Diocesan Museum of Naples, Religious art museum in central Naples, Italy
The Diocesan Museum is housed in the church of Santa Maria Donnaregina Nuova, with its collection displayed in rooms behind the presbytery and along two corridors above the side chapels. The rooms are organized by theme, from the Passion of Christ to the Seven Works of Mercy, and also include two bronze sculptures by Giovan Domenico Vinaccia from Naples Cathedral.
The museum opened on 23 October 2007 in the church of Santa Maria Donnaregina Nuova, on the initiative of cardinal-archbishop Crescenzio Sepe; it had previously been housed in the Archiepiscopal Palace. It is run by the Archdiocese of Naples under the supervision of the Soprintendenza al polo museale di Napoli. The collection comes from the two Donnaregina churches, from palace deposits and from closed or suppressed churches of the diocese.
The collection displays works by artists who shaped Naples' artistic tradition over centuries. You can see how religious themes were expressed through their paintings and how these artworks once served in their original church settings.
Entry is through the church, and it helps to arrive early in the day to explore the rooms at your own pace. The staircase is narrow, so plan unhurried time and be aware of how crowded it might be.
Many visitors miss that some paintings come from artists who worked in their home churches and are now largely forgotten. This discovery shows how deeply artistic practice was rooted in Naples' religious community.
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