Naples’ cathedral originally dates from the 4th century AD with the founding of the Basilica of Santa Restituta, but two centuries later the Basilica del Salvatore was built at right angles to the first and this is the site now occupied by the Duomo. Work on the Duomo as it is seen today began in the 13th century during the reign of Charles I of Anjou, but over the centuries it has suffered repeated earthquake damage and has been restored according to prevailing tastes of the times. The result is a rich array of art and architecture going back 2,000 years. Next to the Duomo is the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro.
NEED TO KNOW
Via Duomo 147 • 081 44 90 97 
Duomo • 8:30am–1:30pm, 2:30–7:30pm Mon–Sat, 8:30am–1:30pm, 4:30–7:30pm SunArchaeological Area and Baptistry • 10:30am–5pm Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat, 9am–3pm Sun • Adm €3Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro • 9am–5pm Mon, Tue, Thu–Sun (Wed open for groups by appointment) • Adm €7, under 18s and over 65s free- For pizza without queues, visit Pizzeria Lombardi.
- You will encounter large groups being led around by docents. No one will mind if you join the group; otherwise, take your own personal tour to another part of the cathedral until the crowds move on.
1.Interior and Ceiling
The interior cathedral never fails to dazzle. The floorplan is 100 m (330 ft) long, with a nave and two aisles lined with chapels. Sixteen pillars support arches flanked by granite columns.
The extravagant interiors of the palace
2.Façade and Portals
The façade of Naples’ cathedral is a Neo-Gothic affair restored in the early 20th century but it is graced by three portals that date back to the 1400s.
The Neo-Gothic façade and portals of Naples' cathedral
3.Font
The cathedral’s main baptismal font dates from 1618. The basin is made of Egyptian basalt, and there are Greek sculptures and an episcopal throne dating from 1376 in the right-hand nave.
4.Cappella di San Gennaro
Built in the 1600s, this Baroque extravaganza to the centre-right of the nave employed marble and precious metals and the great artists of the day to decorate its exquisite walls and domed ceiling.
The magnificent domed ceiling of Cappella di San Gennaro
5.Archaeological Area
From Santa Restituta, you can enter the archaeological area, with remnants of Greek, Roman and early Christian structures, including walls, columns, mosaics, religious buildings and Greek and Roman roads. There is some evidence of insulae (apartment blocks) having been here in Roman times.
6.Cappella Minutolo
This chapel is one of the best-preserved examples of the Gothic style of the 13th and 14th centuries. The Cosmatesque mosaic floor and altar frescoes are of particular note.
The impressive Cosmatesque mosaic floor of Cappella Minutolo
7.Relics
The main reliquary is a gold bust of San Gennaro containing his skull bones. There is also a vial containing small ampoules of his blood.
8.Santa Restituta
Naples’ oldest building was commissioned by Emperor Constantine, who made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. Inside are a Romanesque fresco and mosaics dating from 1322.
9.Crypt of the Succorpo
The complexity and originality of this divine Renaissance chapel have led scholars to attribute the design to Bramante.
10.Baptistry
This is the oldest baptistry in the western world. It was built towards the end of the 4th century and is adorned with splendid mosaics . The font is thought to have come from an ancient temple to Dionysus.
Splendid mosaic at the Baptistry
SAN GENNARO
Naples’ patron saint was an early Christian who battled the disapproval of Emperor Diocletian. Bent on stamping out the off-shoot Jewish sect, Diocletian set about slaughtering Christians, but Gennaro survived by his faith until he was beheaded in AD 305. His body and vials of blood were preserved in the Catacombs of San Gennaro until they were moved here. Later, a believer found that his dried blood miraculously liquefied on demand, an event that became a city-wide cult.
