Cappella Sansevero
Naples
The Cappella Sansevero is one of the most fascinating and mysterious places in Naples. This small Baroque space holds the famous Veiled Christ, a sculptural masterpiece in which marble seems to turn into transparent fabric. Created by the brilliant and unsettling Prince of Sansevero, the chapel blends art, alchemy and esotericism.
The history of the chapel
The Cappella Sansevero, in the ancient centre of Naples, was conceived as the family chapel of the di Sangro family. Its present form is due to Raimondo di Sangro, seventh Prince of Sansevero, who in the mid-18th century turned it into an astonishing temple dedicated to the memory of his house and to his own intellectual passions. Inventor, alchemist, freemason, the prince is still wrapped in an aura of legend today.
The Veiled Christ
The undisputed masterpiece is the Veiled Christ, sculpted in 1753 by Giuseppe Sanmartino. The statue shows the body of Christ lying down, covered by a marble shroud so thin and clinging that it reveals the forms beneath. The mastery in rendering the transparency of the veil fuelled the legend that the prince had "turned to marble" a real cloth with alchemical processes; in fact it is pure, extraordinary sculptural skill.
The other wonders and the anatomical machines
The chapel holds other masterpieces, such as Francesco Queirolo's Disillusion, with its virtuoso marble net, and Antonio Corradini's Modesty. In the underground chamber are the famous Anatomical Machines: two skeletons with the circulatory system reconstructed with a precision that still amazes today, and that fed the prince's «black legend».
Visiting the Cappella Sansevero
The chapel is in the heart of Naples' historic centre, near San Domenico Maggiore. The space is small and very busy, so booking your visit is advisable. The vault is frescoed with the Glory of Paradise. A must-see stop on the treasure map, where art and mystery merge in a unique way.
