Welcome to the site Napoliforme

A rare example of a religious citadel with a double convent (cloistered Poor Clares and Friars Minor) is the convent complex of Santa Chiara, built at the behest of King Robert of Anjou and Queen Sancia of Majorca (her coat of arms on the church façade), it was constructed between 1310 and 1328. Its Gothic appearance, obliterated by Baroque renovations, was partly recovered by post-war restoration, after the damage caused by the bombing in August 1943. It became the main church of the Angevins and the burial place of the royal family and court, and was decorated by great artists such as Giotto and Tino di Camaino. Although Giotto's frescoes in the Choir of the Poor Clares have almost disappeared (the remains of a Lamentation over the Dead Christ are preserved), the interior of the church contains important monuments: the Sepulchres of Charles of Calabria and his wife Mary of Valois by Tino di Camaino and helpers, and the Tomb of Robert of Anjou (1343-45) by the Florentine brothers Giovanni and Pacio Bertini, a stunning scenographic backdrop for the high altar. Outside, in an independent position, is the bell tower, on the base of which, built from 1328 onwards, an inscription in Gothic-oncial style recalls the foundation and consecration of the church. The famous majolica-clad cloister (once belonging to the Poor Clares, now to the Friars Minor) retains the octagonal pillars and ogival arches of the foundation, but the seats and pillars bordering the four avenues of the cloister are decorated with colourful polychrome majolica tiles (made by Giuseppe and Donato Massa in 1741-42) depicting landscapes, scenes of rural life, seascapes, scenes of dancing and popular entertainment. Since 1995, the monastery has housed the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Chiara, which reconstructs the historical and artistic events of the area and the monastery complex, enriched by the Roman baths.