Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara

Italy Campania NaplesComplesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara

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Santa Chiara is a religious complex in Naples, Italy, that includes the Church of Santa Chiara, a monastery, tombs and an archeological museum. The Basilica church of Santa Chiara faces Via Benedetto Croce, which is the easternmost leg of Via Spaccanapoli. The church facade of Santa Chiara is diagonally across from the church of Gesù Nuovo. The double monastic complex was built in 1313–1340 by Queen Sancha of Majorca and her husband King Robert of Naples, who is also buried in the complex.[1] The original church was in traditional Provençal-Gothic style, but was decorated in the 17th century in Baroque style by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro. After the edifice was partially destroyed by a fire after the Allied bombings during World War II, it was brought back to the alleged original state by a disputed restoration, which was completed in 1953. The large rectangular building is 110.5 m long inside the walls, and 33 m wide. The walls of the nave are 47.5 m tall, and the nave itself is 82 m long. There are nine lateral chapels on each side of the nave, the roofs of the chapels are vaulted, and they support the gallery that runs the length of the nave. Above the gallery are the lancet windows of the clerestory. An unusual feature of the building is that the lateral chapels are absorbed into the body of the church, giving Santa Chiara its distinctive rectangular appearance. Another unusual feature of the building is the fact that the church does not have an apse, after the lateral chapels there is a section of the church with the high altar in the centre, flanked by the rectangular friar's choirs on either side. Behind the altar is the tomb of King Robert, behind that is a wall separating the main body of the church from the nuns' choir.[1] The wall between the nave of the church and the retrochoir is penetrated by three screened grilles through which the nuns could observe the mass, while being invisible to anybody in the nave. There are also four windows in the wall which mirror the four windows on the exterior of the church. There is a large stained glass lancet window above the altar. Above this is a triangular pattern are three rose windows. At the apex of the point of the roof, above the level of the wooden beams of the ceiling is a fourth, smaller, rose window. The nuns choir is different in plan from the main body of the church, with two large piers supported by rib vaults dividing the space into three sections. Santa Chiara was the largest Clarissan church ever built and it was the first Clarissan church built where the nuns in their choir would have been able to view the performance of Mass. The bell tower, separated from the main edifice, was begun in 1328 but was completed only in Renaissance times.

pan Kpan K

The construction of the monumental complex of S.Claire began in 1310, by the will of King Robert of Anjou and his wife Sancha of Majorca. The Franciscan citadel was set up by erecting two convents: one for the Clarisses, and the other for Franciscan Friars Minor. The church is now in its original Gothic style, with a simple facade in which the ancient pierced rose window is nestled. In 1742 the church underwent changes by the hand of the architect D.A. Vaccaro. Pompous coatings gave the complex a baroque aspect. On August 4th of 1943 the church was almost completely destroyed by aerial bombardment. It was rebuilt and restored according to the original Gothic style. Ten years later the church was reopened for worshipers. Over the centuries, the cloister has undergone various transformations. The most important was performed by D.A. Vaccaro between 1739 and 1742. Vaccaro built two avenues which, intersecting, divide the area into four areas. Octagonal pillars line the perimeter, coated with majolica ceramic floral decorations. The pillars are connected by benches covered of tiles with popular, rural, maritime and mythological scenes. The four walls of the cloister were covered with seventeenth century frescoes depicting Saints, allegories and scenes of the Old Testament. Inside the complex you can see a nativity scene featuring shepherds of the eighteenth and the nineteenth century, the Museum in which it is possible to admire a cross-section of the Neapolitan history from antiquity to the twentieth century, some of the treasures the bombings of 1943 failed to destroy and an archeological area with remains of a Roman spa.

Lucas SantanaLucas Santana

Church of Sainta Chiara or Saint Claire. Monastery and church were built in 1310-1340 according to orders of King Robert I (1276-1343)of Naples also known as Robert the Wise and his Queen Sancha of Majorca (1281-1345). Church and monastery were reconstructed in XVII-XVIII centuries and got many elements of baroque architecture. During WW II monastery was badly damaged by USAF bombardment on August 4, 1943. During the restoration Church and monastery were restored and got their historical gothic style back. Only in cloister you are going to find baroque decorative tiles of XVIII century. These tile decorations were made by Italian painter, sculptor and architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro (1678-1745). Naples, Campania, 🇮🇹 Italy 🇮🇹. August 23, 2014. Excellent monument of medieval culture and architecture. There are many tombs of members of Angevin Royal family and local aristocracy. Many tombs are with effigies of deceased in full suits of armor. Admission is free but any donation is welcomed and highly appreciated. Visitors are allowed to take non commercial photo without flash light.

Oleg NaumovOleg Naumov

Extremely well-reconstructed, the Monastery complex is worth the visit. We started at the gardens, admiring the incredible patience and precision the architects observed to restore after such a heavy bombardment. Went on to watch the video recounting the history and process to get to what visitors can see today. Visited the excavation site in the premises to admire the incredible advancements they had back the days. Moved on to see (through a glass) the library. And finally strolled through the gardens and restored church. It was as if we were transported. Revived the pride with which it all was done and were able to witness, at least in part, the different styles used to keep this monument, a current/relevant one. Fun fact: one of the Monastery leaders decided back in the old days that it needed renovation, and that's how baroque style made it to this sanctuary. Definitely a top choice when visiting Naples.

Hiliana FieniegHiliana Fienieg

Visited this place as a second very important place while visiting first time of Naples. My Sunday visit was around noon time, queue was long but all moved very quickly. Tickets are available only in counter, Credit card payment possible. Entry is actually to the cloister itself with colorful tiles columns and benched, which are the main attraction of this place, inner garden, small museum, and archeological excavations, which I skipped, as it was overcrowded. Basilica of Santa Chiara is possible to visit free of charge from the main square. Inner patio with beautifully hand made pained tiles is stunning, but that's probably all. For my was interesting to visit small cloister library with bunch of vey old book since 14th century, illuminated Bible and gospel books in Latin.

Tomi ValnyTomi Valny

This monastic complex of church, monastery, and tombs was built in 1340 by Queen Sancha of Majorca and her husband King Robert of Naples, whose tomb is directly behind the main altar.The structure was partially destroyed during the Allied bombings of W.W. II but restored in 1953. It is the largest church ever built for the Order of Saint Clare, ( The Poor Clares), founded by Saint Frances of Assisi in 1212. While not as grand or ornate as Gesu Nuovo, it is still impressive in its simplicity as the interior nave is 140 ft tall and 246 ft long.

Robert PrejzaRobert Prejza

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Address

Via Santa Chiara, 49/c, 80134 Napoli NA, Italy

Map

Phone

+39 081 060 6976

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Website

monasterodisantachiara.it

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Overview

4.7

(6.4K reviews)

cultural

accessibility

The Hit List

Restaurants

Best 10 Restaurants to Visit in Naples

February 26·5 min read

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Best 10 Attractions to Visit in Naples

February 26·5 min read

Santa Chiara is a religious complex in Naples, Italy, that includes the Church of Santa Chiara, a monastery, tombs and an archeological museum. The Basilica church of Santa Chiara faces Via Benedetto Croce, which is the easternmost leg of Via Spaccanapoli. The church facade of Santa Chiara is diagonally across from the church of Gesù Nuovo. The double monastic complex was built in 1313–1340 by Queen Sancha of Majorca and her husband King Robert of Naples, who is also buried in the complex.[1] The original church was in traditional Provençal-Gothic style, but was decorated in the 17th century in Baroque style by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro. After the edifice was partially destroyed by a fire after the Allied bombings during World War II, it was brought back to the alleged original state by a disputed restoration, which was completed in 1953. The large rectangular building is 110.5 m long inside the walls, and 33 m wide. The walls of the nave are 47.5 m tall, and the nave itself is 82 m long. There are nine lateral chapels on each side of the nave, the roofs of the chapels are vaulted, and they support the gallery that runs the length of the nave. Above the gallery are the lancet windows of the clerestory. An unusual feature of the building is that the lateral chapels are absorbed into the body of the church, giving Santa Chiara its distinctive rectangular appearance. Another unusual feature of the building is the fact that the church does not have an apse, after the lateral chapels there is a section of the church with the high altar in the centre, flanked by the rectangular friar's choirs on either side. Behind the altar is the tomb of King Robert, behind that is a wall separating the main body of the church from the nuns' choir.[1] The wall between the nave of the church and the retrochoir is penetrated by three screened grilles through which the nuns could observe the mass, while being invisible to anybody in the nave. There are also four windows in the wall which mirror the four windows on the exterior of the church. There is a large stained glass lancet window above the altar. Above this is a triangular pattern are three rose windows. At the apex of the point of the roof, above the level of the wooden beams of the ceiling is a fourth, smaller, rose window. The nuns choir is different in plan from the main body of the church, with two large piers supported by rib vaults dividing the space into three sections. Santa Chiara was the largest Clarissan church ever built and it was the first Clarissan church built where the nuns in their choir would have been able to view the performance of Mass. The bell tower, separated from the main edifice, was begun in 1328 but was completed only in Renaissance times.

pan Kpan K

The construction of the monumental complex of S.Claire began in 1310, by the will of King Robert of Anjou and his wife Sancha of Majorca. The Franciscan citadel was set up by erecting two convents: one for the Clarisses, and the other for Franciscan Friars Minor. The church is now in its original Gothic style, with a simple facade in which the ancient pierced rose window is nestled. In 1742 the church underwent changes by the hand of the architect D.A. Vaccaro. Pompous coatings gave the complex a baroque aspect. On August 4th of 1943 the church was almost completely destroyed by aerial bombardment. It was rebuilt and restored according to the original Gothic style. Ten years later the church was reopened for worshipers. Over the centuries, the cloister has undergone various transformations. The most important was performed by D.A. Vaccaro between 1739 and 1742. Vaccaro built two avenues which, intersecting, divide the area into four areas. Octagonal pillars line the perimeter, coated with majolica ceramic floral decorations. The pillars are connected by benches covered of tiles with popular, rural, maritime and mythological scenes. The four walls of the cloister were covered with seventeenth century frescoes depicting Saints, allegories and scenes of the Old Testament. Inside the complex you can see a nativity scene featuring shepherds of the eighteenth and the nineteenth century, the Museum in which it is possible to admire a cross-section of the Neapolitan history from antiquity to the twentieth century, some of the treasures the bombings of 1943 failed to destroy and an archeological area with remains of a Roman spa.

Lucas SantanaLucas Santana

Church of Sainta Chiara or Saint Claire. Monastery and church were built in 1310-1340 according to orders of King Robert I (1276-1343)of Naples also known as Robert the Wise and his Queen Sancha of Majorca (1281-1345). Church and monastery were reconstructed in XVII-XVIII centuries and got many elements of baroque architecture. During WW II monastery was badly damaged by USAF bombardment on August 4, 1943. During the restoration Church and monastery were restored and got their historical gothic style back. Only in cloister you are going to find baroque decorative tiles of XVIII century. These tile decorations were made by Italian painter, sculptor and architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro (1678-1745). Naples, Campania, 🇮🇹 Italy 🇮🇹. August 23, 2014. Excellent monument of medieval culture and architecture. There are many tombs of members of Angevin Royal family and local aristocracy. Many tombs are with effigies of deceased in full suits of armor. Admission is free but any donation is welcomed and highly appreciated. Visitors are allowed to take non commercial photo without flash light.

Oleg NaumovOleg Naumov

Extremely well-reconstructed, the Monastery complex is worth the visit. We started at the gardens, admiring the incredible patience and precision the architects observed to restore after such a heavy bombardment. Went on to watch the video recounting the history and process to get to what visitors can see today. Visited the excavation site in the premises to admire the incredible advancements they had back the days. Moved on to see (through a glass) the library. And finally strolled through the gardens and restored church. It was as if we were transported. Revived the pride with which it all was done and were able to witness, at least in part, the different styles used to keep this monument, a current/relevant one. Fun fact: one of the Monastery leaders decided back in the old days that it needed renovation, and that's how baroque style made it to this sanctuary. Definitely a top choice when visiting Naples.

Hiliana FieniegHiliana Fienieg

Visited this place as a second very important place while visiting first time of Naples. My Sunday visit was around noon time, queue was long but all moved very quickly. Tickets are available only in counter, Credit card payment possible. Entry is actually to the cloister itself with colorful tiles columns and benched, which are the main attraction of this place, inner garden, small museum, and archeological excavations, which I skipped, as it was overcrowded. Basilica of Santa Chiara is possible to visit free of charge from the main square. Inner patio with beautifully hand made pained tiles is stunning, but that's probably all. For my was interesting to visit small cloister library with bunch of vey old book since 14th century, illuminated Bible and gospel books in Latin.

Tomi ValnyTomi Valny

This monastic complex of church, monastery, and tombs was built in 1340 by Queen Sancha of Majorca and her husband King Robert of Naples, whose tomb is directly behind the main altar.The structure was partially destroyed during the Allied bombings of W.W. II but restored in 1953. It is the largest church ever built for the Order of Saint Clare, ( The Poor Clares), founded by Saint Frances of Assisi in 1212. While not as grand or ornate as Gesu Nuovo, it is still impressive in its simplicity as the interior nave is 140 ft tall and 246 ft long.

Robert PrejzaRobert Prejza

Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara

Plan your stay

Pet-friendly Hotels in Naples

Affordable Hotels in Naples

The Coolest Hotels You Haven't Heard Of (Yet)

Trending Stays Worth the Hype in Naples

Posts

Nearby Attractions Of Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara

Sansevero Chapel Museum

Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Castel Nuovo

Sansevero Chapel Museum

Naples National Archaeological Museum

Underground Naples

Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta

Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo

Murale Diego Armando Maradona - Quartieri Spagnoli

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

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Gino e Toto Sorbillo

L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele

Trattoria da Nennella

Antica Pizzeria Di Matteo

Il rifugio Wine bar PEPPE MASIELLO. SPRITZ

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