Chapel San Severo
The Chapel of San Severo is considered the most popular tourist attraction in Naples. It is almost impossible not to notice this building, because there is always a large number of people who want to see the chapel from the inside.
The history of the San Severo Chapel
It was built in early 1590, and its creation is associated with real miracles. Locals say that one day, a prisoner in shackles walked along the building that used to be on the site of the San Severo Chapel, who was accused of murder, but he was innocent. This man noticed the crumbling plaster on the wall, and the image of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared in this place. After what he saw, he swore an oath that if justice was done during the trial and he was found innocent, he would present the temple with a gift in the form of a silver medallion. He was acquitted, after which the former prisoner fulfilled his promise.
By the way, he was not the only person who saw the face of the Holy Virgin on the walls of the old building. The first local duke, Giovanni Francesco Paolo de Sangro, had a similar experience when he saw the face of the Holy Virgin and said a prayer, after which he was cured of a serious illness. In gratitude to the Holy Virgin, the duke built a temple on the site of the dilapidated building.
Secrets that have survived to the present day
There are many legends associated with the San Severo Chapel, one of which says that the building is part of the Virgin Mary and was once considered a Masonic temple. When studying the location of the decorative elements located in the chapel, scientists were able to discover several encrypted symbols used by Masons in ancient times, which confirms the legend. But the main miracle preserved in the Chapel of San Severo are numerous works of art, the most popular of which is Christ under the shroud. The sculpture was created by a young sculptor of that time, Giuseppe San Marino, who at the time of its creation was still an unknown creator. This is such an amazingly subtle and talented piece of work that it's difficult to look at it. All the folds, like the fabric, are stone.
But it's not just this sculpture that deserves attention. Sculptures such as "Education", "Divine Love", "Decency", "Chastity", "Extraction from Enchantment" and other equally amazing creations are also of great interest in the San Severo Chapel. All of them can amaze even the most demanding critics, because given their antiquity, it is difficult to imagine how such a job could have been done.
