OF BOOKS, ART AND PEOPLE

I BY LUCY GORDAN THE TREASURE OF SAN GENNARO 700 YEARS OF ART AND DEVOTION lthough over the centuries the city of has works in the exhibition “The Stones of Devotion-The accumulated 54 official co-patron saints, the Wonders of the Treasures of San Gennaro” on un- AFrench writer Alexandre Dumas (1802- til August 1 in seven venues of downtown Naples: 1870), best known for his adventurous historical The Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro, novels, The Three Musketeers and The Count of The , The Royal Chapel of San Gen- Monte Cristo, was right. “Naples,” he said, “is naro, Sacristy of San Gennaro, The Historical not imaginable without San Gennaro”, and Archive of the Bank of Naples, The Diocesan From left to right: Gold pyx donated by Crown-Prince Umberto and his bride Maria José in then quickly added “but neither is San Gen- Museum once the Church of Donna Regina 1931. It's the last royal gift made to the saint. "San Gennaro's Necklace"; the Episcopal naro without Naples.” Nuova, and the Girolamini Complex found- crucifix donated by King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. Below: San Gennaro's miter Little is known about the life of Gennaro ed by San Filippo Neri (1515-95), all within Bank of Naples. All the artifacts on display in the other venues will parte, the elder brother of Napoleon, who made him King of (English: , although seldom used easy walking-distance of each other and on return home to the Museum, the Sacristy, and the Chapel.” Naples from 1806-1808, before Murat’s reign; and of King Vitto- in deference to the preferred Gennaro), a one ticket:15 Euros plus 3 Euros for an audio The five “wonders” on permanent display are: an altar cross rio Emanuele II of Savoy. A curiosity concerns Princess Maria martyr saint of both the Roman Catholic guide(www.museosangennaro.it, tel. 011-39- dating to 1707 donated by the Spera family and encrusted with a José, who visited San Gennaro’s Chapel during her 1931 visit to and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Ac- 081-294980). very rare type of coral from Sciacca in Sicily on display in the Sac- Naples. Having brought nothing with her to donate, she took off cording to various Christian legends, he More valuable than that of the British Crown risty; a gilded silver monstrance donated in 1808 at the request of the emerald ring and matching earrings she was wearing and gave was allegedly born in Benevento to a and of the Russian Tsar, the Treasure of San Napoleon by his brother-in-law Joaquin Murat, the French king them to the saint. In all, this dazzling “necklace” has thirteen rich patrician family. At the young Gennaro counts 21,720 artifacts donated to the of Naples from 1808 to 1815; another monstrance made of solid gold link chains weighing 25 pounds, 901 diamonds, age of 15, he became priest of his saint over 700 years. The oldest treasure is the gold and decorated with emeralds, rubies, diamonds and 489 rubies, and 143 emeralds. Its only addition from a local parish in Benevento and at already-mentioned saint’s bust dating to 1305. sapphires by the highly-esteemed Neapolitan gold- commoner, a woman who survived an epidemic, is 20 the Bishop of Naples. Also dating to the 14th century, but further em- smith, Gaspare de Angelis and donated in 1837 by small pair of pearl earrings which dates to 1846. Around 305 AD, during the bellished between 1643 and 1676, is the reli- of Austria, who with this gift “It must be remembered,” smiled Iorio, “that Diocletian Persecution, the quary for the vials of Januarius’s blood. wished to ingratiate herself to the Neapolitans, San Gennaro snubs no one.” Roman authorities behead- The most recent donation is a silver bust who considered her haughty, on the occasion of A second masterpiece of inestimable value ed Bishop Januarius, but of the French saint Jeanne-Antide her marriage as the second wife of Ferdinand is San Gennaro’s miter, made by the Neapoli- only after the wild lions Thouret (1765-1826) donated II, King of Naples; a gold chalice, which tan goldsmith Matteo Treglia in 1713 and or bears to whom he’d last year by the confraternity cost almost 3,000 ducats at a time when the adorned with 3,692 precious stones: 3,326 been thrown in the am- of this saint’s order. best coach with four horses, the equivalent diamonds, 198 emeralds, and 168 rubies. phitheater of the nearby The Treasure’s Museum, of a deluxe car today, cost around 30 Until the 1920s during the May procession town (centuries which opened on December 9, ducats, donated by Pope Pius IX in 1849 to through the narrow streets of the nearby no- later Sophia Loren’s 2003, was the brainchild of its thank the people of Naples for their hospi- torious neighborhood “Spaccanapoli” it was birthplace) instead knelt director Neapolitan journalist tality during his exile here; and a gold pyx worn by the 1305 saint’s bust which still fol- down in his submission, not The gilded silver reliquary bust of San Gennaro (1305) which contains Paolo Iorio, formerly a produc- decorated with coral and malachite and do- lows the reliquary with the two vials of San part of the saint's skull to mention that he’d also er of 187 art documentaries for nated in 1931 by the crown-prince of Naples Gennaro’s blood. emerged from a burning furnace unscathed. In the fifth century, the Italian State Television RAI. Iorio was inspired while produc- (later King Umberto II of only for the The other three priceless objets-d’art are: a Naples inherited his relics including two vials of his blood which ing a documentary about his hometown’s favorite saint for the month of May 1946)and his bride the Belgian gold chalice with gems donated in 1761 by his followers had saved. In 1389, a priest holding these vials of BBC in 1996 when he uncovered thousands of artifacts belonging princess Maria José to commemorate their boy-King Ferdinand IV of Naples; a pyx, con- the saint’s coagulated blood noticed the contents beginning to bub- to the Treasure piled up higgledy-piggledy in storerooms and first official visit to Naples. It was the last roy- sidered by many including the Museum’s di- ble and liquefy. Since then the blood liquefies and boils whenev- wardrobes in the Cathedral and the nearby religious complexes al gift made to San Gennaro. rector to be the most beautiful of the ten er it’s in close proximity to the gilded silver bust-reliquary deco- which are housing the present exhibition. The five returning to the caveau are: “wonders” donated by King Ferdinand II rated with enamels and precious stones and containing part of Jan- “To select which of these many thousand treasures to put on “San Gennaro’s necklace”, probably the of Bourbon when he became King of uarius’s skull. Today thousands of people assemble to witness this permanent display in the Museum and now which to feature in the most precious piece of jewelry in the Naples in 1831; and an Episcopal cru- event in Naples Cathedral three times a year: on September 19th exhibition were not easy choices,” Iorio said during the exhibition world, which is the result of 200 years cifix of emeralds and diamonds do- (Januarius’s feast day, to commemorate his martyrdom), on De- tour he gave me. “The some 150 artifacts displayed here perma- of donations from many royal houses of nated in 1878 by the King of Italy cember 16 (to celebrate his patronage of Naples and of the arch- nently, which Pope Benedict XVI visited in October 2007, were Europe passing through Naples from Umberto I and his wife Queen diocese), and on the Saturday before the first Sunday of May (to chosen to put together a kind of time machine of the treasure’s 1679 to 1931 and includes gifts from Margherita, the namesake of the commemorate the reunification of his relics). highlights. Then two years ago a committee of experts designated Bourbon King Charles III of ; of pizza with tomato (red), mozzarella This magnificent bust on permanent display in the Royal ten artifacts as ‘wonders’ based on their monetary and historical his wife Queen Maria Amalia of Saxony; (white), and basil (green) toppings for Chapel of San Gennaro, made in France for the French King of value. Five of these are on permanent display here and five have of Queen Maria Carolina of Austria, the the flag of newly-unified Italy. Naples Charles II of Anjou in 1305, is just one of some 150 art- never been displayed before and will return to the caveau of the first wife of Ferdinand II; of Joseph Bona- Other highlights of the exhibition in- M

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clude the display in the of 16 of the city’s Another curiosity is that the Treasure has never been robbed 54 patrons’ solid silver busts, each weighing 440 pounds; (23 or violated. “Not only did Napoleon not carry off the Treasure of these 54 are usually paraded in the May procession); anoth- as war booty as was his custom,” explained Iorio, “he asked er six, of San Gennaro’s original six co-patrons: Sant’Aspreno, Joaquin Murat to make a donation. Not even the Nazis during Sant’Attanasio, Sant’Agrippino, Sant’Aniello, Sant’Eufebio, their occupation of Naples damaged the Treasure. Rather, dur- San Severo, in the Sacristy and never displayed before; the ing the Allies’ landing at Salerno and Anzio and subsequent in- elaborately embroidered vestments in the Girolamini vasion of Italy, a German army captain and doctor, Maxim- Complex, opened to the public after 50 years especially ilian Becker, took the 300 or so most important arti- for the exhibition; and the Chapel’s magnificent sol- facts first to the Benedictine Abbey of Monte- id silver main altar frontal made by Gian Domeni- cassino and then to Vatican City for safekeep- co Vinaccia in 1695 visible for the first time re- ing. At the end of the war, the Neapolitans cently without its protective glass. It depicts asked for their treasure back, but the Holy Cardinal Oliviero Carafa on horseback trans- See gave only vague answers to these re- porting San Gennaro’s body from the Abbey of quests, even when they originated from His Montevergine to Naples in 1497. The tiny fig- Eminence Cardinal Ascalesi, so the treasure ure behind the horse is a self-portrait of the stayed put in Vatican City although it didn’t be- artist. long to the Church. Finally the impasse was un- Perhaps the most unusual aspect of this treasure blocked. In 1946 Giuseppe Navarra, a diver or with so many reliquaries, liturgical vessels, such as some say hustling junk dealer, who’d made a fortune chalices and monstrances, and other sacramentals, all on the black market during World War II but because dedicated to this very popular saint of the some 25 mil- of his generosity to the poor was nicknamed ‘Il Re di lion “Neapolitans” worldwide is that it doesn’t belong (King of) Poggioreale’, proposed himself as media- to the Archdiocese, but rather to the city and its citi- tor. It was well-known that he was received in the zens. “In 1526,” Iorio told me, “Naples was afflicted Vatican, but then all trace of him was lost. Cardinal by the plague that decimated 250,000 people, around Ascalesi was desperate because he thought this 30 earthquakes per day, volcanic eruptions by Mount somewhat shady character Navarra had probably Vesuvius, as well as a siege by the French army be- stolen the treasure. Instead the story has a happy cause the city was occupied by the Spanish. The pop- ending: So as not to be intercepted by roving bands ulation made a vow and wrote a contract, (dated Janu- of thieves or stray deserters, Navarra took a long ary 13, 1527) which was notarized, with San Gen- round-about route through central Italy, which last- naro. If the saint put an end to these calamities, ed three or four months, back to Naples and ap- the citizens of Naples promised to dedicate a peared at 9 PM on January 21, 1947 in front new chapel to him. The contract delegated a of our Cathedral with the treasure. Needless lay Deputation of 12 citizens, ten of whom to say, he was soon elected Vice-mayor of were noble, to oversee the construction of Naples.” the new chapel and to choose its art- The Museum receives no public works, take care of the two vials of money. It’s fully supported by the saint’s blood still kept in the safe The reliquary for the vials of San Gennaro's blood, carried in front of the entrance fees of its visitors behind the Chapel’s high altar, his bust-reliquary in the May procession which number between 50 and which we Neapolitans consider the 75,000 annually and by anyone real treasure of San Gennaro, and direct stylistically all artistic who wants to become a “Friend of the Museum” by sending a donations made subsequently to the saint. The Deputation also contribution to the Banca Popolare di Sviluppo (BPS), in Via acquired all the artifacts which date to before its establishment Verdi 22/26, Naples, IBAN: IT11W0502303400000000003040, like the saint’s bust. The contract is on permanent exhibition in account no. 000000003040. In return the “Friend” receives a the Museum across from a document dated about a century lat- newsletter and discounts on publications, souvenirs and exhibi- er signed by Pope Innocent V waving all rights of the Church as tions. owners of the Chapel and the treasures.” Speaking of exhibitions, four silver co-patron busts, two sil- “Still today,” continued Iorio, “nothing can be donated to the ver altar cards, a gold and silver chalice, and a silver platter in Treasure without the approval of this Deputation of 12 citizens “The Stones of Devotion…” will be displayed at the who have continued to be its administrators. In fact, it took me Region’s New York Office (4 East 54th Street, tel. 212-486- nearly eight years to convince the Deputation to open the Muse- 8287) next November. Thanks to the thousands of Neapolitans um. Should a member resign or die, the other members give the who passed through Ellis Island, New York naturally has a President of the Italian Republic a list of names, all Neapolitans, unique relationship with San Gennaro, where his September as possible replacements. The President entrusts the list to the feast day has been celebrated since 1926. Moreover, one of the Ministry of the Interior which over the next three years investi- few times his blood liquefied unexpectedly was during a visit to gates the candidates’ credentials and presents the most appropri- Naples in 1978 by Terence Cardinal Cooke (1921-83), Arch- ate name to the Deputation.” bishop of New York, and a candidate for sainthood himself. H

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