San Francesco di Paola, Naples

About this place

San Francesco di Paola is a prominent church located to the west in Piazza del Plebiscito, the main square of Naples, Italy. The construction started in 1816 and ended in 1846. In the early 19th century, King Joachim Murat of Naples planned the entire square and the large building with the colonnades as a tribute to the emperor. When Napoleon was finally dispatched, the Bourbons were restored to the throne of Naples. Ferdinand I continued the construction - finished in 1846 - but converted the final product into the church one sees today. He dedicated it to Saint Francis of Paola, who had stayed in a monastery on this site in the 16th century. As you explore, compare the building itself with its decoration and later additions. Differences in materials, forms and imagery can reveal successive periods of patronage, making the visit a way to understand how religious places evolved over time.