style, with purple-red, blue, and ochre yellow colors. The imposing lower vestibule developed with the arrival of Sant’Agrippino’s remains in the 4th century AD, when excavation of the galleries began. Since the 8th century, it has housed a baptismal font commissioned by Bishop Paolo II, who took refuge here due to iconoclastic conflicts.

The upper level arose at the beginning of the 3rd century from a Christian noble hypogeum. Following the translation of San Gennaro’s relics, the space was connected with other hypogea, expanding the catacomb. Two examples of this expansion are the Bishops’ Crypt, with mosaic decorations, and the majestic Basilica Adjecta, an underground three-nave basilica carved from tufa stone.

The final result is a true necropolis, with basilicas and places of worship, where one can perceive the bond of faith between the city and San Gennaro. From the tomb characteristics, it’s possible to glimpse a cross-section of society from that era, including elements like the deceased’s social status.

In the heart of the Vomero district stands the Basilica of San Gennaro ad Antignano, on the site where a chapel once stood erected in honor of San Gennaro’s first miracle.

Unfortunately, the district’s urban development led to this chapel’s demolition at the end of the 19th century. It was replaced by the current sacred building, whose cornerstone was laid in 1904. In 1909 it was proclaimed a basilica and in 1912 became “pontifical.”

San Gennaro ad Antignano was officially opened to the public on September 18, 1932, with work still incomplete. Engineer Giuseppe Pisanti drew inspiration from the facade and interiors of the Basilica of San Salvatore in Spoleto. The artistic eclecticism makes the facade of this “church upon a church” highly recognizable, one of the symbols of the Vomero district, profoundly transformed but with a strong cultural identity.

The Sanctuary of San Gennaro, located on the outskirts of Pozzuoli near the Solfatara, was erected at the site of the Saint’s martyrdom, which occurred during Diocletian’s persecution in 305. The temple’s first mention appears in the “Bolognese Acts” (8th century), but it was probably destroyed by the Solfatara eruption in 1198. In 1943 it became the parish seat of Saints Gennaro, Festo and Desiderio, entrusted to the Capuchins. Here San Gennaro was beheaded with six companions on September 19, 305: Festo, Desiderio, Procolo, Eutichete, Acuzio and Sossio. Their effigies are visible in the Neapolitan catacombs of San Gennaro (5th-6th centuries).

Construction of the current sanctuary, financed by the city of Naples and the Caracciolo family in 1580, began in 1583 along with a convent for the Capuchins. A chapel already existed on the site, housing San Gennaro’s bust, still venerated today. After Ferdinando Sanfelice’s embellishments in 1701 and consecration in 1708, the building was severely damaged by fire in 1860. Restoration work, directed by Ignazio Rispoli, was completed in 1867, and the sanctuary was reconsecrated in 1877 by Bishop De Vivo.

The building features a pronaos with Tuscan columns and a 17th-century bas-relief on the portal. It has a nave with a groined barrel vault and side chapels. The presbytery, with a pseudo-dome, was frescoed by L. Tammaro in 1926. Main works include: a small altar with a bas-relief of San Gennaro’s martyrdom (Lorenzo Vaccaro, 1695) and a painting on the main altar (Pietro Gaudioso). The church houses “San Gennaro’s stone,” traditionally believed to be the execution block, on which blood traces are said to appear during the Saint’s celebrations.

The Flavian Amphitheatre represents the glory of ancient Puteoli, the third largest in Italy by size (it could accommodate up to 40,000 spectators), after the Colosseum and the Amphitheatre of Capua. Built in the 1st century AD, it shows remarkable preservation of its elements, particularly the underground areas.

The underground areas are served by an annular corridor opening onto a series of small rooms arranged on two levels. From here, through a pulley system, caged animals were hoisted to arena level to fight with gladiators. The scenery and equipment necessary for gladiatorial games were instead lifted through a deep pit communicating with the arena floor.

The amphitheatre is a place of ancient memory, a symbol of the Christianization process linked to San Gennaro’s martyrdom. Today it is a site of intense suggestion, of historical and beautiful restoration and an identity node for the local community.

The monumental complex of Cimitile encompasses centuries of history and spirituality. The site extends over approximately 9,000 square meters and houses seven cult buildings dating to the Paleochristian and medieval periods, plus the 18th-century parish basilica, which serves as guardian of the community’s rich historical and religious heritage.

The complex has its origins in San Felice’s tomb, a burial site that attracted pilgrims as early as the 4th century, fostering the cult around his name. Here is housed the chapel of S. Gennaro, built in the 15th century over the furnace, the place where, according to tradition, the saint was thrown but remained miraculously unharmed. San Gennaro’s cult in Cimitile interweaves history and legend, evoking centuries of popular faith. According to tradition, San Gennaro and his companions met Judge Timoteo who forced him to undergo atrocious torture after discovering him performing acts of proselytism. However, seeing that these tortures had no effect, he decided to throw the saint into a burning furnace from which he emerged completely unharmed, still with intact clothing.

In Cimitile, San Gennaro’s cult flourished among ancient sanctuaries and mosaics, a story that still today feeds pilgrimages and celebrations, uniting archaeology and devotion, faith and memory. San Gennaro’s furnace was rediscovered in 1644 by Andrea Ferraro and is now preserved in one side of the former Eastern Basilica of San Felice.

The Temple of the Annunziata in Benevento, almost completely destroyed by the 1688 earthquake, was rebuilt by order of Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini between 1691 and 1711. The building, austere and classical on the outside, reveals inside a surprising rococo triumph of polychrome marble, stuccos and decorations, harmoniously blending with surviving 16th-century elements.

The chapel of San Gennaro, the last on the right, represents the pinnacle of the building’s baroque magnificence. Probably built to Filippo Raguzzini’s design in the mid-18th century, it uses Borrominian perspective to visually expand the restricted space. The decoration, both internal and external, includes an altar flanked by paired columns with a broken pediment and white marble putti by Matteo Bottiglieri, plus an imposing triumphal arch housing the effigy of Pope Benedict XIII (formerly Cardinal Orsini).

The chapel’s altar is dominated by an 18th-century painting of San Gennaro, probably a replica by Luca Giordano, with the inscription “Beneventum plebs mea est.” Two 18th-century oval canvases complete the decoration, depicting episodes from the saint’s life: the beheading and the furnace miracle, from which the saint emerges unharmed before an astonished crowd.

San Gennaro’s remains, before arriving at Naples Cathedral, were moved several times to different points in Campania.

San Gennaro’s origins are still uncertain; he was probably born in 272 AD and was Bishop of Benevento. In the 4th century he was arrested for professing the Christian faith and beheaded in Pozzuoli in 305 AD. Part of the martyr’s blood was preserved in two ampullae and the remains buried in the Agro Marciano. In the 5th century he was brought to Naples by Bishop Giovanni I and buried inside the Catacombs, which became a pilgrimage site. The remains were stolen in 831 AD by the Lombard prince Sicone I and taken to Benevento. Subsequently they were moved to the Sanctuary of Montevergine, where they remained almost forgotten for over two centuries.

The Sanctuary of Montevergine is one of the most venerated places of worship in Campania. Founded in 1119 by the Benedictine monk Giovanni da Matera, it is dedicated to the Madonna of Montevergine. The Sanctuary’s history is deep and rich. Giovanni da Matera, following divine intuition, chose the site to erect the monastery and dedicate his life to contemplation and prayer. The original church, restructured in various phases, presents Romanesque and Gothic elements, with frescoes and decorations that tell its thousand-year history. A place that still today attracts thousands of pilgrims.

Naples Cathedral is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta and bears witness to the relationship between the city’s religious, artistic and historical traditions, as well as being the symbol of the bond between the population and San Gennaro.

It was founded in 1272 by King Charles I of Anjou and completed in 1313, during the reign of Robert of Anjou. The interior is Latin cross-shaped, with three naves and side chapels. The Cathedral’s grandeur and sacredness are amplified by Gothic architecture, enriched by 17th-century gilding on the ceiling and ancient columns, decorations and the imposing decorative apparatus depicting the Assumption of the Virgin on the main altar, a work by Pietro Bracci.

Naples Cathedral houses a notable artistic heritage and is the place where on September 19 the population gathers to celebrate the prodigy of blood liquefaction.

San Gennaro’s cult is also alive in Reichenau, an island on Lake Constance in Germany, where some of his relics are preserved. Despite San Gennaro being Naples’ patron saint, his devotion has crossed the boundaries of the Neapolitan city. In the Middle Ages, the island, known as Angia Dives, housed a Benedictine abbey, and some historical sources tell that remains of the saint were brought there by a Swabian officer.

Reichenau Abbey (in German: Kloster Reichenau) was a Benedictine abbey located on the island of Reichenau, an island in Lake Constance. It was founded in 724 and from 1540 became a priory of the diocese of Constance. Together with the abbeys of St. Gallen and Fulda, it was one of the most important abbeys of the Carolingian period. In 1803 it was suppressed and today forms part of the buildings of the municipality of Reichenau. The abbey’s miniatures were declared UNESCO Memory of the World in 2003. Since 2001, after 250 years, a small community of Benedictines has revived on the island.

The tradition of celebrating San Gennaro reached New York thanks to late 19th-century migration flows, where the “Feast of San Gennaro” has been held since 1926. Despite the passage of time, it attracts thousands of families of Italian origin who wish to keep their connection to the motherland alive.

In 1888, the first Italian immigrants, mainly from southern Italy, built the Church of the Most Precious Blood in New York to venerate San Gennaro. The church is located along Mulberry Street, Little Italy’s main street, and also served to collect offerings for the poor. Mulberry Street, now reduced in size, is still full of restaurants offering typical Neapolitan cuisine dishes.

The tradition of praying, making offerings and sharing meals in the small church led to the birth of the Feast of San Gennaro. Since 1996, the event has been organized by the “Sons of San Gennaro,” a non-profit organization committed to preserving Italian culture and traditions in America.

In the summer residence of the de’ Liguori family in Marianella, on September 27, 1696, Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori was born, son of don Giuseppe de’ Liguori and Donna Caterina Anna Cavalieri. Though they held no noble titles, their lineage had distinguished itself in service to Naples in arms, magistracy, high administrative positions, and the church.

Historical events led the family to lose this property, but a portion was later purchased by P. Salzano, first Provincial Superior, to dedicate it to the Saint’s worship. Construction work on the House and oratory was contracted in July 1880.

In the noble de’ Liguori family’s domestic chapel, the family gathered in prayer. Here, a canvas depicting the Immaculate Conception is preserved, before which Sant’Alfonso’s mother would gather with her children.

The church of San Pietro “de carbonario” was founded in 1326 outside Naples’ walls through the initiative of the Niespolo and Carmignano families, along with a hospital for the needy. The name derived from nearby dumps where burned refuse created coal-like slag. Entrusted to the Crociferi friars (called “Turchini” for their blue robes), the church was submerged by the 1453 flood and rebuilt in the 16th century, losing much of its medieval structure.

Between the 17th and 18th centuries the building underwent various transformations: in 1653 it was incorporated into the Archbishops’ Seminary becoming a parish, in 1669 it passed to the Mission Fathers, and in 1724 the facade was rebuilt by architects Astarita and Sanfelice to align with Via Vergini. Above the portal stands a statue of the Immaculate Conception from 1858, work of Francesco Liberti and Giuseppe Pirotti.

The single-nave interior preserves a 17th-century marble baptismal font where Sant’Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori was baptized. A trapdoor in the Sant’Alfonso chapel leads to rooms of the ancient Gothic church with frescoes of the Cavallini school, discovered in 1963 and also visible through a glass floor panel in the parish office.

The Diocesan Museum of Sant’Agata, housed in the 1613 Church of Carmine, is part of a route that witnesses the presence and preaching of the Neapolitan Saint. The building, strategically located between the Ducal Castle and the Cathedral, has maintained its geometric simplicity despite numerous modifications and earthquake damage over the centuries.

The museum, with a single nave and porticoed atrium, houses works from the 15th to 18th centuries, mainly from churches damaged by the 1980 earthquake. Among the most significant pieces: the 15th-century Madonna del latte, donated by the Franciscan Friars of Arpaia; a series of paintings by Tommaso Giaquinto (1662-1717), including a Deposition and portraits of saints; and a precious 17th-century Reliquary Cross from the Holy Land, made of walnut wood with mother-of-pearl, ivory and resin inlays.

The Church of Sant’Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori in Arienzo (Caserta), built in the 18th century, is dedicated to the patron saint of the municipality and founder of the Redemptorists. The building, in baroque style, features a richly decorated facade and preserves paintings and sculptures that illustrate the saint’s life and his dedication to the poor.

The Church of Sant’Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori is a place of worship much frequented by the faithful, especially during religious festivities in honor of the Saint. During these moments, the church fills with devotion and prayer, creating a magical atmosphere charged with spirituality.

The municipality of Arienzo and its Church of Sant’Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori are places that deserve a visit for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in Campania’s history and faith. Thanks to its artistic beauty and religious importance, this church represents a reference point for the local community and for pilgrims who come from every part of the world.

Construction of the church began in 1756 and lasted over forty years due to various interruptions. It was consecrated in 1805 and dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, whose image appears on the main altar. After the beatification of Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori, a chapel was added for the exposition of the holy body.

The church has a Latin cross plan and Carrara marble furnishing that enriches columns, arcades, pillars and nave. The neoclassical facade was completed between 1822 and 1823. On the altar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sant’Alfonso celebrated Mass. The dome, frescoed in 1932 by Paolo Vetri, depicts the Saint and his disciples in heavenly glory.

In 1821, Sant’Alfonso’s relics were deposited under the onyx and marble altar of his chapel, enlarged in 1933-1934. Between 1951 and 1957, a modern bone preservation treatment was applied. Today, they are displayed under a wooden statue carved by Antonio Lebbro. The urn and frame are the work of the Antonio Troise foundry of Naples, which cast silver objects offered by the faithful. The Saint’s chapel is the heart of the Basilica, a reference point for pilgrims from Pagani and surrounding areas.

Little is known about its foundation, though the first documents date to 1120. The church’s history is marked by restorations and consecrations, including one of the most important, performed in 1799 by Monsignor Girolamo D’Andolfo.

In 1866, the church was restored by architect Giuseppe Pisanti in eclectic style, fashionable in the 19th century. In 1930, some artworks were installed by architect Gustavo Girosi, who had the altar shrine built and the vault done in neo-Byzantine style.

The original 1631 church was destroyed by Vesuvius’ eruption and, in 1642, on its ashes the new church was consecrated, commissioned and financed by the University of Portici. The new church consisted of a central nave and developed over three bays, obtained with two rows of simple pillars and transverse arches. In 1666, behind the carved wooden altar, the altarpiece painted by Luca Giordano depicting the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was placed.

The spread of San Ciro’s cult in Portici, born following a frightful famine and plague (1763), prompted the population to ask Pope Pius VI to declare the Saint principal Patron of Portici. For this reason, the clock mechanism that was in the church semi-destroyed by Vesuvius was moved to the left bell tower, while on the right bell tower.

A further transformation occurred between 1923 and 1928, with decoration and restoration work. The current interior decoration, however, has no particular artistic value. In 2017 the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Listening was added.

The basilica of Santa Maria a Pugliano is Ercolano’s main church, as well as being the oldest in the entire Vesuvian area. Inside the nearby archconfraternity, the statue of the Madonna of Pugliano with Baby Jesus is preserved, patron of the city.

The sanctuary’s historicity is witnessed by the attestation in the 11th century of an oratory dedicated to the Virgin on the hill called Pugliano, by the presence of two pagan marble sarcophagi from the 2nd and 4th centuries AD, adapted to a Christian altar from the 11th century, and by the wooden statue of the Madonna delle Grazie, or Madonna of Pugliano, dating to the 14th century, venerated on the main altar.

In the 16th century, the cult of the Madonna of Pugliano was such as to attract numerous pilgrims from all Vesuvian districts to Resina, and from 1574 there is the first citation of the church as a pontifical basilica. During the 1631 eruption, the church was saved from destruction: the lava flow split right upstream of Pugliano’s little hill.

Built in the early 16th century, it represents the city’s religious heart and houses the mortal remains of San Vincenzo Romano, to whom the current form is owed, rebuilt after Vesuvius’ 1794 eruption. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, embellishment and decoration works transformed the church into one of the most beautiful and refined in the entire Vesuvian area. Among these, the main altar and presbytery stuccos by Cosimo Fanzago and the sculptures for San Gennaro’s altar by Lorenzo Vaccaro.

In June 1794, Vesuvius’ eruption destroyed much of the city, caused the church to collapse and partially engulfed the bell tower. San Vincenzo Romano, vicar and church administrator, promoted the reconstruction which, according to tradition, was accompanied by miraculous events. Among these, the arrival of a mysterious ship from Libya loaded with timber, offered free for construction of the roof trusses.

The basilica, built in 1319 by Prince Nicolò D’Alagno, preserves an ancient icon of the Madonna. According to popular tradition, on August 5, 1354, feast of the Madonna della Neve, the effigy was found in the waters off Rovigliano rock, enclosed in a chest. At shore, a dispute arose with Stabia fishermen, who claimed the discovery had occurred in their territory’s waters. The captain of the people supported the Torre del Greco residents’ claims, but the Stabia fishermen took possession of the effigy anyway.

At this point a miracle occurred: the Madonna was found covered with snow outside the Annunziata chapel. The discovery was interpreted as a sign of the Madonna’s will, who was kept in the Annunziata church.

The episode of the fishermen’s dispute has become a ritual that is reproduced every August 5 on the beach, before a crowd of faithful.

The original Sanctuary, Latin cross with a single nave, was erected between 1876 and 1891. Between 1934 and 1939 the Sanctuary was expanded to accommodate the numerous faithful, going from one to three naves and maintaining the Latin cross structure. The two minor naves, which have three altars on each side, extend behind the apse in an ambulatory enriched by four semicircular chapels.

In recent years, the Sanctuary has undergone important restoration work, still ongoing, which has involved frescoes, mosaics, sculptures, marble works and paintings, to restore them to their ancient beauty.

In the heart of the Vomero district stands the Basilica of San Gennaro ad Antignano, on the site where a chapel once stood erected in honor of San Gennaro’s first miracle.

Unfortunately, the district’s urban development led to this chapel’s demolition at the end of the 19th century. It was replaced by the current sacred building, whose cornerstone was laid in 1904. In 1909 it was proclaimed a basilica and in 1912 became “pontifical.”

San Gennaro ad Antignano was officially opened to the public on September 18, 1932, with work still incomplete. Engineer Giuseppe Pisanti drew inspiration from the facade and interiors of the Basilica of San Salvatore in Spoleto. The artistic eclecticism makes the facade of this “church upon a church” highly recognizable, one of the symbols of the Vomero district, profoundly transformed but with a strong cultural identity.

The parish, founded in December 1884 by Cardinal Sanfelice, brings together faith, art, and community. At that time, the Vomero district was under the jurisdiction of a single parish, but thanks to the approval of King Umberto I, in 1886 it was possible to establish four new parishes, including that of St. Januarius. A new beginning for a growing community.

Before the construction of the current building, religious celebrations were held in the Church of St. Gennariello, known as “Little Pompeii.” The history of the place is marked by challenges such as the earthquakes of 1930 and 1980–81, which caused severe damage. After years of waiting by the parish’s determined community, the consolidation works restored the church to its former splendor.

The parish houses extraordinarily beautiful panel paintings from the ancient Benedictine monastery of Saint Patricia, now returned to their original glory.

The Little Pompeii Church, originally called Church of San Gennariello, is the third church in the district dedicated to the patron saint. However, the first historical records would date back to around the year 1100.

Unlike the other two, dated between the late 1800s and early 1900s, Piccola Pompei should date to a period between 413 and 431, years when the martyr’s body would have been transported from Marciano to Naples. The passage through Antignano was commemorated with the construction, around 400, of a small temple, the current Church of Piccola Pompei.

The church takes its current name from the Madonna of Pompei and the painting that depicts her, placed inside the building. The interiors, of modest dimensions and 18th-century style, are rich with paintings and depictions dating between 1700 and 1800. On the sides of the altar are two bas-reliefs representing San Gennaro’s martyrdom and glorification.

The church preserves two plaques, one accompanied by a splendid marble bust of San Gennaro. Here, it is read that during the translation of relics from Pozzuoli to Naples, the coagulated blood, placed near the skull bones, liquefied for the first time, in the place where the chapel of Antignano was then erected. Another plaque tells that the stone enclosed in the wall cavity served to rest San Gennaro’s head.

The Church of the Fiorentini, originally erected near Naples’ port, was a symbol of the Tuscan community in the city. From 1557 the Florentines moved to the church of San Vincenzo, which housed works by great artists like Pietro Bernini and Giovanni Balducci, with a style that spanned different eras, from Renaissance to Neoclassical.

The church was demolished between 1952 and 1953 during the reconstruction of the Carità District, for alleged war damage, later disproven. The destruction marked the loss of tombs of figures like Artemisia Gentileschi and Bernardo Tanucci.

Today, nothing remains of the original church, which was rebuilt in the Arenella district, near Piazza degli Artisti. It was assigned works from the old place of worship, such as some 16th-century paintings by Pino and Balducci. The apostles’ statues, removed to preserve them from bombing, were placed on the main altar of the basilica of the Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio, in Capodimonte.