Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità, Naples

Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità, Naples

This Basilica dedicated to Saint Mary of health is located in the Sanita neighborhood of Naples. It was built by Dominican Friars as the house of prayer for their abbey.

The Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità was built on the site of an older church dedicated to Saint Gaudioso. The ancient church had an image of the Holy Virgin dating back to the 5th or 6th century. In 1577, the land was given to the Dominican friars to build a new church over the catacombs of the ancient structure. The Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità was constructed between 1602 and 1610 and designed by Dominican Friar and mannerist architect, Father Joseph Nuvolo. The gilded tiled cupola was completed in 1613.

The interiors of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità has a Greek cross plan with many columns and small cupolas. It has some important works of religious art including paintings by Agostino Beltrano, Luca Giordano and Andrea Vaccaro. There are also many impressive pieces of marble and stucco sculpture. The entrance to the ancient church and catacombs is near the presbytery of the Basilica. The cloister has a unique oval shape. It was damaged because of the construction of a pylon for the 19th century Bridge in Sanita. The remaining cloister still contains frescoes depicting the history and life of the Dominican order.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Naples. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità on Map

Sight Name: Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità
Sight Location: Naples, Italy (See walking tours in Naples)
Sight Type: Religious

Walking Tours in Naples, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Naples

Create Your Own Walk in Naples

Creating your own self-guided walk in Naples is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Churches

Historical Churches

Christianity in general and the Catholic faith in particular have always played an important role in the social and cultural life of Naples. Not everyone knows that the city boasts the highest number of churches in the world – almost 500 historic “houses of God” (1,000 in total) – accumulated over the course of 17(!) centuries. Hence the nickname – “the city of 500 domes”.

And...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Naples Introduction Walking Tour

Naples Introduction Walking Tour

“See Naples and die.” German poet and scientist Goethe was convinced that Naples represented the epitome of human experience.

The city has been continuously inhabited for nearly three thousand years. Its origins date to the 8th century BC, when Greek settlers from Euboea established a small coastal colony known as Parthenope, near the site of today’s Ovo Castle. As the settlement expanded...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Naples Old Town Walk

Naples Old Town Walk

After travelling to Naples in 1835 using a false passport, French painter and writer Alexandre Dumas described the Old Town’s streets as true storytellers in his travel writings.

From the Middle Ages onward, the Old Town developed as a dense network of neighbourhoods organised around churches, convents, guilds, and markets. Religious institutions played a decisive role in shaping the urban...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles