The Cathedral of Naples is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta: its construction began in the 13th century, on the foundations of two palaeo-Christian basilicas, whose traces can still be clearly seen. Underneath of the church, excavations have revealed Greek and Roman artifacts. As a result of fires and earthquakes the Cathedral has been destroyed and reconstructed many times: the facade is the part of the dome that, in the course of the centuries, has seen more transformations and today the facade has a neo - gothic style and a portal of the 15th century.
Inside the Cathedral there is an ancient baptistry; the interior is subdivided in chapels: the most important three are the Chapel of the Succorpo, dated between the 15th and the 16th century, the Chapel of Santa Restituta, from where you can reach the baptistry, and the Chapel of the Treasure of Saint Januarius (San Gennaro), considered one of the jewels of the Cathedral, rich of marbles, fresco, paintings and other works of art of the best artists of the period, it is surely one of the most important monuments of the baroque style in Naples. The Chapel has also a great religious importance, because in it are conserved the relics of San Gennaro, patron saint of the city: a vial of the Saint's blood that is brought out twice a year, and usually liquefies. According to legend if the blood should fail to liquefy, then something bad will happen to Naples.
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