Cappella Pontano
Decumani
Hidden gemHistory & archaeology
The story
A small Renaissance temple on the decumanus, which the humanist Pontano had raised for his lost wife, still lined inside with Latin inscriptions dictated by his grief.
Access
exterior FREE
The story
The Pontano Chapel is a small jewel of the Neapolitan Renaissance, on the main decumanus next to Santa Maria Maggiore alla Pietrasanta. The humanist Giovanni Pontano had it built in 1492 as a funerary temple for his wife Adriana Sassone, who died in 1490. Its walls bear carved the Latin and Greek maxims dictated by Pontano himself.
What to see
An elegant volume in piperno, with the cell covered by a barrel vault, the floor of hexagonal majolica and the epigraphs that run along the walls: moral sentences on the outside, moving epitaphs for his wife and children on the inside. A masterpiece of humanism translated into architecture.
Tips
It is a small and precious chapel, with limited opening hours tied to the cultural management of the site: check days and hours on the official channels before going. You are on the main decumanus, via dei Tribunali, next to the Pietrasanta.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pontano Chapel?
A Renaissance funerary temple built in 1492 by the humanist Giovanni Pontano for his wife, with Latin and Greek epigraphs written by himself.
What can you see in the Pontano Chapel?
The majolica floor, the moral inscriptions on the outside and the epitaphs for the family on the inside, in an elegant piperno space.
Where is the Pontano Chapel?
On the main decumanus, via dei Tribunali, next to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore alla Pietrasanta.
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