The church of the Carmine, which looks onto Piazza Mercato - once the
arrival point of merchants from outside Naples who came to the city to
sell their wares - was built around the 12th century and almost
completely rebuilt in the 14th century.
It domains the area that was the scene of the Masaniello's revolution of the
1647.
The interior is rich with polychrome marble and valuable works of art. The monument to Conradin of
Swabia, who was decapitated by Charles I of Anjou in the square in front of the
church, is of fine craftsmanship.
The Swabian sovereign is buried inside the church; his monument was a gift from
Maximilian of Bavaria: it was carried out by Peter Schoepf to a design by Bertel
Thorwaldsen, a romantic Danish painter that had much success in Italy.
Note also the panelled ceiling and the side chapels.
The transept is distinguished by frescoes and canvases by Solimena.
Behind the altar is the painting of the Madonna della Bruna, an image
which has become the object of deep devotion, especially on the occasion of the
feast of the Madonna del Carmine (16th July).
This 14th century painting is kept in a marble shrine of the 16th
century.
Adjoining the church is the Convent run by the Carmelite Order. Its
Campanile should not be missed: every year for the above mentioned religious
feast, fireworks are set off from the top of the tower and, when lit all at
once, they give the spectator the impression that the structure is being
consumed by a terrible fire.
The monument to Conradin of
Swabia, who was decapitated by Charles I of Anjou in the square in front of the
church, is of fine craftsmanship.