Church of Santa Maria Donnaregina Vecchia

The Church of Santa Maria Donnaregina Vecchia is an extraordinary example of Gothic architecture in Naples, located in the heart of the historic center. Founded in the 14th century, the church owes its construction to Queen Maria of Hungary, wife of Charles II of Anjou, who wanted to erect a new religious building for the Clarisse nuns, after the previous monastery was damaged by an earthquake. Inaugurated in 1316 and consecrated in 1320, the church represents one of the most important monuments of the Angevin period in Naples. The facade, rather simple compared to the interiors, features two single lancet windows and an oval with the coat of arms of Queen Maria of Hungary. In front of the church is a small 18th-century cloister, known as the “Cloister of the Marbles,” probably designed by Ferdinando Sanfelice. This cloister serves as an internal courtyard and leads to the entrance of the church, characterized by round arches and Ionic columns with marble facing. The interior of the church is a sublime example of Gothic architecture. The single nave, just over 38 meters long, is covered by a truss ceiling with 14th-century decorations, hidden by a later coffered wooden ceiling from the 16th century, in the center of which is a relief of the Coronation of the Virgin by Pietro Belverte. The nave is illuminated by small windows on the left side and large lancet windows at the top before the apse. The apse area is particularly fascinating, with a polygonal apse preceded by a rectangular space, both covered by ribbed vaults decorated with Angevin and Hungarian colors. Here are 14th-century frescoes depicting the Crucifixion, Angels, Thrones, and Dominations. Furthermore, the apse preserves remains of the terracotta maiolica flooring, an example of Neapolitan ceramic art from the Angevin period. One of the most significant elements of the church is the nuns’ choir, located above the lowered ceiling of the nave and supported by six octagonal pillars that hold ribbed vaults. This choir, which extends in height to the apse, is decorated with an important cycle of 14th-century frescoes, considered the most relevant in Naples of that time, although of uncertain attribution. The Loffredo chapel, the only chapel in the church, is another point of great interest. With a rectangular plan with two bifores and covered by a ribbed vault, the chapel houses 14th-century frescoes depicting the Annunciation, the Madonna and Child, and the Stories of the life of St. John. Other frescoes depict St. Francis preaching to the birds and receiving the stigmata, with Saints Peter and Paul painted on the vault. The chapel also houses a 14th-century wooden crucifix. Opposite the Loffredo chapel, along the nave, is the funerary monument of Maria of Hungary, created by Tino di Camaino in 1326. This monument, initially moved to the new church and then transferred back to the old church, stands on the left wall of the nave, before the apse. Another important painting in the church is the Martyrdom of St. Ursula and her companions, attributed to Francesco da Tolentino in 1520. Over the centuries, the church has undergone several restoration interventions, especially after the earthquake of 1390 and the earthquakes of the 15th century. During the 17th century, a new church, Santa Maria Donnaregina Nuova, was built, connected to the old one. In the 19th century, due to the expansion of Via Duomo, part of the monastic complex was demolished, and the old church was divided into various rooms, hosting municipal offices, a school, temporary housing for the poor, the Court of Assizes, and later the “Museum of the City.”