The Hermitage Complex of the Camaldoli

It was founded in 1585 by Giovanni d'Avalos, son of Alfonso d'Aragona. It was built on the site of an earlier church dedicated to the Transfiguration, later renamed after the Ss. Redentore (Holy Redeemer).

The Hermitage Complex of the Camaldoli is a monumental historical and artistic complex in Naples; it rises on the Camaldoli hill.

Historical background

It was founded in 1585 by Giovanni d'Avalos, son of Alfonso d'Aragona. It was built on the site of an earlier church dedicated to the Transfiguration, later renamed after the Ss. Redentore (Holy Redeemer). A great arch guards the entrance hall, above which sits the coat of arms of the Camaldolese order; from here one enters the church, built upon the ruins of the ancient chapel; the latter is flanked by the tall bell tower and by a belvedere divided into two areas, one for the monks and the other for visitors.

Throughout its history, the complex was suppressed twice: the first time by order of Napoleon in 1807, and the second by order of the House of Savoy in 1866. In 1885, the hermitage returned to the care of the Camaldolese Benedictines. Today the complex is run by the Bridgettine sisters.

The building was designed by Domenico Fontana, and it is thanks to him that the religious structure displays late-Renaissance features.

The church

The church is entered through a beautiful portal made of pietrarsa (dark volcanic stone); the temple, besides bearing sixteenth-century features, also carries the mark of later Baroque additions.

The interior consists of a single nave with six side chapels. The high altar is by Cosimo Fanzago. Also noteworthy are the seventeenth-century frescoes by Giovanni Bernardino Azzolino, such as the Miracolo di San Bernardino (Miracle of Saint Bernardino).

By Luca Giordano are the Immacolata Concezione (Immaculate Conception), the Sacra Famiglia davanti alla Croce (Holy Family before the Cross) and the Trasfigurazione (Transfiguration). The other works have been attributed to Massimo Stanzione, Cesare Fracanzano and Angelo Mozzillo.

To the left of the religious structure are the sixteen monastic cells, along with vegetable gardens and gardens. The hermitage also has a well-stocked library, a guesthouse and a refectory.

Standing atop the highest hill in the city, the complex offers breathtaking views over the Gulf of Naples.