Originally built in the 16th century by a local duke, Francesco di Sangro, as an offering to the Virgin Mary for curing his illness, the chapel was later used as a family tomb before the eccentric Prince of Sansevero, Raimondo di Sangro, began his collection of artistic wonders that defines the Cappella Sansevero today.
Housing some fantastic marble sculptures, including the Veiled Christ, the chapel also features frescoes, extravagant marble flooring, and some bewildering anatomical works.
While the chapel may be diminutive in size, its exhibits are far from conventional. Most visitors gravitate towards The Veiled Christ, the chapel's most famous sculpture. Marvel at the marble sculpture of Jesus Christ's body lying on a large pillow draped with a thin veil. Giuseppe Sanmartino's 1753 masterpiece is so realistic that you will feel like reaching out to feel if it isn't really just a piece of translucent cloth. Notice amazing details like the lifelike veins and arteries that run through the body, and the crucifixion marks on the hands and feet. Dotting the chapel are also numerous other exceptional statues dating back to the mid-18th century. Vivid colours and piercing detail brings Francesca Maria Russo's fresco Glory of Heaven to life. Watch out for patches of the original floor that remain, where Francesco Celebrano fuses black and white marble into a maze to symbolise the convoluted path to enlightenment.
To see some bizarre statues, walk down to the underground chamber where the Anatomical Machines lie. Here, you will meet two human skeletons, a man and a woman, standing upright within glass cases, their vein and artery systems, along with their bones and teeth, all intact. To this day, it is still not known what materials and procedures anatomist Giuseppe Salerno used to preserve the circulatory systems so spectacularly.
The chapel is suitable for families, although young children may find some of the exhibits disconcerting. Capella Sansevero sits in the historic centre of Naples, five minutes’ walk from Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, where lots of cafés and restaurants can be found. The closest metro station is Piazza Cavour. The chapel is open daily except Mondays, and children under 10 enter free.
