Santa Maria la Nova e la "tomba di Dracula"
Napoli (NA)
Hidden gemSacred art
The story
In the cloister stands a tomb with a dragon carved between two sphinxes. Since 2014 some swear that Vlad the Impaler lies inside, buried here by his daughter. Historians shake their heads. The dragon, though, is right there.
Access
€ 5-6.50. Mon-Fri 9:30-15:00, Sat-Sun 9:30-14:00 (conflicting hours: check)
The story
The monumental complex of Santa Maria la Nova, in the old centre, is a Franciscan convent whose foundation dates to 1279. Besides the church, it holds two cloisters: the smaller, the Cloister of San Giacomo della Marca (late sixteenth century), is decorated with seventeenth-century frescoes. It is tied also to a mystery that has gone around the world: the alleged 'tomb of Dracula'.
What to see
The church and above all the frescoed cloisters, with the scenes of the life of San Giacomo della Marca. In the small cloister is the tombstone that a hypothesis of 2014, advanced by scholars of the universities of Tallinn and Federico II, connected to Vlad III the Impaler, the prince who inspired the myth of Dracula: a fascinating suggestion, not proven.
Tips
The complex is visited with its own ticket and hours (generally Mon-Fri 9:30-15, Sat-Sun 9:30-14): check on the official site. Come for the art of the cloisters; the Dracula story is a curious hypothesis, to be taken for what it is. You are in the old centre, near via Monteoliveto.
Frequently asked questions
Is the tomb of Dracula really in Naples?
In the cloister of Santa Maria la Nova there is a tombstone that a hypothesis of 2014 (scholars of Tallinn and the Federico II) connected to Vlad the Impaler, the inspirer of Dracula: it is an unproven suggestion, not an established fact.
What can you see at Santa Maria la Nova?
The Franciscan church and the two cloisters, with the seventeenth-century frescoes on the life of San Giacomo della Marca, as well as the famous slab of the alleged 'tomb of Dracula'.
How do you visit Santa Maria la Nova?
With its own ticket and hours (generally Mon-Fri 9:30-15, Sat-Sun 9:30-14): it is best to check on the official site.
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