Church of Santa Caterina in Formiello

The Church of Santa Caterina a Formiello, located near Porta Capuana and Castel Capuano in Naples, is one of the masterpieces of the Neapolitan Renaissance. Built between 1519 and 1593 according to a design attributed to Antonio Fiorentino della Cava and Romolo Balsimelli, the church stands on a previous structure dating back to the 15th century. The name “a Formiello” comes from the Latin “ad formis”, referring to the aqueduct conduits of the Bolla that passed near the church. The church was entrusted to the Dominican friars of the reformed Congregation of Lombardy in 1499, during the reign of Federico d’Aragona, who rebuilt it in its current Renaissance style with Tuscan influences. The construction was funded by several noble families, including the Spinelli di Cariati, the Acquaviva d’Atri, and the Sanseverino di Bisignano. Since its foundation, the church has housed the relics of the Martyrs of Otranto, killed by the Turks in 1480 for not renouncing the Christian faith. The exterior of the church features an imposing Renaissance facade, with a marble portal decorated by Francesco Antonio Picchiatti in 1659. The portal is surmounted by a statue of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The structure has undergone numerous restorations over the centuries, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, which added Baroque decorations without altering the original Renaissance architectural lines. Inside, the church has a Latin cross plan with a single nave covered by a barrel vault. The side chapels, five on each side, have a square base and barrel vaulted ceiling. The marble floor of the nave, created by Francesco Antonio Gandolfi in the 17th century, is enriched with 16th-century sepulchral slabs. In the center of the nave, there is access to the crypt of the consorelle of the Most Holy Rosary, where the remains of two praying women with rosaries in their hands are visible. The church’s counter-facade is decorated with the fresco of the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine, created by Luigi Garzi in 1695, while on the vault of the nave are the Mystical Marriages of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also by Garzi. The dome, soaring on a high drum, is decorated with frescoes by Luigi Garzi and Paolo De Matteis, depicting Faith, Chastity, Penitence, and Gentleness in the pendentives, and the Madonna with Saint Catherine and the patrons of Naples imploring the Trinity for the city in the center of the dome. The apse houses precious wooden stalls from 1566, the work of the Lombard master Benvenuto Tortelli, and frescoes by Guglielmo Borremans, including the Triumph of Judith. The side walls of the apse are decorated with frescoes by Nicola Russo, depicting a Miracle of Saint Dominic and Moses bringing forth water. The side chapels of the church are rich in valuable works of art. The first chapel on the left, dedicated to the Tocco family, contains funerary monuments and a painting by Francesco Curia from 1586. The second chapel, of the Dominicans, is linked to Vincenzo Maria Orsini, Bishop of Benevento and later Pope Benedict XIII, and houses relics of saints and a painting by Antonio Gamba from 1732. The third chapel, of the de Sylva family, is decorated with paintings by Giuseppe Simonelli and frescoes on the life of Saint James. The fourth chapel houses the relics of the Martyrs of Otranto in a large sarcophagus, with paintings by Luigi Garzi and an altarpiece by Luigi Scorrano. The fifth chapel, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, is decorated by Giacomo del Pò with frescoes and paintings on the life of the saint. The chapels on the right include the chapel of Saint Hyacinth, with paintings by Angelo Mozzillo from 1797, and the chapel of the Castellis, dedicated to the stories of the life of Jesus, with works by Silvestro Buono and Paolo De Matteis. The Pentecost chapel is decorated with paintings by Paolo De Matteis and a 16th-century panel by Silvestro Buono. The Tomacelli chapel features funerary monuments and a painting by the Flemish artist Wenzel Cobergher from 1590. The chapel of Saint Vincent Ferrer and Saint Pius V is decorated by Santolo Cirillo with frescoes and a canvas from 1733. In the 19th century, the church underwent the suppression of the Dominican Order by order of Gioacchino Murat, and the monastery was adapted into a military wool factory. The relics of the Martyrs of Otranto were moved again in 1901, finding their final resting place in the fourth chapel on the left. After the damage suffered during the Irpinia earthquake of 1980, the church underwent extensive restoration work.