Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro

Near our hotel, there is the famous and legendary Treasure of San Gennaro, which you can admire inside the homonymous museum.

The Treasury was born because the Neapolitans asked San Gennaro for a favor by going to the notary; in fact, in 1526 Naples wanted to free itself from the scourge of the war of the Angevins, who had also caused the plague in the city by poisoning the Bolla river, and from the scourge of Vesuvius, which every day caused earthquakes, so they decided to devote themselves to their Saint. The Neapolitans promised San Gennaro that, in exchange for the grace, they would build him a new and larger chapel. To emphasize that the chapel would have been neither of the Church nor of the State but of all the citizens of Naples, they made an official notarial pact on January 13, 1527 and also created a department for the chapel. The Neapolitans obtained grace. The new chapel dedicated to San Gennaro, over the years, has come to collect a collection of 21,610 masterpieces thanks to donations from popes, emperors, kings, illustrious men and ordinary people.

The exhibition itinerary analyzes the cult of the Saint, from its origins to the splendor of the two most amazing masterpieces in the collection: 1) the Necklace of San Gennaro: made in gold, silver and precious stones, by Michele Dato in 1679; 2) the Mitra: created in gilded silver with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and two garnets, by Matteo Treglia in 1713.

Inside the Museum it is possible to retrace the history of San Gennaro: all the pieces that create the Treasure are placed on simple platforms or contained within modest showcases, just to create contrast between the preciousness of the works and the modesty of the bases. The path ends climbing a flight of stairs that leads to the Sacristies, where you can admire beautiful frescoed vaults and marvelous marbles.

That of the Treasure of San Gennaro is a story of devotion and faith, where popular realities and legends overlap and intertwine, making San Gennaro one of the most famous and well-known Catholic martyrs in the world.