The restoration of the floor of the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro in Naples was unveiled to the public; the project involved the entire marble surface designed by Cosimo Fanzago. This is the first comprehensive restoration project dedicated to the chapel’s floor, sponsored by the Royal Deputation of the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro in anticipation of the 500th anniversary of its founding, scheduled for 2027. The project was carried out with the support of the Deloitte Foundation.
The presentation was attended by representatives from local, regional, and national institutions. Among them were Teresa Armato, Councilor for Tourism and Productive Activities for the City of Naples; Barbara Balbi, restoration officer for the ABAP Superintendency for the City of Naples; Maria Alessandra Risolo, technical director of R.O.M.A. Consorzio; Guido Borsani, president of the Deloitte Foundation; Mariano Bruno, deputy of the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro; and Vincenzo De Gregorio, abbot-prelate of the same Chapel.
The restoration project lasted eight months and was designed by Giuseppe Giordano, who initiated the planning phase. Technical supervision was entrusted to Alessandra Risolo, while operational management was handled by Melina Pagano on behalf of R.O.M.A. Consorzio. The project required a multifaceted approach, with continuous adjustments made during construction to balance conservation needs with operational conditions.
The work included cleaning the marble surfaces, removing grout deemed inconsistent with the original design, consolidating the stone substrate, and filling in gaps with marble inlays. A final protective coating of microcrystalline waxes was also applied to ensure the long-term preservation of the floor. The project was carried out in accordance with current conservation standards in the field of stone restoration.
As explained during the presentation, the work involved significant operational complexity, due both to the historical nature of the artifact and to the need to work on an extensive and complex surface. The result is the return to public view of a central element of the Chapel’s decorative scheme, which forms part of the artistic heritage preserved in the Cathedral of Naples.
The Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro has been linked to the city’s history since January 13, 1527, when the Elected Representatives of the city of Naples signed the so-called Pact with San Gennaro on the main altar of the Cathedral, in a deed drawn up by notary Vincenzo De Bossis. Through this agreement, the city committed to building a chapel dedicated to the saint, so that he might protect Naples from the three main calamities identified at the time: the plague, wars, and eruptions of Vesuvius. This initiative gave rise to the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, considered one of the city’s most important Baroque complexes and the result of a collective Neapolitan commission.
Inside the Chapel are preserved works of particular historical and devotional significance. Among these are the Angevin bust of the saint and the reliquary housing the relics of Saint Januarius, elements around which the cult has developed over time. Central to the religious tradition is the phenomenon of the liquefaction of the blood, considered a defining element of the relationship between the city and its patron saint. The custody of the Treasury and the relics has been entrusted for nearly five centuries to the Deputation of the Royal Chapel of the Treasury of San Gennaro.
“Since its inception, the Deloitte Foundation has identified support for culture and cultural heritage as one of its priority areas of focus. The contribution toward the restoration of the floor of the Chapel of San Gennaro is part of this commitment that we have been carrying out for years throughout the country,” states Guido Borsani, President of the Deloitte Foundation. “I would also like to emphasize that this represents one of the most significant projects ever undertaken by the Foundation, given the extraordinary importance of the site in question: the Chapel of San Gennaro is not only a place of profound significance for the people of Naples, but a true architectural and historical-artistic gem of national value, which deserves to be preserved and showcased.”
“The restoration of the marble slabs on the floor of the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, created by Cosimo Fanzago,” says Mariano Bruno, Deputy of the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, “is part of a broader collaborative project between the Deputation of San Gennaro and a number of third-sector organizations, which contribute not only financially but also to the promotion and protection of the Treasure of San Gennaro and the veneration of the saint. The restoration project, carried out for the first time across the entire floor area of the Chapel, is taking place in the run-up to the 500th anniversary of the pact between the Saint and the city’s elected officials, drawn up by a notary on January 13, 1527. Furthermore, the initiative coincides with a particularly significant moment for Naples, which is preparing for a major international spotlight, particularly in connection with the upcoming America’s Cup. The goal is to return the restored Chapel to the city and to launch a broader program of conservation work that, starting with the floor, will progressively extend to the rest of the Chapel. This project will highlight one of the city’s most important treasures, bringing it back to life for the community, which will be able to pay homage to the patron saint in his chapel while admiring its renewed splendor.”
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| Naples: The Fanzago Floor in the Chapel of San Gennaro Has Been Restored |
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