 Introduction
Location
Telephone: +39 81 552 6209.
History
On August 4, 1943, after 95 previous air raids on the city of Naples aimed primarily at military installations near the port and train station, the next attack accidentally hit the church and, as they say here, “destroyed six centuries in ten seconds.” (Robert of Anjou built the original church in 1310.) The fire burned for 10 days; 159 persons were killed and 228 were wounded. The church was left a burned-out shell. The belfry on the grounds is the only part that escaped destruction. A plaque on the front of the church, itself, commemorates the reconstruction, finished in 1953.
The mayor of Naples attended the ceremony in the presence of young Franciscan monks, born many years after the event. The ceremony was a tribute to the reconstruction and, as well, to Brother Gaudenzio Dell'Aia, the monk who planned and supervised the work. The church was restored to its original Gothic state, undoing the architectural additions of those who came after the Angevins in the history of Naples. Luigi Ortaglio, the Franciscan who succeeded Dell'Aia as the head of the order in Naples, spoke at the ceremony and called the reconstruction a symbol of the “victory of peace over war” and compared it to resurrection, the rebirth that follows death.
Cloister of the Clarisses
Monastic Courtyard
Complete restoration of the courtyard is still not complete, and if one considers the vast amount of work entailed (including the restoration of the frescos on the walls and ceilings of the arched passageways around the perimeter of the courtyard and the re-landscaping of the gardens) maybe it never will be, but the work done since the year 2000 has had significant results. Dozens of art restorers, masons, and gardeners have been at work.
The Majolica Tile work
Interior
Nativity Scenes from the 18th century
The Nativity Scene (Christmas Crib) kept inside the Monastery belongs to a collection of many made in Naples during the kingdom of Ferdinand IV, the Bourbon king.
The king was in fact a big collector and used to commission important sculptors, like Giuseppe Sanmartino, author of the Veiled Christ, one of the most important Italian sculptural masterpieces of the 18th century.
The Archaeological Room
This room hosts all the materials discovered during the excavations. The presence of a lead pipe is interesting also because it was used to get water from Serino's aqueduct, built during Augustus' period. There is also a portion of the old Roman bath. From the archaeological room is possible to get to the outdoor Archaeological Area and to the History Room.
The History Room
This room shows the historic and artistic changes of the Basilica, in connection with the Cloister and the Monastery. There is a collection of objects coming from the Francescan Citadel: in particular, Roberto d Angio' and Sancia di Maiorca marble busts and Peace, a 16th-century valuable handicraft representing the Visitation, and the Revolving door.
The Marble Room
The exposed pieces help in following the cultural development of Naples between 1300 and 1800. Most of the findings decorated Santa Chiara Church until the bombings in 1943. There is also the Fregio delle Storie di Santa Caterina bas-relief, mostly destroyed by the fire after the bombs.
Along the pillars there is a sequence of friezes that in the past embellished the balconiess' balaustrade located for each cell. Thus, each cell has a different frieze representing a coat of arms (because the Royal Monastery hosted upper-class girls) and religious scenes.
The Reliquary Room
The museum ends with the Reliquary room. This space displays very valuable reliquaries and holy vestments and almost-natural wooden sculptures natural scaled to a nativity. The refined wooden bust presenting Ecce Homo was made by Giovanni da Nola.
Educational Section
Inside the Santa Chiara complex there is an area that has been identified as the educational section, in order to give a very helpful contribution to cultural social values that support the “La citta' nella citta” project.
Oltre il Chiostro Services
Inside the complex, rooms are available for conferences and meetings. Indeed, there is also a catering service for parties, luncheons, and coffee breaks connected to the use of the rooms. Oltre il Chiostro cards are a way to use facilities for the services.
Events & Exhibitions
Useful Information
Sunday 8:30 and 12:30.
Admission: Free
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