The Duomo of Naples is the city’s main church, its Cathedral. It is located between the Central Decumanus and the Upper Decumanus. Dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, it was built at the behest of Charles I of Anjou and remodelled several times. The church is in fact characterised by several overlapping styles. The renovation that most changed the original Gothic layout was the Baroque one in the 17th century.
From the Gothic period, the building preserves the portal and the spire with the crowning of the Virgin. The three-nave cathedral with transept and polygonal apse contains works by Giordano, Vaccaro, Perugino, Falcone and Solimena. It also houses the baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, considered the oldest in the West.
In the Duomo of Naples is the famous Chapel of San Gennaro’s Treasure, the patron saint of the city. It is a Baroque building designed by architect Grimaldi and located under the altar. The golden gate guarding it is by Cosimo Fanzago, while the frescoes in the dome are by Lanfranco. This is where the ampoules with the Saint’s coagulated blood, venerated by the Neapolitan people, are kept. The miracle of St. Gennaro’s blood liquefaction, expected three times a year, is followed by all Neapolitans.