Sacrestia di San Domenico Maggiore, Religious sacristy in historic center, Naples, Italy

The Sacrestia di San Domenico Maggiore is a sacred room decorated with ornate architectural details and intricate patterns covering the walls and ceiling. The space features custom-built wooden cabinets designed to store precious liturgical objects and vestments.

The sacristy hall was rebuilt in the 18th century to a design by Giovan Battista Nauclerio, who drew on the style of Francesco Antonio Picchiatti. Its 42 arks of Aragonese kings and nobles, including the empty casket of Alfonso V with his 17th-century portrait, stood in the church apse until 1594. The bodies were studied in the 1980s by the University of Pisa's paleopathology division.

The sacristy is reached through a carved wooden door from the second half of the 16th century, attributed to Cosimo Fanzago, which leads to the Tesoro di San Domenico Maggiore hall. There vestments and sacred objects are displayed alongside the garments found in the tombs of Neapolitan rulers and nobles.

This space is typically accessible only through guided tours organized by the church. It is wise to check opening times in advance and prepare for limited visitor numbers at any given time.

Above the walnut stalls runs a gallery holding 42 coffins of Aragonese royals and nobles; 38 still contain embalmed bodies, studied in the 1980s by the University of Pisa's paleopathology division. Until 1594 they stood along the church apse. Alfonso V's casket is empty: his remains were moved to Spain in 1668, and a 17th-century portrait of the king rests on it.