Naples by Night: Extraordinary Evening Openings at the Duomo, San Gennaro's Treasure, and More

The extraordinary evening openings of the Naples Cathedral, the Chapel and Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro, the Chapel of the Old Treasure, and the Basilica of Santa Restituta are making a return. Starting on April 1st at 8:30 PM, these events will continue throughout the month on the 26th, 27th, 29th, and 30th. The visits will be enriched by a cultural aperitif in the Cathedral's courtyard. The great success of the Christmas visit cycle 'Light of Naples' has favored the reopening of the Cathedral for evening visits. The project 'Tonight, the Cathedral!' is an integrated journey to discover the most beautiful and suggestive places, visited by tourists from all over the world. With 'Light of Naples', the Cathedral has materially committed itself to the children and the Forcella neighborhood by donating part of the proceeds to 'Casa di Vetro', the NGO working for at-risk minors in Via delle Zite. The proceeds from 'Tonight, the Cathedral!' will be used for the restoration and repair of some of the Cathedral's works that need care and maintenance. The Naples Cathedral, founded in the 13th century by Charles II of Anjou, houses a rich artistic, historical, and cultural heritage such as the Renaissance chapel of Succorpo, Perugino's Assumption, Vasari's panels, paintings by Luca Giordano, and statues by Pietro Bernini, as well as a considerable number of Sacred Relics. The Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro is a famous example of Neapolitan baroque that tells the story of the relationship between Naples and its Patron Saint; the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro houses a rich heritage of objects donated by kings, nobles, popes, and common people over the centuries. Visitors can also admire in the Museum the exhibition titled 'Three collars "The jewels of devotion"' curated by Laura Giusti, which proposes a comparison between three symbols of Naples' devotion: the collar of San Vincenzo Ferrer, historic protector of the Sanità neighborhood, preserved in the Diocesan Museum of Naples and owned by the Fund of religious buildings, the 'solemn' collar of San Gennaro, with invaluable offerings from sovereigns and rulers, and the Spera collar, a donation from a Neapolitan family to the Patron Saint. In this dual cultural scenario, two other beauties of the Cathedral are inserted: the Chapel of the Old Treasure and the Basilica of Santa Restituta. The ancient Chapel of the Treasure is located in one of the four towers that surround the Cathedral, precisely in the left tower of the facade. At the end of the 13th century, Charles I of Anjou laid the foundations of the Cathedral by demolishing the Stefania Basilica, in which since the 9th century were kept the relics of San Gennaro and many holy Bishops of Naples. The Basilica of Santa Restituta, of early Christian origin, is the oldest Neapolitan basilica and the primitive cathedral church of the city. In it is located the baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, an early Christian baptistery of Naples, the oldest in Europe. With these evening visits, the aim is to consolidate the Cathedral as a point of reference for the territory, recounting the places of art and faith.