Church of Sant'Antonio Abate

Sant’Antonio Abate is an old church in Naples at the start of Borgo Sant’Antonio Abate. The building sits where the village itself began centuries ago. A charter signed by King Robert of Anjou in March 1313 already mentions the church and its hospital. The hospital once treated sufferers of ‘sacred fire’, a rash linked to pig fat. Queen Joanna I of Anjou later added her legend to the site. The church also housed the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George. Inside, two major paintings by the Neapolitan master Luca Giordano draw the eye. The larger canvas shows Saint Anthony Abbot receiving the Christ Child. A second work depicts the saint’s temptations in the desert. Both date from the late 17th century and glow with Giordano’s dramatic light. The church stands beside narrow lanes that climb toward the hillside. Its façade is simple, with a single entrance framed by plain stone. Inside, the nave is lined with modest altars and a few modest tombs. The air is cool and quiet, a contrast to the busy streets outside. From the steps outside, the whole Borgo stretches down toward the city centre.