The Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption, you discover suddenly, like so many of the beauties of Naples Italy. Walking along the street of the same name, it is striking for the majesty of the Gothic facade. The Cathedral was probably begun by Charles II of Anjou and completed in 1313 by his son Robert the Wise, although there is a hypothesis that anticipates his under Charles I.
The current appearance is the result of the numerous interventions that have occurred over the centuries which have partly altered the original Gothic forms. The façade of the Cathedral of Naples Italy, about 50 meters high, has three portals: two lateral and one central. The portals are both aligned with the side aisles and the apse chapels dedicated to the saints. The door on the right was only opened for the festivities celebrating San Gennaro and in some extraordinary cases. The central nave, 15 meters wide, has visibly been adapted over the centuries. The numerous restorations it has undergone have obviously changed its appearance, even the modernizations have given it an appearance that may not be too coherent, but very fascinating. The interior has a Latin cross with three naves with a depth of about 100 meters, just like the authentic fourteenth-century structure. The most peculiar element of the Cathedral are the capsules in which the blood of San Gennaro is kept, famous because, during some celebrations, it changes its state from solid to liquid.
The reliquary of the bust and blood is exhibited only on festive occasions of the saint. A door on the left aisle of the cathedral leads to the basilica of Santa Restituita, an interesting testimony of early Christian art in Naples Italy. In this basilica you can access not only the archaeological area located under the Cathedral, where there are important remains of the Greek-Roman and early Christian city, but also the baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte. In the right aisle there is the chapel of Nicola di Mira and the Crucifix where there is a small picture of the Virgin of Sorrows. This painting was brought to the cathedral in 1809 and it is said that it belonged to a pious woman who saw sweat dripping from the canvas. If you are planning your holiday to visit Naples Italy, visit the Cathedral of Naples is one of the things to do.
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- Distance 900 meters from Dante Metro Station
