St. Januarius Cathedral (Cathedral of the Assumption of St. Mary)
Saint Januarius Cathedral is the cathedral of Naples, built in honor of the city’s patron saint, St. Januarius. The official name of the cathedral is the Cathedral of the Assumption of St. Mary. It is located on the Via Duomo, in the historic center of the city.
General information
The cathedral was built from 1294 to 1323 in the French Gothic style, and was rebuilt in the 19th century. In the right side nave is Januarnia, who in 305, while bishop under Diocletian, was martyred. A vial of the saint’s blood, which miraculously becomes liquid twice a year, is kept in the chapel’s treasury; the first time it is believed to have happened when the saint’s body was transferred to Naples under Emperor Constantine. The site of the “Miracle of St. Januarius” is the starting and ending point of religious processions, especially on the first weekend of May and September 19. The tomb of St. Januarius can be found in the ornate Cofessio under the main altar.
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Directly adjoining the cathedral is the Basilica of St. Restituta (9th century), the oldest church in Naples, entering through the left side nave of the cathedral. And from the right side aisle one can enter the Chapel of San Giovanni in Fonte, the oldest early Christian baptistery, overlooking a font with mosaics from the 4th and 5th centuries.
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