Naples Cathedral

Coordinates: 40°51′09″N 14°15′35″E / 40.8525°N 14.2596°E / 40.8525; 14.2596
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Naples Cathedral
Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Neo-gothic
Groundbreaking13th century
Completed19th century

Naples Cathedral (

the city's patron saint
.

History

View of the interior, towards the apse

The present cathedral in

palaeo-Christian basilicas
, whose traces can still be clearly seen. Underneath the building excavations have revealed Greek and Roman artifacts.

The Archbishop's Palace adjoins the cathedral.

Interior and artwork

Dome of the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius

The cathedral gives access to the archaeological remains in the crypt of the neighbouring original palaeochristian church of Santa Restituta where there is a Greek wall belonging to the temple of Apollo, in opus reticulatum. Under the apse the peristyle of a late imperial domus can be seen; also a stretch of Roman aqueduct after the foundation of the city and a stretch of Greek road on an inclined plane.

Another attraction of the interior is the

Jusepe Ribera, the rich high altar by Francesco Solimena, the bronze railing by Cosimo Fanzago
and other artworks, including a reliquary by French masters of the 14th century.

Other artworks include an Assumption by

Decameron
, has 14th-century frescoes.

The

Tino da Camaino
.


Miracle of the Blood

Main article: Januarius § The Blood Miracle

The church houses a vial of the blood of Saint Januarius, which is brought out three times a year, on the first Saturday in May, on 19 September and 16 December, when the dried blood usually liquefies. If the blood fails to liquefy, then legend has it that disaster will befall Naples.

A recent hypothesis by Garlaschelli, Ramaccini, and Della Sala is that the vial contains a

National Geographic Channel.[3] In such a substance viscosity increases if left unstirred and decreases if stirred or moved. Researchers have proposed specifically a suspension of hydrated iron oxide, FeO(OH), which reproduces the color and behavior of the 'blood' in the ampoule.[4] The suspension can be prepared from simple chemicals that would have been easily available locally since antiquity.[5][6]
On March 21, 2015, the blood in the vial appeared to liquify during a visit by Pope Francis. This was taken as a sign of the saint's favour of the pope. The blood did not liquify when Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2007.

Burials

Detail of the apse

References

  1. ^ Garlaschelli, L.; Ramaccini, F.; Della Sala, S. (1994). "The Blood of St. Januarius". Chemistry in Britain. 30 (2): 123. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  2. ^ Christopher, Kevin (22 September 2000). "The Miracle Blood of Saint Januarius". Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Archived from the original on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2007.;
  3. National Geographic Channel
    – Riddles of the Dead – Blood Miracle
  4. ^ Garlaschelli, Luigi (June 2002). "Sangue prodigioso" (PDF). RICHMAC Magazine (in Italian). 84: 67–70. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  5. Journal of Scientific Exploration. 6: 233–246. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2007.[unreliable source?
    ]
  6. ^ Owen, Richard (20 September 2005). "Naples blood boils at miracle's 'debunking'". The Times. London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 2 March 2007.
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