Church of Santa Maria Incoronata

The Church of Santa Maria Incoronata, located in via Medina in Naples, is a monument of great historical and artistic significance. Founded in 1352 by the will of Queen Joanna I of Anjou, the church was built to commemorate her coronation and that of her second husband, Louis of Taranto. Its construction likely utilized the pre-existing structure of the Royal Tribunal and was completed with the addition of a hospital. The church was dedicated to Santa Maria Spina Corona, a name derived from the precious relic of a thorn from the crown of Christ, given to the queen by Charles V of France. The exterior of the church is simple, with a Gothic portal in white Carrara marble, decorated with bas-reliefs depicting two angels holding a crown of thorns. The facade is plain, with a window on the left side and one on the right side above the entrance portal, which ends with a tympanum. The interior of the church is unique, with a two-naved plan, a main central nave and a side nave. The main nave has four bays covered by cross vaults, while the side nave has a rectangular plan with lowered cross vaults. This layout is unique and has led to various interpretations, including the use of the two naves for different rituals, or a possible influence from Joanna I’s experiences during her exile in Hungary. The church is famous for its frescoes, created between 1352 and 1354 by Roberto d’Oderisio, a disciple of Giotto. These frescoes, although partially damaged, depict the Triumph of Religion and the Seven Sacraments. In the lunettes and side walls of the first bay, other works by Oderisio are preserved, with subjects taken from the Stories of Joseph the Jew and the Stories of Moses. Oderisio’s frescoes are remarkable for their quality and historical importance, representing one of the few remaining 14th-century pictorial cycles in Naples. The church also houses other notable works of art, such as the sepulchral 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. The main altar, in polychrome marbles and hard stones, dates back to the 18th century and is the only surviving element of the baroque phase of the church. Over the centuries, the church has undergone various restoration interventions, especially after the earthquakes of the 15th century and the damage caused by the bombings of World War II. Between 1925 and 1929, it underwent a major restoration led by Gino Chierici, who removed the baroque decorations to restore the structure to its original Gothic appearance. In the 1960s, the marble decorations of the entrance portal were further restored. In 1980, the Irpinia earthquake caused new damage to the church, which was closed until 1993 for renovation works. After years of irregular openings, a final restoration, mainly focused on the paintings, allowed the church to reopen to the public in June 2014.