Croce di Lucca, Naples

About

The church of the Croce di Lucca is a religious edifice in central Naples, Italy, on the Via dei Tribunali.

In 1534, the husband and wife, Andrea Sbarra and Cremona Spinelli founded at this site a monastery of the Carmelites. It was devoted to the image of the crucifix, similar to one venerated in Lucca. Two years later, the widowed Spinelli became a nun. Later endowments came from the Prince of Altamura, who had five daughters join the order: Aurelia, Maria, Elena, Eleonora, and Elisabetta del Giudice. The church we see now was decorated in the 17th century, and remains despite the demolition of the once adjacent monastery. The monastery is now replaced with medical clinics of the University of Naples. The interior was decorated on designs by Francesco Antonio Picchiatti. The nave ceiling has 16th century paintings depicting the Madonna del Carmine and Saints attributed to Giovanni Battista Caracciolo. Other works made for the church include puttini a chiaroscuro over the arches of the chapels by Giovanni Battista Rossi, pupil of Solimena. The first chapel on the left, has an Annunciation attributed to either Francesco Curia or Manchelli, a pupil of Marco da Siena. The second chapel...