The Softer Side of Napoli

When you think of travel destinations in Italy, the city of Naples may not come to mind first. It’s big, noisy, chaotic, even a bit dirty - not attractive qualities for a vacation destination. Travelers often pass through Naples on their way to other spots in Italy, like the Amalfi Coast. Yes, Naples does have great pizza, some say it’s the birthplace of pizza, but with its hard-edge personality it’s difficult, at first, to see the softer side of Naples, but it does exist.

On my 2nd day of scouting for a 4-day shoot, things weren’t falling into place. I hadn’t cracked this city of 3 million and it was beginning to take its toll on me. Like location scouting, sometimes on vacation we want to see as much as we can and end up only scratching the surface of a place instead of uncovering its true personality. Sensing my frustration, a local directed me to a place where I could escape the noise and frenzy speed of Naples – it was the Cloister of Santa Chiara Monastery.

Naples has its fair share of incredible old-world architecture, but for me the Cloister of Santa Chiara is one of this city’s artistic treasures.

Located in the city center, Santa Chiara is a gigantic religious complex originally built in the 1300’s that includes the Basilica of Santa Chiara, a monastery, tombs, and an archeological museum. The crown jewel of the complex is the Cloister. The first thing you notice when you enter the cloister courtyard is its silence, a stark contrast to the loud city center outside these walls. What catches your attention next are the bright colorful pillars and benches. Back in 1740, the Cloister got a face lift of sorts when it was redesigned into an elegant garden decorated with colorful majolica tiles, an art form famous in Naples at that time.

Stepping into the courtyard is like stepping into a colorful storybook. You find yourself surrounded by 72 octagonal pillars decorated with hundreds of these colorful tin-glazed earthenware tiles in exquisite designs of vines and wisteria, lemons, oranges, grapes and fig branches climbing up the pillars in a subtle play of the garden scheme. Connecting benches are decorated entirely in tiles depicting everyday city and country life in the 18th century. Complimenting the colorful nature motifs of the majolica tiles, are sectioned gardens blooming with roses, lavender, and the fragrant scent of lemon and orange trees is in the air.

Wandering around the cloister you’ll discover porticoes designed with elaborate, though slightly faded, fresco paintings dating from the 1600’s. An interesting note, the Basilica of Santa Chiara was destroyed in 1943 when it suffered a direct bomb hit in World War 2, it was rebuilt. What is amazing is that the tiled cloister remained untouched.

Special memories from vacations are not created from the quantity of things that you see, but in the quality of what you allow yourself to discover. In a rush to experience everything, especially in a congestive big city, stop and take a breath to refocus your priorities…its then that you open yourself up to possibly uncovering its softer side and that can be refreshing. That’s how I found the Cloister of Santa Chiara Monastery, a walled complex of calm in the heart of the chaotic city of Naples.

Travel Tips

• The Basilica of Santa Chiara (Monastereo di Santa Chiara) is located on Via Santa Chiara, 49c - 80134 Naples. Check out: https://www.monasterodisantachiara.it/

• The front of the church is diagonally across from the church of Gesù Nuovo, along the pedestrian Via Spaccanapoli thoroughfare.

• Tickets to enter Cloister and Museum are 6 Euros, Church entry is free.

• Much of the historic center of Naples consists of narrow alleys and streets, so walking is the easiest way of getting around.

• Naples can be uncomfortably hot in summer, so best to visit in spring or fall months. If you can’t avoid the summer, then tour early in the morning before temperatures rise.

• After touring the Cloister, go get a slice of pizza!