Naples Cathedral

Last updated

Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Naples Cathedral - Duomo di Napoli, Facade (5315-Pan).jpg
The façade of Naples Cathedral
Religion
Affiliation Roman Catholic Church
Province Archdiocese of Naples
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Cathedral
Year consecrated 13th century
StatusActive
Location
LocationNaples, Italy
Geographic coordinates 40°51′09″N14°15′35″E / 40.8525°N 14.2596°E / 40.8525; 14.2596
Architecture
TypeChurch
Style Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-gothic
Groundbreaking13th century
Completed19th century

The Naples Cathedral (Italian : Duomo di Napoli; Neapolitan : Viscuvato 'e Napule), or Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (Italian: Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta), is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the main church of Naples, southern Italy, and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples. It is widely known as the Cathedral of Saint Januarius (Cattedrale di San Gennaro), in honour of the city's patron saint.

Contents

History

View of the interior, towards the apse Naples Cathedral - Duomo di Napoli, Central nave (5325).jpg
View of the interior, towards the apse

The present cathedral in Angevin gothic style (Italian : gotico angioino) was commissioned by King Charles I of Anjou. Construction continued during the reign of his successor, Charles II (1285–1309) and was completed in the early 14th century under Robert of Anjou. It was built on the foundations of two palaeo-Christian basilicas, whose traces can still be clearly seen. Underneath the building excavations have revealed Greek and Roman artifacts.

The Archbishop's Palace adjoins the cathedral.

Interior and artwork

Dome of the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius San Gennaro's chapel - Dome (Naples).jpg
Dome of the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius

The cathedral gives access to the archaeological remains in the crypt of the neighbouring original palaeochristian church of Santa Restituta where there is a Greek wall belonging to the temple of Apollo, in opus reticulatum . Under the apse the peristyle of a late imperial domus can be seen; also a stretch of Roman aqueduct after the foundation of the city and a stretch of Greek road on an inclined plane.

Another attraction of the interior is the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, with frescoes by Domenichino and Giovanni Lanfranco, altarpieces by Domenichino, Massimo Stanzione and Jusepe Ribera, the rich high altar by Francesco Solimena, the bronze railing by Cosimo Fanzago and other artworks, including a reliquary by French masters of the 14th century.

Other artworks include an Assumption by Pietro Perugino, canvasses by Luca Giordano and the palaeo-Christian baptistery, with mosaics from the 4th century. The main chapel is a restoration of the 18th century, with a Baroque relief by Pietro Bracci. The Minutolo Chapel, mentioned in Boccaccio's Decameron , has 14th-century frescoes.

The crypt is by the Lombard Tommaso Malvito. The façade was reworked by Enrico Alvino in the late 19th century, but retains the 15th century portal, including some sculptures by Tino da Camaino.


Miracle of the Blood

The church houses a vial of the blood of Saint Januarius, which is brought out three times a year, on the first Saturday in May, on 19 September and 16 December, when the dried blood usually liquefies. If the blood fails to liquefy, then legend has it that disaster will befall Naples.

A recent hypothesis by Garlaschelli, Ramaccini, and Della Sala is that the vial contains a thixotropic gel, [1] [2] he also explained on the Blood Miracle of Riddles of the Dead series on National Geographic Channel. [3] In such a substance viscosity increases if left unstirred and decreases if stirred or moved. Researchers have proposed specifically a suspension of hydrated iron oxide, FeO(OH), which reproduces the color and behavior of the 'blood' in the ampoule. [4] The suspension can be prepared from simple chemicals that would have been easily available locally since antiquity. [5] [6] On March 21, 2015, the blood in the vial appeared to liquify during a visit by Pope Francis. This was taken as a sign of the saint's favour of the pope. The blood did not liquify when Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2007.

Burials

Detail of the apse Naples Cathedral - Duomo di Napoli, Apse, detail (5334).jpg
Detail of the apse

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Januarius</span> Bishop of Benevento; Catholic saint

Januarius, also known as Januarius I of Benevento, 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 sources and legends claim that he died during the Great Persecution, which ended with Diocletian's retirement in 305.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domenichino</span> Italian painter (1581–1641)

Domenico Zampieri, known by the diminutive Domenichino after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feast of San Gennaro</span> Annual Christian festival of Saint Januarius

The Feast of San Gennaro, also known as San Gennaro Festival, is a Neapolitan and Italian-American patronal festival dedicated to Saint Januarius, patron saint of Naples and Little Italy, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giovanni Lanfranco</span> Italian painter (1582–1647)

Giovanni Lanfranco was an Italian painter of the Baroque period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bologna Cathedral</span>

Bologna Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Peter, is the cathedral of Bologna in Italy, and the seat and the metropolitan cathedral of the Archbishop of Bologna. Most of the present building dates from the 17th century, with a few parts from the late 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parma Cathedral</span>

Parma Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Parma, Emilia-Romagna (Italy), dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Parma. It is an important Italian Romanesque cathedral: the dome, in particular, is decorated by a highly influential illusionistic fresco by Renaissance painter Antonio da Correggio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Restituta</span>

Santa Restituta is a church in Naples, southern Italy, dedicated to Saint Restituta. The foundation of the basilica is attributed to the Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century and is mentioned in a passage from the life of Pope Sylvester I in the Liber pontificalis:

Patricia of Naples is an Italian virgin and saint. Tradition states that she was noble; she may have been related to the Roman Emperor. Some sources say that she was a descendant of Constantine the Great. The particulars traditional about her are unreliable and in some instances contradictory.

Bernardino Realino was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and a professed member of the Jesuits. His entire career was devoted to the areas of Naples and Lecce. Realino pursued a career in law and served in several municipal capacities before feeling called to the Jesuit life and being ordained to the priesthood in Naples. He is often dubbed as the "Apostle of Lecce" for his commitment to the poor and for his preaching abilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspren</span> Italian Roman Catholic saint

Aspren or Asprenas was a 1st-century Christian saint and venerated as the first Bishop of Naples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pistoia Cathedral</span> Roman Catholic cathedral in Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy

Pistoia Cathedral, or Cathedral of Saint Zeno is the main religious building of Pistoia, Tuscany, central Italy, located in the Piazza del Duomo in the centre of the city. It is the seat of the Bishop of Pistoia and is dedicated to Saint Zeno of Verona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arezzo Cathedral</span> Roman Catholic cathedral in Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Arezzo in Tuscany, Italy. It is located on the site of a pre-existing Palaeo-Christian church and, perhaps, of the ancient city's acropolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amalfi Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Italy

Amalfi Cathedral is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo, Amalfi, Italy. It is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew whose relics are kept here. Formerly the archiepiscopal seat of the Diocese of Amalfi, it has been since 1986 that of the Diocese of Amalfi-Cava de' Tirreni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matera Cathedral</span>

Matera Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Matera, Basilicata, Italy. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the designation of the Madonna della Bruna and to Saint Eustace. Formerly the seat of the Bishops, later Archbishops, of Matera, it is now the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Churches in Naples</span>

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. The Cathedral of Naples is the most important place of worship 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 relics said to be of his body: this is one of the most important traditions for Neapolitans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius</span>

The Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius, or the Reale cappella del Tesoro di San Gennaro, is a chapel located in the Cathedral of Naples, Italy, and dedicated to St. Januarius, patron saint of the city. This is the most lavishly decorated chapel in the cathedral, and contains contributions by the premier Baroque artists in Naples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabal of Naples</span>

The Cabal of Naples was a notorious triumvirate of painters in the city of Naples that operated during the early Baroque period from the late 1610s to the early 1640s. It was led by the Spaniard Jusepe de Ribera, who had established himself in Naples after fleeing creditors in Rome in 1616, and also consisted of the Neapolitan Battistello Caracciolo and Greek Belisario Corenzio. Its primary goal was to prevent competition from artists from other parts of Italy, particularly the masters. Its activities often targeted the followers of Annibale Carracci, but also any artist not native to Naples. It involved the triumvirate in leading the painters of the city to harass, expel, or poison any non-native painter, and only ended with the death of Caracciolo in 1641.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nola Cathedral</span>

Nola Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Nola, a municipality within Naples in Campania, Italy, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Nola. It was granted the status of a minor basilica in March 1954.

<i>Saint Januarius Emerges Unscathed from the Furnace</i>

Saint Januarius Emerges Unscathed from the Furnace is an oil on copper painting by Jusepe de Ribera, commissioned in 1643 and completed three years later, in 1646. It is now in the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius in Naples Cathedral. It shows a legend relating to Naples' patron saint Januarius, shown as a bishop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fano Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Marche, Italy

Fano Cathedral is the principal church of Fano, Marche, Italy. Originally the seat of the bishop of Fano, since 1986 it has been the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Fano-Fossombrone-Cagli-Pergola. In January 1953 Pope Pius XII elevated it to the rank of a basilica minor.

References

  1. Garlaschelli, L.; Ramaccini, F.; Della Sala, S. (1994). "The Blood of St. Januarius". Chemistry in Britain. 30 (2): 123. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  2. Christopher, Kevin (22 September 2000). "The Miracle Blood of Saint Januarius". Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Archived from the original on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2007.;
  3. National Geographic ChannelRiddles of the DeadBlood Miracle
  4. Garlaschelli, Luigi (June 2002). "Sangue prodigioso" (PDF). RICHMAC Magazine (in Italian). 84: 67–70. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  5. Epstein, Michael; Luigi Garlaschelli (1992). "Better Blood Through Chemistry: A Laboratory Replication of a Miracle" (PDF). Journal of Scientific Exploration . 6: 233–246. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2007.[ unreliable source? ]
  6. Owen, Richard (20 September 2005). "Naples blood boils at miracle's 'debunking'". The Times . London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 2 March 2007.