Duomo di Napoli (Naples Cathedral), Naples (must see)
Naples Cathedral is also known as The Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary. The church is commonly called Cattedrale di San Gennaro in honor of Saint Januarius.
The construction of the cathedral began in the 13th century and was finally completed in the 14th century. The impressive Gothic cathedral was built on the ruins of previous churches' excavations. Over the years, Greek and Roman artifacts have been found underneath the cathedral.
The neo-Gothic facade wasn't completed until 1905. The interior features a gilded coffered ceiling. Artist Luca Giordano completed the baroque sections of the nave and transept.
Priest and architect Francesco Grimaldi designed the Chapel of the Treasury. Several renowned artists worked on the chapel, which was completed in 1646. Jusepe de Ribera created the stunning Saint Gennaro Escaping the Furnace Unscathed canvas. Giovanni Lanfranco created the magnificent dome fresco. Behind the altar, Saint Januarius's skull and two vials of blood are held in a silver strongbox.
The next chapel contains Saint Januarius's bones in an urn. More of the saint's remains are housed below the altar in the Cappella Carafa chapel.
Visitors will be impressed by the Basilica di Santa Restituta, originally built in the 4th century and renovated in the 17th century. This ancient church holds Europe's oldest baptistry, the Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte. The baptistry is decorated with 4th-century mosaics.
A vial of blood belonging to revered Saint Januarius is brought out three times a year, and the dried blood usually liquefies. Legend says that when the blood doesn't liquefy, disaster will come to Naples.
Why You Should Visit:
This stunning medieval cathedral holds the miraculous blood of Saint Januarius, priceless artworks, and an early Christian basilica dating to the 4th century. It's a beautiful place to view Italian art and architecture and appreciate Naples' religious culture.
Tips:
The church is closed in the afternoon. Visit between 8:00 am and 12:30 pm, or 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm. The main cathedral is free to enter, but the baptistery charges a small fee.
The construction of the cathedral began in the 13th century and was finally completed in the 14th century. The impressive Gothic cathedral was built on the ruins of previous churches' excavations. Over the years, Greek and Roman artifacts have been found underneath the cathedral.
The neo-Gothic facade wasn't completed until 1905. The interior features a gilded coffered ceiling. Artist Luca Giordano completed the baroque sections of the nave and transept.
Priest and architect Francesco Grimaldi designed the Chapel of the Treasury. Several renowned artists worked on the chapel, which was completed in 1646. Jusepe de Ribera created the stunning Saint Gennaro Escaping the Furnace Unscathed canvas. Giovanni Lanfranco created the magnificent dome fresco. Behind the altar, Saint Januarius's skull and two vials of blood are held in a silver strongbox.
The next chapel contains Saint Januarius's bones in an urn. More of the saint's remains are housed below the altar in the Cappella Carafa chapel.
Visitors will be impressed by the Basilica di Santa Restituta, originally built in the 4th century and renovated in the 17th century. This ancient church holds Europe's oldest baptistry, the Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte. The baptistry is decorated with 4th-century mosaics.
A vial of blood belonging to revered Saint Januarius is brought out three times a year, and the dried blood usually liquefies. Legend says that when the blood doesn't liquefy, disaster will come to Naples.
Why You Should Visit:
This stunning medieval cathedral holds the miraculous blood of Saint Januarius, priceless artworks, and an early Christian basilica dating to the 4th century. It's a beautiful place to view Italian art and architecture and appreciate Naples' religious culture.
Tips:
The church is closed in the afternoon. Visit between 8:00 am and 12:30 pm, or 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm. The main cathedral is free to enter, but the baptistery charges a small fee.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Naples. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Duomo di Napoli (Naples Cathedral) on Map
Sight Name: Duomo di Napoli (Naples Cathedral)
Sight Location: Naples, Italy (See walking tours in Naples)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Naples, Italy (See walking tours in Naples)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Naples, Italy
Create Your Own Walk in Naples
Creating your own self-guided walk in Naples is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Naples Old Town Walk
The Old Town of Naples is a treasure trove of majestic architecture: historical monuments, mysterious churches, underground catacombs & caves, and beautiful fountains. Some of these landmarks are thousand years old and still preserved in their original condition. Owing to this, UNESCO has declared the area a World Heritage site.
Walking the maze of narrow alleyways to discover Naples鈥檚... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Walking the maze of narrow alleyways to discover Naples鈥檚... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Historical Churches
Christianity in general and the Catholic faith in particular have always played an important role in the social and cultural life of Naples. Not everyone knows that the city boasts the highest number of churches in the world 鈥� almost 500 historic 鈥渉ouses of God鈥� (1,000 in total) 鈥� accumulated over the course of 17(!) centuries. Hence the nickname 鈥� 鈥渢he city of 500 domes鈥�.
And... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
And... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Naples Introduction Walking Tour
Located nearby the infamous volcano Vesuvius, Naples is a dream destination for tourists. Being Italy's third largest city, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world 鈥� a true gem of ancient civilizations. Initially settled by Greeks as a colony, called Parthenope, in the 9th century BC, it was then re-founded as Ne谩polis (鈥淣ew City鈥� in Greek) three... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles