The square and the mystery of the church of Gesù Nuovo in Naples Italy

The first thing you notice about the church, before you even enter its doors, are the pyramid shaped ashlar stones covering the entire front wall. This Jesuit church has a facade unlike any other in Naples.

It wasn't until 2010, the art historian Vincenzo De Pasquale along with Hungarian musicologists Csar Dors and Lòrnt Réz, worked out that the pointed stones have symbols carved into them. Seven letters, ten cm tall, of the Aramaic alphabet (the language spoken by Jesus) correspond to musical notes for plectrum instruments. (a stringed instrument that is plucked or strummed). If the composition is read from right to left and from bottom to top, it lasts for three quarters of an hour, and is entitled “Enigma”.

the outside facade of the church is covered in small square pyramid shaped blocks. Some ar eblack and some are grey. A door is situated central to the building with white marble carved surrounds. Two windows higher up on either side and one higher up above the door are also of white carved marble. It all looks very severe and imposing.

Gesù Nuovo means “New Jesus." the church was constructed by the Jesuits from 1584 to 1601. A palace had previously been built on this site in 1470 for Roberto Sanseverino, Prince of Salerno

Once you step inside the church, the dazzling interior is in stark contrast with the severe outside. Polychrome marble covers the walls of this Greek cross plan with three naves. There are eleven side chapels with altars, each as amazing as the other.

Throughout the centuries, the work of craftsman and artists such as carvers, painters, stonemasons and plasterers have blended together and added to each other to be an incredible sight, all dedicated to the glory of Jesus and his holy family.

Upon an altar is a life sized statue of a priest with a halo around his head. A despairing woman reaches for him on his right and two young men beg for a favour on his right. Above his head in the clouds are just barely visible little cupids. The whole setting is above an alter with twisted black marble columns on each side and an effigy of a coffin behind glass below it.

looking up at the ceiling of the church, the dome in the centre of the arched roof has geometric glass designs, the rest of the ceiling is painted alfrescos. The arched windows high in the walls allow matureal light in. The marbled columns surround entry into side chapels. The whole scenario is gods, and creams, magestic colours.

The high altar at the front of the church was completed in 1854. in the center of which stands the colossal statue of the Virgin, which rests on a large globe of blue color and is surrounded by six columns of alabaster, work by Antonio Busciolano. The latter was a pupil of Tito Angelini and author of numerous sculptures in the churches and squares of Naples.

the high altar of the church has a statue of the Virgin Mary behind it. On either side are statues of saints. There is beauty everwhere. The ceiling has painted frescos of biblical scenes, the walls are decorated with many religious icons.

the Virgin Mary stands atop a blue globe of the world, a circle of stars surrounding her head like a halo. This marbe statue is surrounded by cherub angels looking up at her. The marble decorated walls form an alcove around her body, and highly decorated plaster plinths in white contrast with the coloured marble.

The tomb of Doctor Giuseppe Moscati (1880-1927) is in one of the side chapels. There is a bronze statue of him next to the altar. The hands of the statue are shiny from the repeated rubbing of the bronze by the faithful. As I stood admiring this chapel, various people came up and kissed his hand, they also slipped pieces of paper under the hand near his chest. A lady nearby told me the story, that they do this to ask for help of the doctor for sick friends and relatives. They believe it will help.

The doctor was made a saint on 25 October 1987. His study was only a hundred metres from the Basilica and he spent hours praying here each morning before starting his healing work. The doctor was celibate all his life and never charged the poor for his services. There are also photos and personal objects of the doctor on display.

on church pews, worshippers wait their turn to see the statue of Saint Giuseppe Moscati. The tall marble columns are on the entry to the chapel where an altar and his tomb are situated.. — Statue of Saint Giuseppe Moscati can be seen in the background to the left of the painting in the chapel

Looking at other chapels in the church, and apart from the statues, and paintings, altars and tombs, there is one chapel that has a very interesting sculpture on both the left and right hand walls. This 3D work of art looks like singers in a heavenly choir.

five high and seven wide, these little statues of all different appearances look like a heavenly choir about to sing. They are mounted on the left wall of an chapel within the Gesù Nuovo Naples Italy

seven wide and five high, this three dimensional set of figurines are all different. Jesus is the central figurine and around half of the singers hold little lit lights

The square also is noted for the Church of Santa Chiara and the spire of the Immaculate Virgin.

The spire in the square is one of three “plague columns” in Naples. They were built to celebrate the deliverance from the plague. This one is the tallest and the most ornately carved. The spire of the Immaculate Virgin, completed in 1750, is is the Neapolitan Baroque style. When Charles III wanted it erected, he said that people should be able to admire the Virgin without having to go into the nearby church. The Jesuits decided to refuse the royal patronage and the spire was financed by public donations. On its façade are bas-relief depictions of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Birth of the Virgin Mary and the Annunciation. The other two spires are the spire of San Domenico (1737) in the square of San Domenico Maggiore and the spire of San Gennaro (1650).

a tall marble plague spire of the Virgin Mary. Her bronze statue stands atop the spire. the four sides are ornately decorated with scenes from her lift. A metal barricade surrounds the spire, to stop anyone touching it.

The square is also noted for some of the beautiful residential buildings that surround it.

two three story apartment buildings, the one on the left has yellow walls, the one on the right has reddish pink walls. both have square windows, but each floor on each building is quite different. the windows have little metal balconies off them. the street is alive with pedestrians and cars, cafe tables and umbrellas.

a seven story apartment building. yellow walls with five tall windows across each level. each window has a little metal balcony. most of the balconies have pot plants on them.

This church of Gesù Nuovo is not as large as others in Naples, yet it is just as beautiful from the floor to the ceiling. Everywhere you look there is beauty, peacefulness and a sense of calm.

The square and the mystery of the church of Gesù Nuovo in Naples Italy

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