San Domenico
Decumani
KnownSacred art
The story
The square where the heart of Spaccanapoli beats, with the Baroque spire at its centre and the apse of the Angevin basilica that once held the rooms of San Tommaso.
Access
FREE
The story
San Domenico Maggiore is one of the great basilicas of the old centre of Naples, the mother house of the Dominicans in the Kingdom. The first stone was laid on 6 January 1283 and the works continued under Charles II of Anjou until 1324: it is born Gothic, then enriched over the centuries. Here Saint Thomas Aquinas taught, and within the convent's walls Giovanni Pontano, Giordano Bruno and Tommaso Campanella studied.
What to see
The interior with three naves and the wide transept, the noble chapels and the sacristy, where the funerary arks of the Aragonese house are kept. The square in front, with the spire of San Domenico, is one of the salons of the old centre. You can also visit the cell of Saint Thomas.
Tips
It is a church and at the same time a museum: check hours and visiting arrangements for the monumental parts (sacristy, cell of Saint Thomas) on the official channels, remembering that it is an active place of worship. You are in Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, between Spaccanapoli and the Tribunali.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see at San Domenico Maggiore?
The Gothic interior with three naves, the chapels and the sacristy with the Aragonese arks, the cell of Saint Thomas Aquinas and, outside, the square with the spire.
Why is San Domenico Maggiore important?
It was the mother house of the Dominicans in the Kingdom of Naples; Saint Thomas Aquinas taught there and Giordano Bruno and Tommaso Campanella studied there.
When was it built?
The first stone was laid in 1283, under the Angevins, and the works continued until 1324.
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