Italy: Naples Cathedral
- Matthew P G
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
December 2018
The Naples Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the main church of Naples, southern Italy, and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples. It is widely known as the Cathedral of Saint Januarius (Cattedrale di San Gennaro), in honour of the city's patron saint.
(Wikipedia)
Having lived in New York City for several years, I was well acquainted the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy (now reduced to one street with a few restaurants). On that festival day, Italian-New Yorkers celebrate their heritage and the "old" Little Italy re-emerges. Since most Italian-Americans trace their roots to southern Italy, it was no surprise that I had stumbled upon "the" Cathedral of San Gennaro (bother that its real name was Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary). The discovery was random - I even asked someone if this San Gennaro was the one from the festival in New York City and they replied proudly, "yes". Wow!
The interior is ornate - I didn't expect anything less. My enduring memory, however, is hitting the place just at the moment sunlight was streaming into the Chapel of San Gennaro with a queue of people waiting to enter. It looked.... miraculous: like people waiting to visit something bathed in a divine light. The scene was ethereal.
I wondered why Naples had such a poor reputation (compared to other cities in Italy). Milan certainly has down and out neighborhoods, but you never hear anyone say "avoid Milan". In fact, I was far more hassled in Milan than I ever was in Naples. Because of its reputation, most people give Naples a miss except to rush through to see Pompeii or perhaps Caserta Palace outside the city. They were missing out for sure. However, it does allow Naples to remain far more authentic.
As for me, on one of the days leading up to Christmas, I stumbled upon the Cathedral of San Gennaro, whose festival I attended in New York City multiple times. Inside, I saw an almost a religious vision. It was unforgettable.
I love Naples - everyone should.
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