At the crossroads of Via dei Tribunali and Via San Gregorio Armeno there is a spot where Naples displays almost all its layers of history, one on top of the other. This is the San Lorenzo Maggiore complex: above, a large Gothic church; below, about ten metres down, the streets and shops of the ancient city. We visited it without rushing, and we will tell you one thing straight away: don’t stop at the church, go down.
In the heart of ancient Neapolis
The complex stands where the centre of the Greco-Roman city once was: here the Greek agora of Neapolis coincided with the Roman forum, the main square where public life and trade took place. It is no coincidence that Via dei Tribunali and Via San Gregorio Armeno still follow the layout of the ancient streets today.
Before the current church there was already an early Christian basilica, which in 1234 was given to the Franciscan friars. From that moment San Lorenzo has been linked to the order of Saint Francis, which still has its friary here today.
The Gothic basilica of the Angevins
The church you see was rebuilt in French Gothic style around 1270–1275, under King Charles I of Anjou. It has a Latin-cross plan with a large central nave and numerous side chapels. The part we liked best is the apse, with the ambulatory and radiating chapels typical of cathedrals north of the Alps.
Outside, on the other hand, the façade is Baroque: it was designed by Ferdinando Sanfelice, who also worked on the inner façade. Inside you will find works by Massimo Stanzione and two Baroque chapels designed by Cosimo Fanzago, the Cappella Cacace and the Chapel of Saint Anthony. Among the funerary monuments, the one of Catherine of Austria, attributed to Tino di Camaino, stands out.
Boccaccio, Fiammetta and Masaniello
San Lorenzo is also a literary place. According to tradition, it was in this very church that Giovanni Boccaccio, during his stay in Naples, first saw the woman he called Fiammetta in his works, identified as Maria d’Aquino.
The history of the complex is also intertwined with the city’s political history: during Masaniello’s revolt in the 17th century, the complex was used as an artillery position against the Spanish troops. These stories made us look at these walls with different eyes.
The excavations: a city beneath the church
And here we come to the most surprising part. Beneath the cloister and the church lies an archaeological area about 10 metres below ground, open to the public since 1992 after long years of excavation. You walk along a stretch of ancient road, the cardo, lined with barrel-vaulted rooms.
There is the macellum, the Roman market of the 1st century AD, with a porticoed courtyard and, in the centre, a circular building for selling food, and a row of shops: among them you can make out a bakery and a dyer’s workshop with its vats. We were moved imagining the voices of the merchants right where, at street level today, thousands of people pass by every day.
If you like the idea of exploring underground, continue with Visiting Underground Naples, which takes you through cisterns and tunnels dug into the tuff.
The Museo dell’Opera
The visit is completed by the Museo dell’Opera, spread over several floors around the cloister. The finds are arranged chronologically, from the Greek period to the 18th century: ceramics, architectural fragments, everyday objects and works of sacred art. It is a nice way to put in order what you have seen underground.
How to get there and when to go
San Lorenzo Maggiore overlooks Piazza San Gaetano, along Via dei Tribunali. The most convenient metro stops are Dante (Line 1) and Piazza Cavour (Line 2), from which it is about a ten-minute walk. In the historic centre a car is useless: get around on foot.
The excavations can be visited comfortably in any season, and in summer the underground offers a little coolness. Around Christmas the area is extremely crowded because of the San Gregorio Armeno workshops: if you can, come early in the morning. Check times and tickets on the official website before you set off.
In the surroundings
- San Gregorio Armeno, the street of nativity scenes: the street of crib figurines starts right next to the church.
- Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco: a few steps along Via dei Tribunali.
- Naples Cathedral: the cathedral with the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, a short distance away.
- Naples among churches and basilicas: our itinerary through the churches of the centre.
- Naples and its surroundings: our complete guide to the city and the province.
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