Girolamini, Naples

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The Church and Convent of the Girolamini or Gerolamini is a church and ecclesiastical complex in

. It is one block west of Via Duomo.

History

The church was built site of an earlier building, the Palazzo Seripando, which was bought in 1586 with 5500 ducats for the priests of the Congregation of the

colonnades and with lateral chapels. It was initially consecrated to the Birth of the Virgin of and All Saints (Ognisanti).

There are two cloisters: the first cloister is called the "chiostro maiolicato" from its embedded

.

The Church and the convent gallery contain works by major artists. The lavish gilt ceiling was badly damaged during aerial bombardment in February 1944, but has been partially restored.

The church counterfacade has a Giordano painting of Jesus ejects the moneylenders from the Temple. The lateral doors have frescoes of Heliodorus and the Angel and Oza morto presso l’Arca by

The church and complex take their name of Girolamini from that which was first applied to the priests of the Oratory and which is derived from the Church of

St Philip Neri

first established his religious exercises.

Sacristy

Entered from the right transept, the sacristy displays a series of painting including a St. Francis in Ecstasy (1622) and Jesus meets St John the Baptist (1622) by Guido Reni, and a St. Nicholas of Bari saves three children from a vat, San Carlo Borromeo kisses the hand of St Phillip Neri, St Charles Borromeo and St. Philip Neri by Giordano. The next room has a ceiling fresco depicting the Glory of St Philip Neri by Beinaschi.

Biblioteca Girolamini

The Biblioteca Girolamini is the library associated with the church since the 16th century. It previously contained thousands of manuscripts and printed volumes.

Looting in 2012

In December 2013, it was reported^[4][5] that there had been systematic looting of the Biblioteca Girolamini. Images showed empty shelves and tables piled with papers. Senior Police investigator, Major Antonio Coppola, was quoted as saying, "Our investigations found that there was a true criminal system in action," and that "A group of people... carried out a devastating, systematic looting of the library." The report stated that Professor Tomaso Montanari, an art historian and academic, first alerted the police to what was happening, after having gained access to the library along with a student in early 2012. The Professor said, "One of the library's members of staff took me aside, away from the CCTV cameras, and said: 'Professor, the director (Marino Massimo de Caro) has been looting the library!'"^[4] de Caro had been appointed in 2011.

De Caro was arrested soon after investigations began in 2012. Investigations showed that vehicle-loads of books had been removed and sold by the now-convicted criminals, who had waited until after normal working hours, turned off the rudimentary CCTV system, and then proceeded with their looting.^[4]

De Caro was convicted along with accomplices in early 2013 and sentenced to seven years jail, although, due to his cooperation this was commuted to house arrest.^[4] Around 80% of the lost volumes had been recovered by late 2013, with the assistance of antiquarian booksellers and collectors, although many valuable artefacts remain unaccounted for.^[4]

In 2019 Giancarlo Petrella published about incunabula at the library based on early catalogs.^[6]

Gallery

• 
  Baptism of Christ by Battistello Caracciolo
• 
  St Andrew by

  Jose Ribera
• 
  Flagellation of Christ by

  Jose Ribera
• 
  St James by

  Jose Ribera
• 
  St Paul by

  Jose Ribera
• 
  St Peter by

  Jose Ribera
• 
  St Phillip Neri by

  Sammartino

References

Sources

• A new guide of Naples, its environs, Procida, Ischia and Capri: Compiled ...By Mariano Vasi, page 286, by Giovanni Battista de Ferrari. 1826 Naples.

External links

• Girolamini official website (in Italian)

40°51′07″N 14°15′30″E / 40.851884°N 14.258390°E / 40.851884; 14.258390