What to do and see in Pendino, Campania: The Best Churches & Cathedrals

The Association RESPIRIAMO ARTE offers a unique tour in the Church of Art of Silk of Saints Philip and James. Tour's duration is 30 minutes, it walking inside the story of noble Silk Art and includes the visit of the Church and some secret special place: the remains of frescos of XVI century, the wood Neapolitan Sacristy of XVIII century, the Crypt where men of Silk Corporation were buried and archaeological remains in the inside courtyard. A guided tour that returns to Naples the title of City of Silk. Guided tours every 40 minutes with admission until 30 minutes before the closing. The Guided Tour in English language is possible with a descriptive brochure of the places and their history but always following the tour group in Italian language.

The church was founded by Bartolomeo Di Capua in 1327 and became a place of worship for the Guild of Pipernieri, Frabbicatori and Tagliamonti that in Santa Lucia entrusted the protection of sight, put at risk by their profession. In the basement of the church is kept the famous Skull with Ears, from which the Neapolitans, up until the 1900s, went to pray.

The Monumental Complex of St. Chiara, including the Church, the Monastery and the Convent, had been raised since 1310 to 1328 by the will of the King Roberto d’Angio and his wife Sancia of Majorca. The sovereigns, both devoted to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Chiara, wanted to build a Franciscan citadel that housed in the Convent the Clarisses and in the contiguous Monastery the Friars Minor. The Church, central nucleus of the whole complex, rose with the title of Saint Host or Sacred Body of Christ, dedication suggested by the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, happened in 1264; the denomination changed immediately in Santa Chiara, probably for the extraordinary number of Clarisses introduces in the Convent.

At the beginning of the XVII century the Clarisse Nuns of the Monastery of Santa Maria Donnaregina decided to build a new Church better complying with the Baroque taste. The construction began in the first quarter of the century seeing the participation of the most renowned artists of the period, such as F. Solimena and L.Giordano. Prestigious masterpieces by famous artists such as A. Falcone, L. Giordano, F. Solimena, M. Stanzione, M. Pino da Siena, A. Vaccaro, C. Mellin were brought back to the Church on the occasion of the opening of the Diocese Museum, whose permanent exhibition within the Church covers a surface of nearly 3000 square mt. On display also gold and silver liturgical pieces, among the others the St. Leonzio Reliquary Cross and the St. Vincenzo Treasure. The arrangement of the works of art of the Museum follows a thematic itinerary covering the most significant subjects of Christian Faith. The wide spaces available make the Museum an ideal location to host any kind

"Pezzentele" Souls Church In the heart of the ancient center of Naples, along via dei Tribunali, there is the Church of Santa Maria delle Anime in Purgatory in Arco, known to the Neapolitan people as the church "de '' e cape 'e morte" (the head of dead). Crossing the threshold begins a real journey in the Neapolitan culture between art, faith, life, death. From the small and beautiful church of the '600, which preserves the precious marble and winged skull of Dionisio Lazzari, together with masterpieces by Massimo Stanzione, Luca Giordano and Andrea Vaccaro, we descend into the ancient and grandiose hypogeum (the underground church) that still hosts the fascinating worship aimed at anonymous human remains that become special intermediaries for invocations, prayers, requests for intercessions. A small museum set up in the elegant sacristy completes the itinerary.