RIONE SANITA'

September 17, 2024

Rebirth. There is no more appropiate word to describe what is happening to the Sanitá district, the area between Capodimonte and the back of the Archeological Museum.

In the past, this part of the city was very dangerous and very poor. Famous to be the set of many old movies and to be the birth place of the most popular Neapolitan comedian, actor and poet of all time ‘Totó’, where today you can visit his old home.

Situated in the Stella-San Carlo quarter, Sanitá as we see it today was developed in the 16th century on land north of Napoli outside the walls of the city.

Originally, Sanita was a wooded area with springs of pure water (probably from this it took the name Sanitá, health) and it started off as a greek-roman burial area and this is where you can find the greek and early christian catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso and also the Fontanelle Cemetery, where victims of the plague were buried in 1656. This might be another theory about the origin of the name. Not only the health of the living but also of the dead. This is explained by the deep connection between Neapolitans and the after life. The Fontanelle cemetery is a typical example of this where people used to come to the cemetery and ‘adopt’ a skull or a skeleton in order to look after it and ask for a ‘miracle’. You can read more about the cemetery here.

Centuries after centuries, Sanitá became very poor and dangerous, even though royalty and aristocratic families built their palaces in the area and many religious orders settled there too. This is the reason why Sanitá has the highest number of churches in Napoli.

Only in recent years have things started to change for the better in Sanitá. Inhabitants started to tire of the increasing crime rate and decided to try and improve the area themselves. This part of Napoli, completely abandoned by institutions and politicians for so many years, is improving thanks to the courage and industry of many young Neapolitans, who instead of move abroad (like many) decided to work hard and make the area a better place to live and more pleasant for tourists to visit and see all the amazing things this zone has to offer.

Lots of things to see in Sanitá then. First of all the Fontanelle Cemetery, which is planned to reopen soon after a restyling of the entrance by the world renowned italian architect Lorenzo Piano.

As I have already mentioned, the key of this rebirth is the younger generation which made possible the restoration and the reopening of the San Gennaro and San Gaudioso catacombs. It is called the Cooperative of the Paranza. To know more about the catacombs and this project visit their official website here: Catacombs of Naples.

This Cooperative is also responsable for the restoration of Sant' Aspreno ai Crociferi church, where the sculptor Jago based his studio and his permanent exhibition of sculptures. His art is deeply inspired by the classical sculpture of the greatest Italian sculptors such as Michelangelo. Jago is so deeply inspired by this area and and Napoli which is visible in his works of art, in particular the Veiled son, a clear reference to the Veiled Christ in the Sansevero chapel. Jago is also working on a very ambitious project for Sanitá: making a giant David statue like Michelangelo’s statue in Florence, but in the guise of a woman.

The model of Jago's statue in Sant' Aspreno ai Crociferi church.

You can visit the the Jago Museum and the catacombs with the same ticket and it is valid for one year.

There is also the restoration of the abandoned church of Santa Maria Maddalena ai Cristallini (also known as Chiesa dei Cristallini). The church reopened as an art gallery after being closed for 40 years. Locals contributed in creating their own works of art inspired by the life and people of the area. It is filled with portraits of the same residents you can see on the streets of Sanitá, who have lived here with their families all their lives.

A little hidden gem of Sanitá is the Palazzo dello Spagnolo, in via dei Vergini. The Palace was built in 1738 for an aristocratic family and is an exquisite example of Neapolitan Rococo style. Today the palace is divided into apartments although it is open to the public for guided tours.

The younger generation as well as students moving in and immigrant communities settling there as well as tourists visiting is creating a new dynamism in Sanitá then. Thanks to them many abandoned churches or convents have now been converted into bed and breakfasts and hotels in order to attract tourists. This definitely seems to be working! A big advantage of Sanitá is that is a cheaper area to stay in although at the same time it is very central. This has led to many a new opening of pizzerias and typical Neapolitan food restaurants. One pizzeria even has a Michelin star ‘Michelin da Concettina ai Tre Santi’. Enjoy!.

Nativity in one of the shops on San Gregorio Armeno.

PRESEPE NAPOLETANO

November 16, 2023

The Christmas tree in many parts of the world is the symbol of Christmas. Not in Napoli. Here we have a very old and deep tradition: The Presepe, the Nativity.

There’s no Neapolitan house that doesn’t have their own version of the Presepe: small or large, simple or elaborate, modern or classical. In fact, one of my oldest memories as a child was of my grumpy uncle who turned into a happy child when he showed you his presepe, ‘his masterpiece’, which he displayed the whole year round in the living room.

Some people go mad decorating their homes and lawns with Christmas lights and decorations. Neapolitans go crazy with the nativity.

We need to go back in history to really understand the deep connection between this tradition and the Neapolitans. The 17th century is the golden age of the Presepe, however the origins date back far longer, as they were first documented in the 11th century.

The first known church to display a Presepe was in the 15th century when San Domenico Maggiore church displayed the Nativity scene inside a cave made with real stones rumoured to have been brought from Palestine. Since then until now every church in Naples displays its own Presepe.

The figures of the Neapolitan Presepe include the traditional statues of the Holy Family and also of the ‘Pastori’, which are made up of the shepherds, as well as lots of characters found on the old streets of Naples such as fishermen, merchants, bakers and ordinary men, women and children. Eventually these Presepe became status symbols where aristocrats and rich merchants began to commission pastori with their own features to display in their extravagant nativity scenes and a whole industry sprung up to meet this growing demand. Many workshops started to specialise in making these statues and you can still find them in the old town on the street known as San Gregorio Armeno. Even King Charles III of Bourbon was a fan who actively encouraged the practice. The 17th century was when the technique of making the statues was perfected. The faces were made with terracotta, which could give them a realistic range of facial expressions, then glass eyes were added. The bodies were constructed of bound string, richly dressed in expensive fabrics.

Today in the shops on San Gregorio Armeno you will find statues of figures from contemporary life such as footballers which include of course Maradona, the royal family, celebrities from the world of music and film and even pizzaiolo’s (pizza makers). Here you can also purchase the scenes to place them in which often resemble Neapolitan alleyways. If you go in the month of December expect to encounter large crowds. Be warned, it gets very busy!.

Nowadays, some of the most magnificent Presepe in Napoli are the ones exhibited inside the Museum of San Martino and at the Royal Palace on Piazza Plebiscito. The most spectacular one in San Martino is known as Presepe Cuciniello named after the nobleman who commissioned it in 1879 and it still sits in its original position. This Presepe is a unique example of the technology of its day. It sits inside a cave behind huge glass windows and a machine recreates the different stages of the day, from sunrise to dusk and throughout the night-time, all in a matter of minutes. The Presepe includes all manner of figures and every type of animals, as well as exquisitely crafted fruits and vegetables and meats and fish.

See more in the section I wrote about San Martino here.

*Presepe Cuciniello*, dated 1879 in San Martino.

Part of the collection of the Presepe section of the museum in San Martino.

The Presepe on display at the Royal Palace, belongs to the Banco di Napoli and it is a collection of several Neapolitan artists, like Giuseppe Sanmartino (sculptor of the breathtaking Cristo Velato in the Sansevero Chapel). It is a 17th century Neapolitan scene in which all the figures wear oriental and elegant clothes and which even includes Vesuvius in the background.

If you want to make your own Presepe, these are some of the characters of the tradition which you must be include in your scene. Benino (or Benito) is the young sleeping shepherd, which represents the awareness of the birth of Jesus. The vintner, to represent the wine, the blood of Jesus. The fisherman, always a reference to the Gospel. I due compari, two men at the tavern playing with cards, who represent Carnival and death. Last but not least i Re Magi, the three kings, which according to tradition, arrived in Jerusalem with gifts for the baby Jesus. For those fanatical about Presepe, it is very common to place three small kings in the background at the start of the festive period as they are coming from far away and then every few days they are replaced with bigger and bigger statues until January 5th when they finally arrive at the stable to visit baby Jesus, whose statue is only put in the scene at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Benino (or Benito), the sleeping shepherd.

Details of the precious clothes of some *pastori*.

As I previously mentioned, you can visit the San Martino museum and the Royal Palace Presepe, but the best way to experience the real Presepe Napoletano is to visit ‘Christmas Alley’ San Gregorio Armeno. This is one of the alleys in the old town, famous for all its shops where they sell and make all the statues of the presepe. You can find here any type of statues, from the cheapest (only few euros), to the most expensive (thousands of euros). You can also find elaborate pieces such as waterfalls with real water, mills, ovens, and all you can put in a nativity scene.

The famous Christmas alley, San Gregorio Armeno.

The amazing shops in San Gregorio Armeno.

You don’t need to be religious to appreciate The Neapolitan Presepe. When you walk around San Gregorio Armeno and all the other Presepe in Napoli, I’m sure you will be amazed by this fascinating world of tradition and modernity and by the the skills and the dedication of the artists who have created these wonderful things, generation after generation. These shops are open all year round and every January these presepe makers start to plan and work on the new presepe for the next Christmas.

One of the oldest workshops in San Gregorio Armeno.

You can make your own presepe with some barn/villages.

Barns like a traditional Neapolitan house.

Vegetables & fruits. All hand made and painted.

The incredible expressivity of the pastori in the San Lorenzo church.

Details of the pastori in the San Lorenzo church.

Welcome to Napoli ….. City of Art and…..Champions of Italy!

Napoli - THE RENAISSANCE

June 21, 2023

If you have been in Napoli these past months, you must have seen an explosion of blue & white banners, flags and pictures of Maradona around the city. Probably you must have thought ‘what’s going on here?’. It’s a very simple explanation. Napoli football club won the serie A, which is the the main football championship in Italy.

It is very hard for me to explain what this victory means for the city.

Because is NOT just a game, but it is much much more. A lot more.

Napoli is feeling like it’s a city on the up. The successful football season gave the city a new vibrant, self confident feeling. Yes, because you might think ‘It’s just a game’. Probably true, but not in Napoli. We live everything to the extreme! Including football.

We need to go back a few years to fully understand why football is so important to the citizens of Naples.

Precisely 33 years ago there was a man called Maradona. You can love him or hate him, surely as a human being he can be criticised, but as a football player (except for the English) he was a God, at least in Napoli.

I am old enough to remember what he did for the city. When he arrived in 1984 the city was in a sorry state of decline and the football team were a real disaster. But he gave Neapolitans hope. It was like David against Goliath, the hopeless Neapolitan team of the south against the big boy rich teams of the north, such as Juventus, Inter & AC Milan. No one believed in us, but Maradona took Naples to two league championships and to UEFA cup glory.

Maradona was the catalyst that initiated Naples steady ascent from the dark days of urban decay and crime to a reawakening of what Naples had to offer the world. Beauty, passion, life and vitality. Since the pandemic this renaissance has accelerated. Improvements in infrastructure and ambitious civic projects are finally unlocking the potential of the city. Today it is a safer more business friendly city. Tourism as well is growing rapidly. Once, not so long ago, tourists would only fly into Naples to use it only as a gateway to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. But now all that is changing. People from all over the world are finally discovering what an incredible city Napoli is and it is becoming a destination city like Rome, Florence or Venice.

Going back to the football, that is why it is so important. Because it has given the city a new optimistic and joyful vibe. Even the elderly ladies at the market were talking about it like they were professional managers! Around March this year, despite the famous superstitious nature of the Neapolitan people, we started to decorate the streets with blue and white flags even before it was certain that Napoli would win the championship!. It didn't really matter, Neapolitans were happy to be doing so well anyway. We were determined to enjoy the moment we had been waiting 33 years for.

Believe me, in all my life I’ve never seen my city so beautiful and joyful, and studying art I feel proud that tourists are discovering and loving Napoli with its amazing architecture, its incredible treasures, its beautiful landmarks and traditions, and of course food.

It is safe to quote Goethe ‘See Napoli and then die’ (‘Vedi Napoli e poi muori’) because there’s no other place like it.

Banners and flags all over the monuments and buildings.

I asked my artist husband to make banner ……he made a masterpiece!

In loving memory to my dad (big Napoli fan), his favourite flag!

Religion and Devotion in Napoli.

March 27, 2017

Easter is just around the corner, and like Christmas, it's a festival that's very important in the Neapolitan life. That's why I thought it would be very interesting to write about religion in Napoli and how deep the connection is between religion and the city. As soon as you step into Napoli, it's everywhere, not only in the churches but also in the streets.

During the centuries, an incredible number of churches (over 448) have been built in the heart of the city, to control the criminality and to comfort and help the people against poverty and the plague. That's why today we have real treasures in every street which makes the city even more special. Many Neapolitans, are still very religious and express this sentiment in many ways as public and private devotion, not only in the churches, but also in their own homes and even in the street.

A modern type of aedicula on on via Girolamo Santacroce.

A modern aedicula in the narrow alleys of the inner city.

If you have a wander around the city, you will certainly bump in to an aedicule on a street, it's like a shrine but different. It's an architectural structure which might contain images, statues, flowes, lights and candles. Its origin is very old and can be traced back to the greeks who used to distribute images of gods along the old city of Neapolis. During the time of King Charles III of Bourbon in the 18th century, many aedicules were built, not only for religious purposes, but also to light up the narrow dark streets during the night due to the candles.

Some aedicules have statues in terracotta with the shapes of naked men and women burning in flames. They are the 'anime pezzentelle', the poor souls' of sinners in Purgatory waiting for absolution, in order to enter Paradise. These statues have the features of real people, made for the relatives from the workshops in San Gregorio Armeno, in order to ask the people to pray for their lost souls. You can find many of these aedicules in the Spanish Quarter, Pizzofalcone and in the inner city.

The collection of ex-voto in Gesú Nuovo Church.

Another expression of devotion is the ex-voto, a votive offering to a saint or divinity in fulfilment of a vow, a gift of devotion or gratitude. For example, people used to and still do, offer a letter and a metal plate with the shape of a body part or organ to a saint, or the Virgin Mary in order to receive healing. Many of these plates can be found in churches around Naples, like at the Gesu' Nuovo in the centro storico.

Ex-voto at the back of the glass case, offered to St. Francis Xaverio in the Gesú Nuovo Church.

Guglia dell'Immacolata in piazza del Gesú.

The guglia is some of the most interesting religious structure in Napoli. It is a pinnacle or obelisk with saints, putti and angels raised to the sky. There are quite a few in the city. The most important is the Guglia dell'Immacoltata (Obelisk of the Immaculate Mary). Situated in piazza del Gesu' in the heart of the old city, it was commissioned by the Jesuits in 1743 and funded by donations. This theatrical obelisk dominates the square with its rich decorations of statues, reliefs and medallions. It was designed by the architect Giuseppe Genuino and decorated by Matteo Bottigliero and Francesco Pagano in the rococo style. At the top is the gilded copper statue of Mary. Still today, on the 8th of December every year, the day of the celebration of the Immaculate, the mayor and the cardinal place a ladder against the monument and climb up to place a crown of flowers on the head of the madonna.

The second most important and ancient guglia is the Guglia di San Gennaro, dedicated to the patron saint of Naples Saint Gennaro. It is situated in piazza Sisto Riario Sforza, near The Pio Monte della Misericordia (the church with Caravaggio's painting seven acts of Mercy, see my blog) and not far from the Duomo, where the celebrations of the saint still take place. This guglia was made by Cosimo Fanzago, one of the most important Neapolitan sculptors, a few years after the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631. The Neapolitans believed (and still do now) that Saint Gennaro protected the city from the eruption. A group known as The Delegation of the Treasure of San Gennaro decided to raise a statue to the saint. The guglia is a celebration of the baroque style. The base is decorated with volutes and sirens and at the top stands a bronze statue of San Gennaro, looking out watchful over his city.

San Gennaro Guglia in Sisto Riario Sforza.

The third guglia is the obelisk in piazza San Domenico, built in 1656 by the Neapolitans for the Dominican order to prevent the plague. For the importance of the work was called initially Cosimo Fanzago, whom was already working at the San Gennaro's guglia, and completed by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro in 1736.

San Domenico guglia in piazza San Domenico.

It is so strong in our culture that even today we Neapolitans create new symbols of devotion. It is not a scandal to find in the old town the aedicule dedicated to Diego Maradona, the Argentinian footballer who played for Napoli in the 80s. Yes, why not?. For many Neapolitans he is the greatest football player they ever had, who made Napoli title winners. He is a little bit like Saint Gennaro who protected the city from the volcano, isn't he?

The aedicule dedicated to the football player Maradona, in the centro storico.

Very popular is jewellery inspired by the ex-voto. The Neapolitan artist Daria Cadalt is the designer of the La Petitpoup Accessories, a handmade collection of necklaces, made out of gypsum with the shapes of small body parts, arms and hands. If you are interested in Daria's work, have a look at her Facebook page or her youtube channel, La Petitpoup Accessories.

Jewellery inspired by the ex-voto culture, La Petitpoup Assessorise.

La Movida . . . . Neapolitan Night life.

January 27, 2017

Napoli is a lively city at night as well as during the day. As soon as the sun goes down, it becomes a very interesting universe of joyful people, kids playing football, girls wearing the best dresses just to impress, families, couples and singles, it is a place where everything is possible, even some bookshops turn into vibrant bars or the fishmonger shops into smart fish restaurants.

Bars and restaurants are open until late and are always busy. For late I mean, really late almost until dawn. Some could be scared just to go out in the 'dangerous' alleys of Napoli. It's nothing like that. I have been living in Napoli all my life and I have always felt safe. Just take the usual precautions that you would do in any other city. I actually found that many tourists get used to this night 'lifestyle' very easily. How could you not.

Especially in Summer, when the schools are finished, the heat is more gentle in the evening, from the promenade to the historical centre, everywhere is always very crowded with markets, musicians or just people that can't sleep or don't want to. Everywhere is an interesting place to visit. It just depends of what you are looking for. You can have a pizza or a burger, to sit in or take away. There are also lounge bars and wine bars (enoteche), or listen to live classical music in an old churche or a dj set in a pub.

Kids playing football in piazza Dante until late.

The areas called baretti which means 'little bars' have a lot of lounge bars, clubs and bars where you can have a nice drink and chill out with friends. There are many around Napoli and they are not only for the young people, there is a huge choice for every age. The old town, from piazza Dante around piazza del Gesu' and Monteoliveto is an area very crowded especially with students, in fact not far from there is a university. Here there are lots of pizzerias, restaurants, kebab shops and bars where you can have a nice cocktail or a shot for €2. Not far from here is the Keste' which is more than a bar, it's an art gallery with live music sessions.

Book shops in the morning, bars in the evening in piazza Dante.

Pizzerias open until late, Port'Alba pizzeria.

In the posh area of Riviera di Chiaia you will find small and trendy bars with dj set music like the Kiki bar or many more around via Chiaia, via San Pasquale or vico Belledonne. There is no need for me to tell you which one is the best, there are so many and they are always full of people. A nice walk along the promenade to Borgo Marinari around the Castel dell' Ovo is a very interesting spot for restaurants and bars near the sea.

Going up to the hill of Vomero you will pass to via Aniello Falcone, another area full of baretti like Il Baretto, One, Baik or Flame. The bonus of this area is the stunning view of the gulf, which is not included in the price!

Once you are at the Vomero, there is a good choice of bars and pubs, like Goodfellas, where every night there are live tribute bands performing. There is the famous Fonoteca with a huge range of classic cocktails and music. Some other bars have on certain days of the week cocktails at fixed prices from around €1 to €3.

All the areas have very trendy and popular bars so for me it is not easy to recommend one in particular. The beauty of going out is not only the venue itself but what's around, in fact the night life is more outside, in the streets, in the narrow alleys and in the squares. It is this vibe that makes this city so unique and charming.

If you want to stay out until late be aware that much of the transports will close quite early (check the section Travel info of my website for metro and funicular timetables) however, you can walk from one place to another (for instance from the old part to the promenade is more or less 30 minutes) but if you are getting to or from the Vomero taking a taxi will cost you around €15.

A typical Neapolitan night out is not to get drunk, but to enjoy some good food, a chat with friends and few drinks. If you want to live like the 'local' you should go first to a pizzeria or a pub and then in one of those bars until you are not too tired. There is no rush, remember, you are in Napoli, and here having a good time is more important than sleep!

Book shop in the daytime, bar at night, Perditempo, Vico S. Pietro a Maiella, 8, 80138. — Book shop in the daytime, bar at night, Perditempo, Vico S. Pietro a Maiella, 8, 80138.

Pizza take away at Pizzeria I Decumani, Via dei Tribunali, 58, 80138 Napoli — Pizza take away at Pizzeria I Decumani, Via dei Tribunali, 58, 80138 Napoli

Another book shop/bar Libreria Berisio, Via Port'Alba, 28, 80134 Napoli. — Another book shop/bar Libreria Berisio, Via Port'Alba, 28, 80134 Napoli.

If you need a quick refreshment, for a few euros you can have a handmade lemonade.

WHAT'S ON IN DECEMBER?

December 1, 2016

Napoli is a great city to visit during the Christmas holidays. Of course, it's good to visit anytime of the year, but in December there's an amazing vibe. If you are going, or thinking about going to Naples in December, here is all the info on what's going on in the city in December. If not, well, maybe now's a good time to plan a trip for next year!

You can feel Christmas in every corner of the city, from San Gregorio Armeno to the promenade. This year more than ever is going to be stunning. First of all, there are going to be many activities from the 8th December, the official date for the opening of the season.

This year the main attraction is the giant 'N'albero, a Christmas tree formed of three terraces and more than 30 metres tall, situated at the Rotonda Diaz by the promenade. In the bottom section which is free to enter, there are art galleries, shops, restaurants, a bistro and an american bar, where it is possible to taste any kind of food, from the traditional neapolitan to sushi. At the top section there is the breathtaking panoramic terrace overlooking the bay of Naples. There is an admission fee for the top section which has not been confirmed, but will be around €8 and will be open from 10 in the morning until 10 at night. It will be accessible by lifts. During the weekdays it will be possible to attend yoga classes, live music sessions and other various events and will be visible from all the gulf and the islands. It will be open from December 8th everyday until February 8th.

Decorations all around Napoli: via dei Mille.

Not only the promenade is going to shine but also the old town (centro storico). Here, on December 10th there is going to be "The Night of Art", which In Italian is Notte d'Arte - 2016 NutriMenti, culture e cibo nella storia dei popoli, which literally means 'feed the mind' and will be a series of cultural and gastronomical activities of every aspect of the neapolitan tradition and history and will take place in all the squares, shops, museums, churches and cloister gardens all night long. Particularly interesting are the non-stop concerts at the church of San Pietro a Majella.

Do you need another reason to visit Napoli?. Well, I will give you another one; all these activities in the Notte d'Arte will be free and I bet, very busy. But that's the beauty of Napoli: every experience is best only when you are sharing the joyful moment with other neapolitans and visitors.

There will be Christmas decorations at the entrance of the train station in Piazza Garibaldi where there will be an exhibit of the first presepe completely in ice. It will be on display from December 6th until January 8th and will be absolutely unique in all the world. The ice presepe has been carved from 20 tonnes of ice.

There will be also be a tour around the secrets and mysteries of Naples, looking for ghosts and legends in the heart of Napoli. Tickets for the tour are €8 (€5 reduced, free for kids under 12 years old) and will start at the church of Santa Maria la Nova.

Loads of things to do then!. I hope you will enjoy your Christmas in Napoli and come back very soon!

In the meantime....decorations in Casa Cardillo!

The new installation of N'Albero by the promenade.

Caravaggio in Napoli.

November 1, 2016

When you look at Caravaggio's paintings you are also looking at Napoli. It is in the chiaroscuro, the contrast between the dramatic darkness and light, in the visceral depiction of bodies, dirty hands, expressive faces which are taken directly from the poor streets of Napoli.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) visited Napoli twice, in 1606 on the run from a murder charge in Rome and in 1610, just before his death on the way back to Rome. Napoli was a part of the Spanish Empire at that time and the city was a vibrant cultural and economic centre due to its important port. Many artists from all over Europe were attracted to the city by the commissions for the many churches and cathedrals.

In Napoli Caravaggio painted The Madonna of the Rosary (now at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna), The Flagellation of Christ (now at the Museo di Capodimonte, Napoli) and the stunning Seven Works of Mercy for the high altar of the Church of Pio Monte della Misericordia, which still stands today, together with the painting in its original position. This is definitely one of my favourite Caravaggio paintings. The architecture of the church seems to be constructed around the painting in a silent devotion to the artist. Caravaggio gave to Napoli one of his most breathtaking masterpieces. The painting is an image of the city where he tried to find comfort in a desperate time of his life.

Pio Monte della Misericordia was an institution founded by a group of noblemen dedicated exclusively to acts of human charity. The word misericordia means mercy. Caravaggio, portrayed in the painting the seven acts of physical mercy, which are; to bury the dead, visit the imprisoned, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, visit the sick and refresh the thirsty.

The scene is a revolutionary vision. All the acts are taking place in a mysterious dark neapolitan vicolo (alley) in the lower part of the painting, whilst in the top part are two floating angels supporting the Madonna of Mercy with Child.

Caravaggio was very successful and famous in Napoli, however after a few months he decided to leave the city and ended up in Malta with the Knights of St John and then Sicily.

He finally returned to Napoli in 1610 on the way to Rome, in order to receive forgiveness from the Pope for his misdeeds. This is when he painted The Denial of Saint Peter, (now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York) and John the Baptist (now in Villa Borghese, Rome) and his last masterpiece Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, which has recently been attributed to him. This is the last dramatic painting of a unique artist. From the dark background, figures emerge in a silent procession of human bodies, the Saint and villains all together. Even Caravaggio himself participates in the scene, just behind Saint Ursula's head. The flesh is so pale in contrast with the black and the red of the clothes.

For sure, Caravaggio understood Napoli and the neapolitans like no other painter and after him the artistic life in Napoli would never be the same. He left behind a very prolific Caravaggesque movement with Neapolitan artists who kept alive his style, painting subjects that Caravaggio himself made popular. Artists like Mattia Preti, Salvator Rosa, Joseph de Ribera and Battistello Caracciolo, who was considered to be one of his truest followers.

Running until 15th January 2017 at London's National Gallery is the exhibition Beyond Caravaggio. It's worth visiting as there are many references to Napoli and Neapolitan artists which will make you understand better his his life and his connection with Napoli.

Where to see Caravaggio in Napoli:

Pio Monte della Misericordia, via dei Tribunali, 253 - 80139 Napoli. Tel. +39 081 44 69 44 / Tickets: €7 / Reduced: €5

Opening hours: Mon - Sat, 09.00 - 18.00 / Sun 09.00 - 14.30

Museum of Capodimonte, via Miano, 2 - 80131 Napoli. Tel. +39 081 74 99 154 / Email. mu-cap@beniculturali.it / Tickets: €8 / Reduced: €4

Opening hours: Every day except Wednesdays, 08.30 - 19.30

Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano, via Toledo, 185 - 80132 Napoli. Tel. +39 800 454 229 / Email. info@palazzozevallos.com / Tickets: €5 / Reduced €3

Opening hours: Mon closed, Tue - Fri 10.00 - 18.00 / Sat - Sun 10.00 - 20.00