The Quartieri Spagnoli have long been a symbol of the recent phenomenon referred to by many as the “Neapolitan Renaissance“. This is expression of the revenge that some of the neighborhoods that were previously not much appreciated but have turned out over time to be the beating heart of the city are taking back.
Here young people, families, and tourists wander to visit typical places. The most common is Maradona‘s mural or to take a stroll among the various craft stores present, the typical “Neapolitan basses” and narrow, dark corners characterized by steep stairways and laundry hung out in the sun.
Not only nightlife and stores, however: few know that there is more to the neighborhood. In addition to numerous period buildings, as many as 22 churches can be counted within the districts alone, many of them linked to a particular history or tradition of the city.
The churches of the Quartieri Spagnoli: a dip into folklore and worship
The Church of Santa Maria della Mercede in Montecalvario, located in Largo Montecalvario, dates back to 1560 when it was erected at the behest of the noblewoman Ilaria D’Apuzzo. Over the centuries the church has undergone numerous renovations, always maintaining the typical Neapolitan Baroque features.
The church has a Greek-cross plan, with a single nave and five chapels on each side, all frescoed. In the apse there is an high altar, a work of art created by the artist Domenico Antonio Vaccaro, a Neapolitan artist working at the turn of the Baroque and Rococo eras.
The church of Sant’Anna di Palazzo is a monumental sacred building located in vico Rosario di Palazzo. Its construction took place to commemorate the historic victory of Lepanto against the Ottoman fleet in 1571. This church has a history full of significant events.
In 1778, Neapolitan revolutionary Eleonora Pimentel Fonseca celebrated her wedding here and later buried her only son, Francesco, who died at an early age. The interior of the building, although significantly different from the original church of Sant’Anna, demolished in 1964 due to damage caused by World War II bombing, still holds precious stucco decorations dating back to the 17th century.
The power of faith
Among the most important asks of the Quartieri is definitely the Church of Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe. Located in Vico Tre Re a Toledo, 13, dates back to the late 18th century and is dedicated to Santa Maria Francesca. The Saint is known for experiencing the pains of Christ’s Passion during Lent and having the stigmata like St. Francis.
Often a gathering place for many religious people, women who desire motherhood are particularly attached to this place.
In fact, there is a special chapel inside the church, in which a legendary chair is located. It is believed that this chair was used by St. Francesca to seek relief as she felt the pains of the Passion. Now the church is a pilgrimage destination for young women who go there in prayer to ask the Saint for the miracle of motherhood.
The Church of Santa Maria dei Sette Dolori (earlier Monastery), located at Via Francesco Girardi 59 dates back to 1516. Peasants in the area then called the Belvedere Fund (the church is located at the beginning of Spaccanapoli and has a full view of the street)-, donated a miraculous statue of Our Lady called St. Maria Ognibene to the Servite Fathers. Besides in 1630 a new church was opened, also named after St. Mary Ognibene. It was then decided to rename the former monastery in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows, hence the name “St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows.”
Inside there is still the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, crowned directly from the hands of King Ferdinand II. He, following the restoration of the Bourbon Kingdom, had the lilies of the Bourbon house applied to some of the terminals of the 19th-century gate.
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