Santi Cosma e Damiano ai Banchi Nuovi, Baroque church in Largo Banchi Nuovi, Naples, Italy.
Santi Cosma e Damiano ai Banchi Nuovi is a baroque church established by the barbers' association in 1616 on Largo Banchi Nuovi. Its facade features rounded arches from a 16th-century loggia and a central portal of dark volcanic stone, with two original shops integrated into the side walls.
The barbers' congregation founded this religious building in 1616, incorporating architectural elements from earlier structures on the same site. After decades of abandonment, European-funded renovations brought the church back to public access in 2020.
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 building sits in a pedestrian-friendly location on a central plaza in Naples' historic core. You can admire it from outside and examine the facade with its integrated shops, though interior access depends on current opening hours.
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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