devotion — My Blog — Girl from Naples

Rebirth. There is no more appropiate word to describe what is happening to the Sanitá district, the area between Capodimonte and the back of the Archeological Museum.

In the past, this part of the city was very dangerous and very poor. Famous to be the set of many old movies and to be the birth place of the most popular Neapolitan comedian, actor and poet of all time ‘Totó’, where today you can visit his old home.

Situated in the Stella-San Carlo quarter, Sanitá as we see it today was developed in the 16th century on land north of Napoli outside the walls of the city.

Originally, Sanita was a wooded area with springs of pure water (probably from this it took the name Sanitá, health) and it started off as a greek-roman burial area and this is where you can find the greek and early christian catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso and also the Fontanelle Cemetery, where victims of the plague were buried in 1656. This might be another theory about the origin of the name. Not only the health of the living but also of the dead. This is explained by the deep connection between Neapolitans and the after life. The Fontanelle cemetery is a typical example of this where people used to come to the cemetery and ‘adopt’ a skull or a skeleton in order to look after it and ask for a ‘miracle’. You can read more about the cemetery here.

Centuries after centuries, Sanitá became very poor and dangerous, even though royalty and aristocratic families built their palaces in the area and many religious orders settled there too. This is the reason why Sanitá has the highest number of churches in Napoli.

Only in recent years have things started to change for the better in Sanitá. Inhabitants started to tire of the increasing crime rate and decided to try and improve the area themselves. This part of Napoli, completely abandoned by institutions and politicians for so many years, is improving thanks to the courage and industry of many young Neapolitans, who instead of move abroad (like many) decided to work hard and make the area a better place to live and more pleasant for tourists to visit and see all the amazing things this zone has to offer.

Lots of things to see in Sanitá then. First of all the Fontanelle Cemetery, which is planned to reopen soon after a restyling of the entrance by the world renowned Italian architect Lorenzo Piano.

As I have already mentioned, the key of this rebirth is the younger generation which made possible the restoration and the reopening of the San Gennaro and San Gaudioso catacombs. It is called the Cooperative of the Paranza. To know more about the catacombs and this project visit their official website here: Catacombs of Naples.

This Cooperative is also responsable for the restoration of Sant' Aspreno ai Crociferi church, where the sculptor Jago based his studio and his permanent exhibition of sculptures. His art is deeply inspired by the classical sculpture of the greatest Italian sculptors such as Michelangelo. Jago is so deeply inspired by this area and and Napoli which is visible in his works of art, in particular the Veiled son, a clear reference to the Veiled Christ in the Sansevero chapel. Jago is also working on a very ambitious project for Sanitá: making a giant David statue like Michelangelo’s statue in Florence, but in the guise of a woman.

The model of Jago's statue in Sant' Aspreno ai Crociferi church.

You can visit the the Jago Museum and the catacombs with the same ticket and it is valid for one year.

There is also the restoration of the abandoned church of Santa Maria Maddalena ai Cristallini (also known as Chiesa dei Cristallini). The church reopened as an art gallery after being closed for 40 years. Locals contributed in creating their own works of art inspired by the life and people of the area. It is filled with portraits of the same residents you can see on the streets of Sanitá, who have lived here with their families all their lives.

A little hidden gem of Sanitá is the Palazzo dello Spagnolo, in via dei Vergini. The Palace was built in 1738 for an aristocratic family and is an exquisite example of Neapolitan Rococo style. Today the palace is divided into apartments although it is open to the public for guided tours.

The younger generation as well as students moving in and immigrant communities settling there as well as tourists visiting is creating a new dynamism in Sanitá then. Thanks to them many abandoned churches or convents have now been converted into bed and breakfasts and hotels in order to attract tourists. This definitely seems to be working! A big advantage of Sanitá is that is a cheaper area to stay in although at the same time it is very central. This has led to many a new opening of pizzerias and typical Neapolitan food restaurants. One pizzeria even has a Michelin star ‘Michelin da Concettina ai Tre Santi’. Enjoy!.

Easter is just around the corner, and like Christmas, it's a festival that's very important in the Neapolitan life. That's why I thought it would be very interesting to write about religion in Napoli and how deep the connection is between religion and the city. As soon as you step into Napoli, it's everywhere, not only in the churches but also in the streets.

During the centuries, an incredible number of churches (over 448) have been built in the heart of the city, to control the criminality and to comfort and help the people against poverty and the plague. That's why today we have real treasures in every street which makes the city even more special. Many Neapolitans, are still very religious and express this sentiment in many ways as public and private devotion, not only in the churches, but also in their own homes and even in the street.

A modern type of aedicula on on via Girolamo Santacroce.

A modern aedicula in the narrow alleys of the inner city.

If you have a wander around the city, you will certainly bump in to an aedicule on a street, it's like a shrine but different. It's an architectural structure which might contain images, statues, flowes, lights and candles. Its origin is very old and can be traced back to the greeks who used to distribute images of gods along the old city of Neapolis. During the time of King Charles III of Bourbon in the 18th century, many aedicules were built, not only for religious purposes, but also to light up the narrow dark streets during the night due to the candles.

Some aedicules have statues in terracotta with the shapes of naked men and women burning in flames. They are the 'anime pezzentelle', the poor souls' of sinners in Purgatory waiting for absolution, in order to enter Paradise. These statues have the features of real people, made for the relatives from the workshops in San Gregorio Armeno, in order to ask the people to pray for their lost souls. You can find many of these aedicules in the Spanish Quarter, Pizzofalcone and in the inner city.

The collection of ex-voto in Gesú Nuovo Church.

Another expression of devotion is the ex-voto, a votive offering to a saint or divinity in fulfilment of a vow, a gift of devotion or gratitude. For example, people used to and still do, offer a letter and a metal plate with the shape of a body part or organ to a saint, or the Virgin Mary in order to receive healing. Many of these plates can be found in churches around Naples, like at the Gesu' Nuovo in the centro storico.

Ex-voto at the back of the glass case, offered to St. Francis Xaverio in the Gesú Nuovo Church.

Guglia dell'Immacolata in piazza del Gesú.

The guglia is some of the most interesting religious structure in Napoli. It is a pinnacle or obelisk with saints, putti and angels raised to the sky. There are quite a few in the city. The most important is the Guglia dell'Immacoltata (Obelisk of the Immaculate Mary). Situated in piazza del Gesu' in the heart of the old city, it was commissioned by the Jesuits in 1743 and funded by donations. This theatrical obelisk dominates the square with its rich decorations of statues, reliefs and medallions. It was designed by the architect Giuseppe Genuino and decorated by Matteo Bottigliero and Francesco Pagano in the rococo style. At the top is the gilded copper statue of Mary. Still today, on the 8th of December every year, the day of the celebration of the Immaculate, the mayor and the cardinal place a ladder against the monument and climb up to place a crown of flowers on the head of the madonna.

The second most important and ancient guglia is the Guglia di San Gennaro, dedicated to the patron saint of Naples Saint Gennaro. It is situated in piazza Sisto Riario Sforza, near The Pio Monte della Misericordia (the church with Caravaggio's painting seven acts of Mercy, see my blog) and not far from the Duomo, where the celebrations of the saint still take place. This guglia was made by Cosimo Fanzago, one of the most important Neapolitan sculptors, a few years after the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631. The Neapolitans believed (and still do now) that Saint Gennaro protected the city from the eruption. A group known as The Delegation of the Treasure of San Gennaro decided to raise a statue to the saint. The guglia is a celebration of the baroque style. The base is decorated with volutes and sirens and at the top stands a bronze statue of San Gennaro, looking out watchful over his city.

San Gennaro Guglia in Sisto Riario Sforza.

The third guglia is the obelisk in piazza San Domenico, built in 1656 by the Neapolitans for the Dominican order to prevent the plague. For the importance of the work was called initially Cosimo Fanzago, whom was already working at the San Gennaro's guglia, and completed by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro in 1736.

San Domenico guglia in piazza San Domenico.

It is so strong in our culture that even today we Neapolitans create new symbols of devotion. It is not a scandal to find in the old town the aedicule dedicated to Diego Maradona, the Argentinian footballer who played for Napoli in the 80s. Yes, why not?. For many Neapolitans he is the greatest football player they ever had, who made Napoli title winners. He is a little bit like Saint Gennaro who protected the city from the volcano, isn't he?

The aedicule dedicated to the football player Maradona, in the centro storico.

Very popular is jewellery inspired by the ex-voto. The Neapolitan artist Daria Cadalt is the designer of the La Petitpoup Accessories, a handmade collection of necklaces, made out of gypsum with the shapes of small body parts, arms and hands. If you are interested in Daria's work, have a look at her Facebook page or her youtube channel, La Petitpoup Accessories.

Jewellery inspired by the ex-voto culture, La Petitpoup Assessorise.

BLOGS.

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