The largest cathedral in Naples resembles on the outside with the more famous and more grandiose dome of Milan. It is this facade, remade in the XX century by Errico Alvino that is the most valuable architectural element of it, and numerous sculptors contributed with statues for this exterior. The liberty of individual artists and the symphonic use of distinct craftsmen was one of the valuable features of the Gothic age, which some complain it was lost when Renaissance brought forth visionary artists who wanted to control every aspect of their masterpiece, suppressing the imagination of his fellow craftsmen for the sake of an ideal.
The variety of styles from inside fails to create the same overall impression of elegance and monumental. The main nave retains the flat roof of a Roman temple, with rows of columns supporting a coffered roof with lots of carvings, paintings and gilded decorations. The corridors created by the rows of columns and the outside walls have above the barrel vault ceiling known from the Roman times.
Il duomo di Napoli incorporates the ruins of the oldest basilica in the city and was rebuilt by Charles of Anjou, at the end of XIII century. The dome is dedicated to San Gennaro, who’s relics are also preserved here.
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