Its origins take us back to the 14th century, when Queen Sancia of Aragon, the devout wife of Robert of Anjou, decided to found a monastery for the Poor Clares here. It featured austere Gothic architecture, a reflection of the court's spirituality.
But Naples is a city of layers, and time has transformed it. In the 17th century, its Gothic soul was enveloped in a spectacular Baroque guise. Architects such as Giovanni Cola Cocco and, later, Giovan Battista Nauclerio, redesigned the interiors, creating a space rich with stucco work, polychrome marble, and lavish chapels. The high altar once even housed a masterpiece by Luca Giordano, which is now preserved in the Diocesan Museum.
Today, the Church of San Francesco delle Monache is not a "sleeping beauty," but rather an awakened one. It has become the prestigious home of Domus Ars, a centre for culture and music that has filled the ancient naves with new creative energy.
To visit it is to understand the deepest soul of Naples: a place where the splendour of the past is not a silent memory, but a living stage for contemporary creativity.
INFO
ADDRESS: Via Santa Chiara, 10, 80134 Napoli NA
