The Complesso dei Cinesi: from a place of worship to the Royal Oriental Institute of Naples

In the historic centre of Naples, more precisely on the Pirozzoli hill, the most panoramic spot in the whole Vergini district, stand a church and a convent which together make up the Complesso dei Cinesi (Chinese Complex).

History

Over the centuries, the complex passed through the hands of numerous influential Neapolitan figures. It was first built on that scenic hilltop in the 17th century by Princess Gallicane, who used it as her out-of-town villa. Many owners followed one another afterwards, among whom we should also mention the celebrated Carafa family and Benedetto Valdarno, who in turn passed it on to the Orvietan Fathers, who gave the complex an architectural form more suited to its religious functions. To do so, they added several architectural elements such as the arcaded loggia, still visible today, and the two entrances, one from Salita dei Cinesi and the other (now closed) from Vico dei Cinesi. In 1729, probably due to difficulties in connecting with the city, the Orvietan monastic order sold the complex to Matteo Ripa, who turned it into the Collegio dei Cinesi, degli Indiani e di altre nazioni infedeli (College of the Chinese, Indians and Other Infidel Nations). Ripa had, in fact, been a missionary in China for as long as 13 years, and in 1724, once back home, he decided to use the buildings as places where he could carry on the education of the young Chinese children he had brought back with him from his travels. This educational endeavour, of course, was not an end in itself, but part of a wider project of Ripa's: to educate young Chinese boys in Christian principles in order to form a native clergy that could later be sent back to China to carry out the evangelisation of that people.

Following the Unification of Italy, religious orders were suppressed, but given the cultural importance of the Collegio dei Cinesi, it was not closed down, only "secularised", becoming the "Royal Oriental Institute of Naples", dedicated to the teaching of Oriental and African languages; it was also moved to Largo San Giovanni Maggiore. The complex of buildings thus lost its original purpose and first became a college for young orphans run by the Oblate Sisters of Santa Rosa, and later a hospital for chronically ill patients thanks to the work carried out by the Congregation of the Pio Monte della Misericordia.

The church

The church of the Complesso dei Cinesi was built in 1732 and later reworked in 1814. Although it has been closed to the public for ten years and is in a state of neglect, it still preserves inside features, such as the succession of arches and vaults, that recall Neapolitan Baroque style. The interior is arranged as a single marble nave flanked by walls punctuated by pilasters supporting eighteenth-century vaults. Above the nave reigns the great dome, accompanied by a small lantern. Above the vestibule, meanwhile, one can observe the choir, characterised by an inlaid wooden balustrade and a floor of majolica-tiled terracotta, which houses two splendid organs, several canvases and period furnishings. There are also a number of fine artworks within the sacred building, first among them a canvas placed on the high altar depicting the Holy Family, painted by Antonio Sarnelli. Also of great value are the paintings placed to the right and left of the altar, depicting the Annunciation and the Visitation.

Sadly, today this splendid complex lies in a state of semi-abandonment, which is truly a shame, given that, besides being architecturally a superb site, it stands as tangible testimony to Naples' ties with other cultures, as well as a trace of the history of the Chinese people in this city.

Info
Address: Vicoletto Cinesi, 80136 Naples NA