Naples - St. Michael the Archangel - Church

Front of St. Michael the Archangel

This church is located at the south end of Piazza Dante and fronting Via Toledo. St. Michael the Archangel is one of those churches where all of the architecture happens on the front leaving the sides and rear primed and ready bare canvases for graffiti. Slightly gritty, I was fascinated by the big mushroom shaped windows. The window on the front is almost lost in the serpentine and yet ponderous decoration, including the usual suspects: engaged columns, pilasters, broken pediments, big stone things with teeth and enormous c-scrolls. Not to mention an instantly recognizable statue of St. Michael

However the north side of the church is plain stucco and has the same delightfully shaped playful window. I believe the church has been recently restored on the inside. It was however not open when we were visiting.

Side of St. Michael the Archangel from Piazza Dante- Magic mushroom window! 

Naples - Piazza Dante

Piazza Dante, Christmas time 

Like Vittorio Emanuele, Umberto I and Garibaldi nearly every Italian town of any consequence has to have something named after Dante.

In Naples it is a semi-circular piazza off the Via Toledo not too far from the Palazzo di Capodimonte.    

Constructed in the 1760's the east side of the piazza is a range of columns topped with a dozen or more statues with a central tower of ingenious construction.

The square was recently remodeled into a pedestrian zone and at the time of our arrival the giant statue of Dante was swaddled in scaffolding and tarps.

To the north there is a gate topped with flying cherubs and cartouches which leads to the Piazza Bellini and the music conservatory.

Bordering on the south and facing the Via Toledo is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, where my traveling companions great grandparents may have been married. I have to say I love the magic mushroom windows on this building. Very Mario.

On the right, gate that led to lovely secluded street on the way to Piazza Bellini

Super cute street heading east from Piazza Dante to Piazza Bellini