Santi Pietro e Paolo dei Greci

Santi Pietro e Paolo dei Greci is a house of worship in Naples' historic center used according to Byzantine rite. The interior holds around 50 post-Byzantine icons that preserve religious artwork from the Eastern Church.

The church was founded around 1470 by Thomas Asen Palaiologos, who fled Constantinople after the Ottoman conquest. It switched from Catholic to Orthodox use in 1544, reflecting Naples' role as a refuge for Greek exiles.

The icons inside come mainly from Eustachio Caruso from Cephalonia and show Greek Orthodox artistic traditions. These works demonstrate the connection between Naples and eastern Christianity, kept alive by the local Greek community today.

The church is located on Via San Tommaso d'Aquino in the historic center, easy to reach and open to visitors. Services follow Byzantine rite, so visitors can experience the traditional liturgical practices.

The church preserves a rare collection of 40 icons all created by Cephalonian artist Eustachio Caruso using post-Byzantine techniques. This concentrated body of work from a single artist makes this place a special record of Greek craftsmanship in Italy.

Location: Naples

Inception: 1470

GPS coordinates: 40.84174,14.25081

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:22