ENGLISH * NAPLES,
SANTA CHIARA
THE
CHURCHES IN THE HISTORICAL CENTRE OF NAPLES, ALMOST ALL OF WHICH OCCUPY THE
SITES OF FORMER PAGAN TEMPLES, ARE OF MATCHLESS BEAUTY. THEIR ORIGINAL ROMANESQUE-BYZANTINE
AND, LATER, GOTHIC STRUCTURES WERE ALTERED DURING THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE
PERIODS, AND, SO MODIFIED, THIS IS STILL HOW WE CAN SEE THEM TODAY. SANTA
CHIARA IS THE ONE CHURCH WHICH PRESENTS ITS ANCIENT FRANCISCAN APPEARANCE,
ALTHOUGH THIS IS DUE TO THE COMPLETE RECONSTRUCTION CARRIED OUT AFTER THE
END OF THE LAST WORLD WAR. FROM ABOVE, THE CHURCH CATCHES THE EYE IMMEDIATELY,
WITH ITS LONG GREEN SLOPING ROOF AND THE MAJOLICA-TILED CLOISTER BESIDE IT,
LIKE SOME PRECIOUS JEWEL.
THE CHURCH WAS BUILT IN
1313 BY QUEEN SANCIA, THE WIFE OF ROBERT OF ANJOU (DANTE'S "RE DE SERMONE",
IN HIMSELF A MAN OF MEDIOCRE LEARNING, BUT ONE WHO KNEW HOW TO ATTRACT EMINENT
POETS LIKE PETRARCH TO HIS COURT). IT IS STILL IMPRESSIVE IN ITS AUSTERITY
AND RESERVE, BUT IT WAS ONCE ENRICHED WITH FRESCOES ATTRIBUTED TO GIOTTO AND
SIMONE MARTINI, WITH STATUES, STUCCOWORK, ANGEVIN TOMBS AND FRESCOED CHOIRS.
YET THE BAROQUE PERIOD, IN ITS MANIA FOR TEMPERING THE ANGULAR AND ESSENTIAL
STYLE OF THE GOTHIC BUILDERS, CARRIED OUT A COMPLETE "RENEWAL" OF
THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH, ADAPTING IT TO THE NEW ARCHITECTURAL REREQUIREMENTS OF
THE TIME.THUS THE TWO-LIGHT, THREE-LIGHT AND LARGE WINDOWS WERE CLOSED UP,
AND THE MARBLE INLAYS, ARCHES AND ALTARS REMOVED OR DISGUISED, TO BE REPLACED
BY PAINTINGS AND ORNAMENT MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE TASTE OF THE PERIOD.EVEN
THE ROOF WHICH IN THE FRANCISCAN TRADITION HAD TO BE "A FIENILE",
I.E. LIKE THE ROOF OF A BARN WAS BLOCKED OFF BY A HEAVY COFFERED CEILING.
HOWEVER, THE CHURCH WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GUTTED AND RAZED TO THE GROUND DURING
A BOMBARDAMENT IN 1943.SINCE THEN, THE PATIENT WORK OF RESTORATION HAS GIVEN
THE BUILDING BACK ITS FORMER MEDIEVAL APPEARANCE, AND EVEN THOUGH MANY OF
ITS ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART HAVE BEEN LOST BEYOND RECOVERY, ITS SINGLE NAVE,
SPACIOUS AND TALL, OF YELLOW TUFA AND PIPERNO STONE, TOGETHER WITH THE IMPOSING
OGIVAL ARCH AND THE FINE ROSE WINDOW AT EITHER END CONFER AN AUSTERE SOLEMNITY
ON THE WHOLE CHURCH. OF THE SPLENDID WORKS IT ONCE CONTAINED, THERE REMAIN
THE TOMBS OF MARGARET OF VALOIS AND ROBERT OF ANJOU BEHIND THE HIGH ALTAR,
THE WORK OF TINO DA CAMAINO (THE MAGNILOQUENT EPITAPH IS BY PETRARCH), AND,
FLANKING THE MAIN ENTRANCE, THE TOMBS OF MARGARET OF DURAZZO AND LUDOVISO
OF ANJOU.
THE MONASTERY, ON THE
OTHER HAND, HAS BEEN WELL PRESERVED AND POSSESSES A VERY BEAUTIFUL FOURTEENTH
CENTURY CHOIR. THE BAROQUE RESTYLING OF THE CHURCH DID HAVE ONE SPLENDID CONSEQUENCE
THE CLOISTER, THE GARDEN OF WHICH IS ADORNED WITH COLUMNS AND BENCHES COMPLETELY
COVERED WITH EIGHTEENTH CENTURY MAJOLICA TILES DEPICTING TRELLISES THICK WITH
FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE, AND RURAL SCENES.
