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Santi Apostoli, Naples

17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in ItalyBaroque architecture in NaplesRoman Catholic churches in NaplesTheatine churches
SantiApostoliNapoli
SantiApostoliNapoli

Santi Apostoli is a Baroque-style church in Naples, Italy. Legend holds that a church at the site was built atop a Temple of Mercury by Emperor Constantine. Restored by the Caracciolo Family, it was ceded in 1570 to the Theatine Order. By 1590, the adjacent cloister and monastery was designed by Francesco Grimaldi. In the early 17th century was reconstructed by Giacomo Conforti. In 1638, the work was continued by Bartolomeo Picchiatti. In the 19th century, the Theatine order was suppressed and the church turned over in administrations. An earthquake damaged the dome. The church now belongs to the Liceo Artistico Statale di Napoli. The counter-facade and ceiling panels were frescoed by Giovanni Lanfranco in the 1640s. The panels contain the following depictions: a Martyrdom of Apostles Simone e Giuda; a Martyrdom of St Thomas Apostle; a Martyrdom of St Bartholomew; a Martyrdom of St Matthew; a Martyrdom of St John Evangelist; a Glory of the Apostles, Virtue, Prophets, Patriarchs, and finally the four Evangelists on the pendentives of the dome. The cupola has a large fresco depicting Paradise (1684) by Giovanni Battista Benasca, who also painted the frescoes in the chapel of St Michael. This chapel has a painting by Marco da Siena The lunnettes in this chapel were painted by Giordano and Solimena. Over the main door is a painting of the Healing Pool by Viviani. The main altar was designed by Fuga. In the choir are five canvases by Solimena. The altar in the Filomarino Family Chapel at the right of the main altar, was designed (1647) by Borromini. The chapel has mosaics made by Giovanni Battista Calandra and copied from paintings by Reni. The relief on the altar of the four evangelist symbols is by François Duquesnoy, and two marble lions are by Giuliano Finelli. The sacristy was built in 1626 using designs of Ferdinando Sanfelice. The crypt was frescoed by Belisario Corenzio.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Santi Apostoli, Naples (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Santi Apostoli, Naples
Gradini Santi Apostoli, Naples San Lorenzo

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N 40.854557 ° E 14.260346 °
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Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli

Gradini Santi Apostoli
80139 Naples, San Lorenzo
Campania, Italy
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Pio Monte della Misericordia
Pio Monte della Misericordia

The Pio Monte della Misericordia is a church in the historic center of Naples, southern Italy. It is famous for its art works, including Caravaggio's The Seven Works of Mercy. A charity brotherhood (Pio Monte della Misericordia meaning "Pious Mount of Mercy" in Italian) was founded in August 1601 by seven young nobles, who met every Friday at the Hospital for Incurables and ministered to the sick.In 1602 they established an institution and commissioned a small church, built by Gian Giacomo di Conforto, near the staircase leading to the Cathedral, on the corner of the Via dei Tribunali and the Vico dei Zuroli. In 1605, they received an apostolic letter from Pope Paul V, according special privileges to the high altar.The church was consecrated in September 1606. From 1658 to 1678 the edifice was enlarged, also with the annexation of neighbouring structures, by architect Francesco Antonio Picchiati, forming a complex with a palace and a renewed church. The latter, at the high altar, houses Caravaggio's Seven Works of Mercy. There are also paintings by Luca Giordano, Carlo Sellitto, Fabrizio Santafede, Battistello Caracciolo and others. The noblemen of the brotherhood at Pio Monte della Misericordia were looking for painters "to give permanent visual expression to their sense of charitable mission”. Regarding the sharp contrasts of the chiaroscuro in Caravaggio's painting’s, the German art historian Ralf van Bühren explains the bright light as a metaphor for mercy, which "helps the audience to explore mercy in their own lives".