First Edition: 11 November 2017 It has become one of the largest Italian tourist attractions, it is always frequented by groups of tourists from all over the world, let's see how it is possible to move around and what to see within this historic area for those who move in a wheelchair. First of all, a warning: a certain caution is needed when walking along the decumani, because of the so-called "vasoli", that is to say the stones of lava origin with which the streets are paved; the historical stones in fact in some places are not perfectly connected and can cause stumbling. Second warning: pay attention to the Christmas period, because the crowds that flock to see San Gregorio Armeno and the crib shops are so thick and compact that those in a chair have enormous difficulties in proceeding and literally see nothing! Keep in mind that the crib shops are open all year round, so you can always make excellent purchases. Let's start moving from Piazza del Gesù, where we take a look at the eighteenth-century Obelisk of the Immaculate Conception, the third in chronological order of the obelisks we will meet, on which every year on December 8 the Fire Brigade place a wreath of flowers (the beautiful photo is by Berthold Werner):
Having taken the lower decumanus (Via Benedetto Croce in this section), immediately on our right we find the majolica Cloister and the archaeological area of Santa Chiara (*), a marvel that is worth visiting; the archaeological area is equipped with a beautiful path on a completely easy walkway, with only one initial and final difference in height. https://www.monasterodisantachiara.it/
We move to Piazza San Domenico Maggiore and in a side street we find the famous Sansevero Chapel, with the wonderful Veiled Christ: no photos inside, to enter ask the staff for the platform to cross a small threshold; the ticket office is located about ten meters before the entrance to the chapel and the guide can enter. www.museosansevero.it At this point, a stop for lunch is fine: you can return to Piazza San Domenico Maggiore where there is one of the best pizzerias in Naples: Palazzo Petrucci Pizzeria (*): Piazza San Domenico Maggiore 4 081 5524068 www.palazzopetruccipizzeria.it We are in the square and then we take a look at the Spire of San Domenico, an obelisk approved by popular vote at the time of the plague of 1656, adorned with coats of arms and surmounted by the statue of San Domenico:
But the most imposing building that overlooks us is undoubtedly the Church of San Domenico Maggiore, whose apsidal part overlooks the square, while the main entrance (accessible to us) is located at number 18 of Vico San Domenico:
Some images to give an idea of the richness of the interior of this majestic church, built at the turn of 1200 and 1300 by Charles II and remodeled and enriched in the following centuries:
the eighteenth-century altar of the Chapel of San Bartolomeo:
the fourteenth-century frescoes by Pietro Cavallini in the Brancaccio Chapel:
the statue of St. John the Baptist in the chapel of the same name:
and finally, in the Chapel of the Nativity, the surviving statues of the wooden Nativity scene executed between 1509 and 1511 by Pietro Belverte from Bergamo:
On Mondays and Thursdays it is possible, in the afternoon, to indulge in a digression from the history of art and churches, visiting the Museum of Paleontology, the only university museum accessible to the disabled, full of impressive finds of fossils and reconstructions of skeletons. of dinosaurs (the museum is still open every morning from Monday to Friday). www.cmsnf.it/museo-di-paleontologia
Continuing along Via San Biagio dei Librai, we meet along the road the statue of the God Nile called the Body of Naples: it is a Roman statue datable between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, a period in which there was a large Egyptian colony in Naples.
We then move on to visit the street of San Gregorio Armeno, famous for its crib art shops; exiting at Piazza San Gaetano we take a look at the facade of the Church of San Paolo Maggiore; the two columns protruding from the facade were recovered from the ancient Roman temple of the Dioscuri, which was located in that area, which collapsed due to an earthquake in 1688:
Continuing on the upper decumanus (Via dei Tribunali), we arrive at Piazza Gerolomini, where we can take a look at the facade of the Church of the Gerolomini:
But the most original thing found in this square is undoubtedly the painting by street art artist Banksy entitled Madonna with the Gun. It is maybe the only existing work in Italy by this mysterious artist whose identity is unknown. Since this is a work made with stencils on the wall, it was necessary to protect it with a glass case, created by two worthy sponsors:
Continuing along Via dei Tribunali we arrive at Pio Monte della Misericordia, a charity institution created by the Neapolitan aristocratic families in 1602 (www.piomontedellamisericordia.it). The Pio Monte Chapel houses Caravaggio's painting "The Seven Works of Mercy" and is accessible via a ramp (ask at the ticket office):
This is Caravaggio's painting:
In the picture gallery on the first floor (accessible by lift) religious paintings and various furnishings are exhibited, and there is also a section of contemporary art works donated by artists to Pio Monte, artists such as Paladino, Nitsch, Kounellis, Clemente. The Quadreria is equipped with an accessible but not equipped toilet for the disabled.
and this is Caravaggio seen from the balcony on the first floor:
Opposite the entrance to the Pio Monte opens Piazza Riario Sforza, in the center of which is the Obelisk of San Gennaro. It is the oldest spire in the city, erected in 1636 as thanks for the narrow escape from the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631. The baroque forms of the obelisk, dominated by a bronze statue of San Gennaro, are suitable, in our opinion, to black and white photos, like the following:
the Parthenope mermaid:
Returning to Via San Biagio dei Librai, a detour along Via del Grande Archivio brings us to the square of the Grande Archivio, where we find the Fountain of the Saddlery. It is a Baroque fountain from the second half of the 17th century, all in marble and piperno, majestic and evocative.
Naturally this whole itinerary can be dismantled and reassembled according to one's needs and the inspiration of the moment; the sites reported by us are those that are certainly accessible without particular problems, but there are endless stimuli that you receive by walking along the streets of the historic center even at random: a good guide, intended as a book or a physical person, will make you appreciate even more this magnificent UNESCO protected site. Have a good trip! (*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for the disabled