When we stepped through the gate of the Santa Chiara cloister, the noise of Spaccanapoli vanished all at once, replaced by the colours of the majolica tiles and the green of the citrus trees. The Santa Chiara complex is one of the places in Naples where we recommend you take all the time you need: there is a great Gothic church, a cloister unlike any other in the world, a museum and even Roman baths. Here is how we experienced it.
A citadel built by the Angevins
The complex was founded at the wish of King Robert of Anjou and his wife Sancia of Majorca. Work, entrusted to the architect Gagliardo Primario, began in 1310; the church opened for worship around 1330 and was consecrated a few years later. Two monasteries were built alongside it, one for the Poor Clares and one for the Friars Minor, which is why the complex has no fewer than four cloisters.
Great 14th-century artists came to Naples to decorate the church, including Giotto, who worked in the nuns’ choir, and the Sienese sculptor Tino di Camaino, who created several funerary monuments for the royal family.
The basilica, between the Middle Ages and reconstruction
On entering the Basilica di Santa Chiara, what strikes you is the space: a single, enormous nave, bright and austere. It was not always like this. In the 18th century the interior was covered in Baroque decoration, but on 4 August 1943 an Allied bombing raid started a fire that lasted almost two days and destroyed most of those ornaments and frescoes.
Reconstruction was completed in 1953 and chose to give the church back its original Gothic appearance. Behind the high altar stands the great funerary monument of Robert of Anjou, the work of the Florentine sculptors Giovanni and Pacio Bertini, which partly survived the fire. Several sovereigns of the Bourbon dynasty and the carabiniere Salvo D’Acquisto also rest in the basilica.
Santa Chiara is also a key stop on our itinerary Naples through its churches and basilicas.
The majolica cloister
And here we are at the part that alone is worth the trip. The Poor Clares’ cloister was transformed between 1739 and 1742 by the architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro, at the request of the abbess Ippolita di Carmignano. Vaccaro laid out two avenues that cross in the centre and divide the garden into four sections, bordered by octagonal pillars and long benches.
Pillars and benches are entirely covered in majolica tiles painted by the ceramicists Donato and Giuseppe Massa: garlands and plant motifs run along the pillars, while the backs of the benches show scenes of 18th-century everyday life. We sat for a long time looking at them one by one: they are little stories that tell you about the Naples of that time better than any book.
On the walls of the portico you will also find 17th-century frescoes, with stories of saints, allegories and episodes from the Old Testament. Fortunately, the cloister came through the wartime bombing almost unscathed.
The museum and the Roman baths
The visit also includes the Museo dell’Opera, opened in 1995, which brings together sculptural fragments, liturgical furnishings and records of the monastery’s history, including remains recovered after the 1943 fire.
Don’t skip the archaeological area: beneath the complex, the remains of a Roman-era bath complex have come to light, a tangible reminder of the ancient city on which Naples grew. If you are fascinated by the Naples beneath your feet, carry on with Visiting Napoli Sotterranea and San Lorenzo Maggiore and its excavations.
Getting there and when to go
Santa Chiara stands at the start of Spaccanapoli, a few steps from Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, in the historic centre that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. The most convenient metro station is Dante (Line 1); from there the entrance is just a few minutes’ walk away. The historic centre is a limited traffic zone, so forget about the car.
The cloister is at its best in sunlight, in spring and autumn, when the majolica gleams and the garden is in bloom. We recommend allowing at least an hour and a half for the visit. Check opening times and tickets on the official website before you go.
Nearby
- The church of the Gesù Nuovo: right opposite, with its diamond-point façade.
- Visiting Naples: discover the Cappella Sansevero: a few minutes’ walk away, home to the famous Veiled Christ.
- San Gregorio Armeno, the street of nativity scenes: the street of artisan workshops, a little further on.
- Spaccanapoli, Palazzo del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace: to continue your walk through the heart of the city.
- Naples and Surroundings: our complete guide to the city and its province.
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Read also: Spaccanapoli, Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace
