It would be easy to walk past the outside of Gesu Nuovo and have no idea about the ornate interior that is just steps away. But do step inside and wander around this large and intricately beautiful space with its interesting mix of Gothic and Baroque architecture.
Gesu Nuovo, or New Jesus, was built as a palace for a prince of Salerno in the 1500s and was bought and converted into a church by the Jesuits. Construction started in 1584 under the direction of the Jesuit architect Giuseppe Valeriano and was completed in 1601. The original palace facade was kept while the interior was expanded by the addition of chapels.
When visitors step inside the cavernous interior of the Gesu Nuovo, they can walk up one of the three aisles. The main architectural style is renaissance, while the fittings are baroque. Make sure you take a seat and look up towards the dome as many consider the gold-painted detail of the ceiling comparable to the best murals in the Vatican.
The church has 11 different chapels, including the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, dedicated to the Jesuits' greatest missionary in the modern age, and the Sacred Heart Chapel, dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
Outside the church is the Guglia dell'Immacolata, a 34-metre-high structure which is the tallest and most ornate of three "plague columns" in Naples. These were built in the 17th century to call upon the Virgin Mary for protection from the plague.
The Gesu Nuovo is located within walking distance of the historic centre of Naples. Dante is the closest metro station. There are several cafés and restaurants lining the Piazza del Gesu Nuovo by the church if you need a pit stop.
