Santi Cosma e Damiano ai Banchi Nuovi, Baroque church in Largo Banchi Nuovi, Naples, Italy.
Santi Cosma e Damiano ai Banchi Nuovi is a deconsecrated Baroque church on Largo Banchi Nuovi, founded in 1616 and built over the loggia of the Banchi Nuovi, whose round arches remain visible in the facade. Four raised pilasters divide the front, which holds two shops in the side bays and a 17th-century piperno portal beneath a polylobed stucco window of the 18th century. The pale, cracked render carries graffiti such as "Ciro" and "La vie".
The church was founded in 1616 by the Congregation of Barbers on the site of the loggia of the Banchi Nuovi, whose arches were kept in the new facade. It was enlarged during the 17th century, with further work directed by the engineer Luigi Giura. After 40 years of abandonment and looting, a restoration funded by the Grande Progetto Unesco reopened it in October 2020, no longer for worship.
The church emerged from the barbers' trade association, reflecting how craftspeople gathered around their own chapels. The name Banchi Nuovi itself recalls the money-changers' benches that once filled this area, showing how commerce shaped the neighborhood's identity.
The church stands on Largo Banchi Nuovi, in the pedestrian lanes of Naples' historic centre, and is reached on foot from the nearby metro and bus stops. The facade faces the square, so the portal, the two round windows and the barred arched window can be studied from outside at any time. The building was reopened in October 2020 after restoration and is no longer used for worship.
The altar painting once belonged to an earlier church that was demolished to make room for the Girolamini Complex. This past reveals how Naples' religious buildings were rearranged over time and their artworks relocated.
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