Santa Maria Incoronata

Italy is packed with an astonishing number of churches, but yesterday I visited one that is a bit different. The Church of Santa Maria Incoronata, on via Medina near Piazza Municipio, is definitely worth a quick visit.

This church was founded in the mid-14th century by Queen Giovanna I. The name Santa Maria Incoronata refers both to the crowning of the Queen and to a precious relic she donated to the church. As legend goes, she gave a thorn from the crown of thorns used on Jesus during his torture and death. Looking at the main entrance of the church, there is the relief of two angels holding this 'crown.'

Instead of going up stairs to enter like most churches, you have to go down to the original 14th century street level. In Rome, it's a fairly well-known fact that over the years the street level has risen significantly. However, I never knew a similar phenomenon happened here in Naples! The street level was raised in the 16th century when work was being done on the nearby Castel Nuovo.

The design of the church is different from most. Entering, you can see that there are two naves of similar, if not equal, dimensions. (The nave is the main approach to the atlar. A more typical structure would have one nave with an aisle on either side of it.) This odd design is probably because the church took over the space once occupied by the Regio Tribunale.

Unfortunately, the frescos inside the Church of Santa Maria Incoronata are not in the best condition. Some of the frescos painted by Roberto Oderisio in the mid-14th century are still on the walls, while others are literally piled into the Chapel of the Cross. There is also a cycle of frescos depicting Saint Ladislov by an unknown artist from the early 15th century. Just imagine if everything was in the right place!!!