Santa Chiara

The Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara is incredible.  Like a little walled world of its own, it must have been even more so, a haven from the outside world, during periods of Napoli’s unsettled past.

It’s another stunning day of our summer holidays and we’re exploring Naples.  Despite a stop off for espresso, I have made a beeline for Santa Chiara, the complex consisting of the Basilica, a bell tower, the cloisters and a small museum.

Before we even enter the Basilica itself, the bell tower stands off to the side of the main building, soaring high over the piazza.  Even at this relatively early time on a Saturday morning, it’s already busy with people walking dogs, sitting in the small park and taking in some quiet in the cool interior of the basilica.  One of the main features of the basilica is the tomb of King Robert of Anjou, whom, along with his wife, Sancha of Majorca, commissioned the complex.  The basilica also houses the tombs of other Kings and Queens in its numerous side chapels, along with the relics of Saint Louis of Toulouse, the elder brother of King Robert.

The Basilica is large but unimposing from the outside.   It is located opposite a much more interesting looking facade, that of Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo, on a Piazza of the same name.  On entering the Basilica, however, the true Gothic grandeur of this structure is revealed.  I feel only slightly cheated on finding out that much of it is a relatively new construction (20th Century) of Gagliardo Primario’s 14th Century original, due to it receiving heavy shelling during WWII.

It really is large with numerous side chapels dedicated to various saints.  Among these is Capella S.Pietro D’Alcantara (b. 1499, d. 1562) who became a Franciscan friar at 16 and dedicated his life to penance and poverty whilst serving the order.

Another side chapel is dedicated to S.Benedetto Abate (b.480, d.547 AD), brother of Saint Scholastic, who was born to a noble family.  He became a monk, preaching the Gospels, and drew so many disciples that he founded 13 monasteries.  He died just 40 days after his sister and they are buried in the same tomb.

By now the adjacent Santa Chiara monastery should be open.  We amble out into the courtyard and to both my horror and amusement, Jason decides he’s going to skip it, he’ll meet me when I’m done at Museo Cappella Sansevero.

I purchase my ticket and enter into the silent delight of the Cloisters.  I love monasteries.  I think its something about the idea of such a quiet, predictable life but perhaps also the secrets that must have taken place – personal, political, religious, all behind closed doors secured by high walls that I find particularly fascinating.

Here the fascination is less about the actual building itself, although it’s lovely, but most specifically about the cloisters.  I am taken in by the garden contained in the quadrangle and the famous 18th Century columns of course.  I love the symmetry of the porticoes and the half hidden frescoes that they shelter.

I take my time enjoying the silence and studying the columns and frescoes.  There is a small museum exhibiting interesting artifacts but the real attraction here is the exquisite courtyard with its covered arches and tiled garden columns.  There are 72 ceramic tiled columns in all.  They depict (18th Century) rural scenes of hunting, gathering and fishing, there are animals, buildings and scenes of peasant life.

Although the Angevin porticoes date back to the 14th century, the frescoes are 17th century.  The colors are much more muted than the vibrant blues and yellows of the tiles and the soft shades match the subdued Franciscan pictures of angels, shepherds and country life.

Inside the Santa Chiara Opera Museum, a small but well laid out museum, are statutes, sculptures and various artifacts from the cloisters, the basilica and the archaeological site as well as lessor surrounding churches, which piece together the history of the this complesso as well as the more ancient history of the site.

Much of the medieval history of the site is thanks to Robert of Naples (also Robert of Anjou and Robert the Wise b. 1278 – 1343),  who was taken hostage as a child along with his brothers by the King of Aragon after his father, Charles II was defeated in the Sicilian Vespers around 1282.  His life continued to be peppered by wars and disputes and it wasn’t until after the death of his first wife, Yolanda of Aragon, that he married Sancha of Majorca with whom he commissioned the basilica and cloisters.

The sculptures are particularly wonderful.  Most of them are of a religious nature and I like some of the smaller ones, carved from smooth, white marble.  They’re plain but delicate and almost look modern in their simplicity.

The museum has some excavations which lead out to a back courtyard with a  small archaeological site consisting of thermal baths built at the end of the 1st century AD, similar to those of Pompeii.  There would have been furnaces, corridors and bath rooms as well as a separate gymnasium area.  This existed on the site long before the church and monastery were built.

I walk back out through the main courtyard.  The sun is shining, the sky is blue and in the height of summer it’s green and cool.  I wander around a bit more and enjoy the lavender and orange blossoms as well as taking another look at the frescoes.

On the way out there is a spectacular 18th Century nativity scene to behold.  The Neapolitans know how to do nativity and there is even a famous shop here in Naples, La Scarabattola, where they handcraft very intricate pieces for nativity scenes.  During the 18th Century, presepe napoletano (Neapolitan nativity cribs), along with the crib figurines and other sculptures adoring the new born Christ were as much a symbol of status and wealth as of faith.  This is an exquisite example.

After the nativity scene there is a small cafe and shop.  I’m tempted to pause for another espresso but Jason will be waiting for me by now and there is so much more to discover in this beautiful city of Napoli.

Would I Return?

Yes.  This isn’t just a museum or a church, it’s an active place of worship and the cloisters are a peaceful place to contemplate, both in terms of current life and faith and the people who came before us here, their lives and times and a reminder of lessons that should have been learned along the way.