La Pietrasanta

La Pietrasanta

The Naples audio-guided tour leads you to La Pietrasanta, the church of Santa Maria Maggiore alla Pietrasanta, one of the most important in the historic centre. A place of worship with a very ancient history, it is discovered with respect, in the calm proper to this kind of building.

A thousand-year-old bell tower

The history of the place goes back to the 6th century: a first early Christian basilica was consecrated there in 535, on Roman foundations. The present Baroque church was built from 1653, but its Romanesque bell tower of laterite, that red stone, dates from the 11th century and is among the oldest towers in Italy. Reworked many times, the church saw its convent nationalised in 1803 and turned into a barracks, before being damaged by the bombings of the Second World War.

What there is to see

The Romanesque bell tower, a rare relic of the 11th century, is the most precious element of the site and bears witness to the historical depth of Naples. The Baroque church, restored after the damage of the war, preserves a careful decoration. The whole, charged with more than a thousand years of religious history, is visited with respect, in the heart of the decumani.

Practical information

La Pietrasanta is in the historic centre of Naples, along the decumani, near Piazza Bellini. Access may be free or ticketed depending on the exhibitions and events held in the church and its crypt; hours vary. A place of worship and heritage, it requires proper dress and a respectful attitude.

What is the oldest element of La Pietrasanta ?

Its Romanesque bell tower of laterite, which dates from the 11th century and is among the oldest towers in Italy.

How long has there been a place of worship here ?

A first early Christian basilica was consecrated there as early as 535, on Roman foundations.