Naples: the ex-votos and the treasure of San Gennaro
- Angelo e Adele
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Good morning everyone! We are in the midst of celebrating Napoli's soccer team fourth Scudetto, but don't worry, we won't overwhelm you with images of the Neapolitans' celebration. Instead, we will tell you about our visit to a very, very special exhibition.
It is Per Grazia Ricevuta (For Grace Received), an exhibition of 120 works by as many contemporary artists that has already been held in Milan and that in Naples is hosted until September 30, 2025 in the Chapel of San Gennaro and in the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro (*), from whose website we report this presentation:
Curated by Alberto Mattia Martini and produced by D’Uva, the exhibition aims to explore and reinterpret the ancient theme of ex votos – tangible witnesses of faith, gratitude, miracle and survival – through the eyes of 120 artists, including Mimmo Jodice, Mimmo Paladino, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Antonio Biasiucci, Giulia Piscitelli, Roxy in the Box, Igor Mitoraj and other prestigious authors of the contemporary scene.
In the exhibition, ancient tradition merges with new contemporary languages and forms of expression. The votive object, from matter, becomes an emblem of the relationship with other dimensions and addresses delicate issues such as illness, death, rebirth: a symbol that becomes a means to express universal emotions or individual narratives.
In “Per Grazia Ricevuta”, the artists through various mediums and different artistic approaches, ranging from painting to sculpture, explore the concept in a current context, revisiting and reinterpreting the meaning and aesthetics of this iconographic genre.
How can we visit this exhibition? Given that with Metro Line 1 you can get off at the DUOMO stop and then go up Via Duomo until you reach the cathedral, it is advisable to first enter the Duomo and reach the Chapel of San Gennaro, where you will admire the first works of the exhibition.
Then we must exit the Duomo and reach the entrance of the Museum, where the ticket office staff will operate the special elevator to take us into the first room.
And here begins the beauty of the visit, because the exhibition was organized by placing the works in the same rooms that house the precious artifacts of the Treasure of San Gennaro; therefore, a contrast is generated between the works that are inspired in some way by popular tradition and the splendid objects studded with gold and precious stones offered to the saint by aristocrats and exponents of the reigning dynasties.
Here are some images taken by us:
You will have certainly noticed that these works do not correspond to the image that we all have of ex votos (silver hearts, reproductions of limbs, hands and so on); none of the authors created them "for grace received", but rather by taking inspiration from popular creations and revisiting their contents.
In any case, the exhibition is a great opportunity to visit the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro, an important attraction in Naples.
SEE YOU NEXT TIME !!!
(*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for disabled people
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