“Gold, silver, gems and enamels of the Angevin Naples. 1266 – 1380”. Masterpieces of Gothic jewellery on exhibition in Naples at the Museum of Treasury of St. Gennaro.

The masterpieces of sacred jewellery commissioned by the Anjou, the Royal family of Naples from 13th to 15th century, will be on exhibition in Naples at the Museum of Treasury of St. Gennaro, until 31st December 2014. At the beginning of the itinerary, visitors can have, for the first and probably unique time, a closer view of the silver bust of St. Gennaro (picture 1), called by Neapolitans “yellowed face”, because of its browning. The bust was commissioned in 1304 by the King of Naples Charles 2nd of Anjou to three french goldsmiths – Etienne Godefroy, Milet d’Auxerre and Guillaume de Verdelay – and donated to the cathedral in 1305.

Pic. 1: Silver bust of St. Gennaro, by Guillaume de Verdelay, Milet d’Auxerre and Etienne Godefroy (1304).

Other masterpieces will be on exhibition, such as the episcopal pastoral coming from Sorrento; the gothic reliquary which once contained the ampoules with the blood of St. Gennaro, belonging to the Museum’s collection; the lilied cross that Charles 2nd of Anjou gave to the basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari (picture 2); or the sweet – box, or bombonnière, executed by Neaplitan goldsmiths for the marriage between Philip of Anjou and Tamara, daughter of Nicephorus, the Epirus despot, as we can deduce from the coat of arms that decorate one of its sides: the Angevin lily and the eagle (pics. 3 and 4).

Pic. 2: Bari, Church of St. Nicholas, lilied cross donated by Charles 2nd of Anjou.

Pic. 3: Cividale (Italy), Town Museum, vine leaf – shaped bombonnière, side with coat of arms.

Pic. 4: Cividale (Italy), Town Museum, vine leaf – shaped bombonnière, side with vegetable decoration.

Besides will be exposed golden and silver furnishings realized at the time of sanctification of St. Louis of Toulouse in 1317, such as the stational cross coming from Santa Vittoria in Matenano; the shrines of St. Steven and St. Louis of Toulouse, coming respectively from Capri and the Louvre Museum in Paris; or the precious casket coming from Todi, with vegetable decorations and Angevin coat of arms.

The exhibition will end on 31st September 2014. The exhibion’s path winds its way through the rooms of the Museum of Treasury of St. Gennaro, precious pattern of 17th century architecture. Visitors therefore can contemplate a persevering trait of Neapolitan art: the pacific “cohabitation” and, sometimes, fusion between Gothic and Baroque art.

General information:

• Curator: Pierluigi Leone De Castris.
• Scientific committee: Ferdinando Bologna, Paola Giusti, Pierluigi Leone De Castris, Maura Picciau, Fabrizio Vona.
• Seat: Museum of Treasury of St. Gennaro (Museo del Tesoro di San Gennaro): Via Duomo 149, Naples (Italy).
• Period: 12th October – 31st December 2014.
• Opening timetable: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, hrs. 10 a. m. – 5, 30 p. m. (Ticket office closing), 6 p. m. (Museum closing). Sunday and days 24th, 25th and 31st December, hrs. 9, 30 a. m. – 2 p. m. Holidays hrs. 9, 30 a. m. – 5, 30 p. m. Closed on Wednesday.
• Ticket price: € 3, 00.
• Ticket office: info tel. +39 – 081294980. Email: info@museosangennaro.com. If you want further information, click here: http://www.museosangennaro.it/ (I’m sorry, there’s only an Italian website).

The Museum of Treasury of St. Gennaro is located in a zone with a lot of bars, restaurants, pizzerias and hotels. I will quote some of them: the “Caffetteria San Gennaro”, Via Duomo 175, tel. +39 – 08119578247; the pizzeria “Il figlio del presidente”, Via Duomo 181, tel. +39-0810330913, http://www.ilfigliodelpresidente.it/; the pizzeria “Il pizzaiolo del Presidente”, Via dei Tribunali 120, tel. +39-081210903; the old pizzeria “Di Matteo”, Via dei Tribunali 94, tel. +39-081455262. In the zone there are also many hotels. I’ll report some of them: the “Hotel Caravaggio”, Piazza Cardinale Sisto Riario Sforza 157, tel. +39-0812110066, fax +39-0814421578, email info@caravaggiohotel.it, website http://www.caravaggiohotel.it/ ; the Hotel “Caracciolo”, via Carbonara 112, tel. +39-0810160111, fax +39-0810176535, website http://www.accorhotels.com/it/hotel-5565-palazzo-caracciolo-napoli-mgallery-collection/index.shtml ; or the Hotel “Duomo”, via Duomo 228, tel. +39-0817265988, fax +39-0812142918, email info@hotelduomonapoli.it or hotelduomo@libero.it, website http://www.hotelduomonapoli.it/index.html.

In the zone there other tourist attractions and monuments, such as the “Pio Monte della misericordia (Pawnshop of Mercy)”, with the “Seven works of Mercy” by Caravaggio, via dei Tribunali 253, tel. +39-081446944, +39-081446973, fax +39-081445517, email segreteria@piomontedellamisericordia.it, website http://www.piomontedellamisericordia.it/ ; or the monumental complex of San Lorenzo Maggiore (church and monastery), which includes one of the greatest underground archaeological sites in the world, and a residence for religious tourism: website http://www.sanlorenzomaggiore.na.it/ ,  tel. +39-0812110860, fax +39-0814421180. Other monuments and tourist attractions are very close: San Gregorio Armeno (the street of cribs), San Domenico Maggiore square and the monastery of Santa Chiara with its wonderful cloister.

Until 31st September 2014, to everyone who want to make a full – day tour through the Old Town of Naples, I’ll apply a discount of 10%.