About the Arte Napoletana Walk in Naples
Naples, an often-overlooked city within the context of the history of Italian art, constantly proves itself to be an important destination for understanding the late Renaissance and Baroque period. This four-hour walk, in the company of an art historian, takes us through the heart of the old city and into important churches, chapels and royal palaces, where we can view in-situ masterpieces, as well as overlooked pieces that illustrate the artistic and social environment of the time.
In the 16th century, Naples experienced a radical transformation, expanding from a population of 60,000 to nearly 300,000 residents. A good port for trade and fertile plantations (latifundia) in the surrounding countryside made Naples a center of economic activity for the Florentines, Genoese and, eventually, the Spanish Bourbons, who ruled the city for over a century. In this context, the arts (most notably, Baroque paintings and architecture) flourished.
Beginning with Il Gesu' Nuovo, a stunningly eclec
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Naples, an often-overlooked city within the context of the history of Italian art, constantly proves itself to be an important destination for understanding the late Renaissance and Baroque period. This four-hour walk, in the company of an art historian, takes us through the heart of the old city and into important churches, chapels and royal palaces, where we can view in-situ masterpieces, as well as overlooked pieces that illustrate the artistic and social environment of the time.
In the 16th century, Naples experienced a radical transformation, expanding from a population of 60,000 to nearly 300,000 residents. A good port for trade and fertile plantations (latifundia) in the surrounding countryside made Naples a center of economic activity for the Florentines, Genoese and, eventually, the Spanish Bourbons, who ruled the city for over a century. In this context, the arts (most notably, Baroque paintings and architecture) flourished.
Beginning with Il Gesu' Nuovo, a stunningly eclectic work of Baroque architecture that boasts works by Giordano, Lanfranco, and Fanzago, we will plunge into the crowded and culturally rich streets of Naples, stopping at both nondescript chapels and majestic churches, which may include the Cappella of Sansevero and the churches of San Domenico Maggiore and Santa Chiara, where we can view some of the overlooked treasures of the city.
The walk will continue on to San Lorenzo, an Angevin church containing important works by the court painter Luca Giordano, among others. If time allows, we may descend into the excavations beneath the church where we can see the vivid stratigraphy of the Medieval, Roman, and Greek cities that lies beneath modern Naples. We will also visit the Pio Monte chapel and palace, a vivid example of 17th century architecture that contains Caravaggio's "Seven Works of Mercy." The walk concludes with the multilayered and sumptuously-decorated Duomo, a monument to elaborate Baroque architecture.
A must for art lovers, this walk, which swerves in and out of the alleys and side streets of the vivid historical center, will illustrate why Naples deserves to be a highly-regarded center for the appreciation and understanding of the evolution of Italian art.
