CHURCH OF PIO MONTE DELLA MISERICORDIA, Structure

Hi, I'm Debbie, your personal guide. Together with MyWoWo, I'd like to welcome you to one of the wonders of the world.

Today I'll accompany you through the Church of Pio Monte della Misericordia, one of the most moving churches in Naples!

You are right next to the Cathedral in a delightful square with the San Gennaro Spire in the center, a Baroque obelisk erected for the graces Naples received in 1631 when it was spared by the eruption of Vesuvius. You are standing before the façade of the ancient institution of Pio Monte della Misericordia, the charitable association that was founded in 1601 to help the needy according to the Gospel precept of the seven "works of bodily mercy": nourish the hungry, refresh the thirsty, clothe the naked, bury the dead, host the pilgrims, comfort the sick, and visit the inmates. The association's headquarters already demonstrate these aims in its architectural features: the portico, which is very rarely on the exterior of Neapolitan buildings, offers shelter to those who came for help, the church's octagonal layout is designed to have an altar for each of the different types of aid, and so on....