San Giovanni a Carbonara
Napoli
Hidden gemSacred art
The story
A double forceps-shaped flight of stairs leads up to the church, inside which the monumental tomb of King Ladislao rises like a tower of marble.
Access
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The story
San Giovanni a Carbonara is a monumental church of the old centre of Naples, founded in 1339 by the Augustinians and enlarged in the early fifteenth century under King Ladislaus of Durazzo, who willed his burial here. It is a treasure chest of Late Gothic and Renaissance sculpture and painting, a little out of the way of the great itineraries.
What to see
The scenic double-flight piperno staircase, made by Ferdinando Sanfelice around 1707, introduces the church. Inside, the grand funerary monument to King Ladislaus dominates the apse; the Caracciolo del Sole chapel holds frescoes and the tomb of Sergianni Caracciolo.
Tips
It is a church of worship a little off the more beaten circuits: check the opening hours on the official channels, because they may be limited. The great external staircase is already a spectacle in itself. You are in the area of via Carbonara, towards Castel Capuano.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see at San Giovanni a Carbonara?
The scenic Sanfelice staircase, the funerary monument to King Ladislaus and the Caracciolo del Sole chapel with its frescoes.
Who is buried at San Giovanni a Carbonara?
King Ladislaus of Durazzo, with a great funerary monument in the apse, and Sergianni Caracciolo in the Caracciolo del Sole chapel.
Where is the church?
In the old centre of Naples, in the area of via Carbonara, towards Castel Capuano.
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