Santa Maria dell'Aiuto (Naples)
| Chiesa di Santa Maria dell 'Aiuto
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| Patronage : | Maria or Maria Hilfe |
| Consecration year : | 1673 |
| Address: | Via Santa Maria dell'Aiuto, Naples |
Coordinates: 40 ° 30 '14.4 " N , 14 ° 9' 5.2" O The Church Santa Maria dell'Aiuto ( " Maria Help ") from Naples is located in the same road in the center, not far from Santa Maria la Nova .
The Roman Catholic Church, like the entire old town of Naples, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
history
Originally there was in the same place a small chapel by some young believers a simple picture of the Madonna of paper mache was built; the original picture was soon replaced by a more beautiful oil painting . During and after the plague epidemic of 1656, so many donations were collected that a real church could be built. Some wealthy citizens had also purchased adjacent land for church building. This was created according to plans by Dionisio Lazzari , and was completed in 1673 to the point that the image of the Madonna could officially be brought into the new church. The church was thoroughly restored at the end of the 18th century.
The image of the Madonna was considered to be miraculous and increasingly became an object of veneration, as evidenced by 2500 votive tablets that were attached by grateful believers over time. On May 24, 1889, the Madonna was finally given a papal decree by Leo XIII. solemnly crowned by Cardinal Guglielmo Sanfelice .
In the Second World War , the church was miraculously spared the bombing , while the not far away monastery church of Santa Chiara sank completely into rubble. After the Germans moved into Naples in 1943, the church accepted both people who were fleeing the deportations of the Nazis and resistance fighters ; people slept on the church floor at night.
description
The facade is structured by four smooth pilasters with Ionic capitals; A fresco is set in a curved frame above the portal.
The interior, in the Neapolitan Baroque style , but with classicist hints, has the shape of a Greek cross . The actual church space in the domed crossing is an irregular octagon and is rhythmized by fluted columns with gilded capitals of the composite order . The dome itself is divided into eight segments and decorated with a stucco decoration made of Greek crosses, at the top of the drum the dove of the Holy Spirit . In the pendants you can see symbols of the Virgin Mary , such as tower, star, roses etc., made of very finely chased stucco. The walls have a colored marble decor in shades of yellow, anthracite , mauve and reddish tones.
The main altar made of colored marble, elegantly decorated with flower and fruit festons and cherubim heads, is the work of Dionisio Lazzari. The exuberant Madonna in the center is framed by a richly carved golden oval and flanked by red marble columns and angel figures by Francesco Pagano holding candles; at the very top the dove of the Holy Spirit.
On the crossing pillars to the right and left of the main altar there are stucco-decorated galleries with two organs from the 18th century.
On the altar of the left transept there is an oil painting of the Vergine dell'Aiuto (Virgin of Help), painted by Giuseppe Farina in 1781. The altarpiece in the right transept with the death of St. Joseph is attributed to Nicola Malinconico . The lateral ovals with St. Michael the Archangel and the death of St. Andrea Avellino were probably made by Giacinto Diano .
In the entrance area you can see three paintings by Gaspare Traversi from 1749: The Birth of Mary , the Annunciation and the Assumption of Mary .
In the nave there is also the tomb of Gennaro Acampora, which was also created by Francesco Pagano in 1738 based on a design by Bartolomeo Granucci.
literature
- Vincenzo Regina: Le chiese di Napoli. Viaggio indimenticabile attraverso la storia artistica, architettonica, letteraria, civile e spirituale della Napoli sacra. Newton e Compton editore, Naples 2004.
See also
Web links
- The “Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Aiuto” in Naples on the “napoligrafia” website (Italian; viewed on August 15, 2019. Source for this article)
- History of the “Santa Maria dell'Aiuto” church in Naples on the “www.storiacity.it” website (Italian; viewed on August 15, 2019. Source for this article)
- “Santa Maria dell'Aiuto” from Naples on the website “cosedinapoli.com” (Italian; accessed August 15, 2019)
- Short video of "Santa Maria dell'Aiuto", Naples, on Youtube (as of August 15, 2019)
Individual notes
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j The "Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Aiuto" on the website "napoligrafia" , (Italian; viewed on August 15, 2019)
- ↑ a b c d e f History of the “Santa Maria dell'Aiuto” Church in Naples on the “www.storiacity.it” website (viewed on August 15, 2018)
- ↑ a b Information about the "Santa Maria dell'Aiuto" church in Naples on the website "cosedinapoli.com" (Italian; accessed on August 15, 2019)