San Francesco di Paola

San Francesco di Paola is a 19th-century church in the main square of Naples, Piazza del Plebiscito. The neoclassical design of this enormous structure, which includes a columned façade and a marble interior, is often compared to the Pantheon in Rome.

As soon as you set foot in the square, your eyes are drawn to the striking curves and columns of the church’s façade. Its towering dome, pediment and columned façade offer a striking first impression and the triangular-shaped portico mimics Rome’s St Peter’s Basilica. Continuing the Roman theme, the cool, marble interior is modelled on the Pantheon and it also provides a welcome respite from the beating sun and the tourist crowds of the city centre.

The interior is full of artistic and architectural treasures the glittering lapis lazuli in the altar is especially exquisite. The enormous, 53-metre dome is meticulously decorated and has a central window which provides most of the natural light inside the building. There are also a host of paintings and statues on display, including several by Luca Giordano, a famed Neapolitan artist from the late Baroque era.

After your visit, wander through the more than thirty-column colonnade which wraps a semicircle around the piazza before continuing on your sightseeing, pausing to admire once again the striking exterior of this elegant and ecclesiastically important building. Many of the city’s buses and cable cars stop near the pedestrianised Piazza del Plebiscito which is not far from the city’s port.

The San Francesco di Paola church is open daily – except for a few hours in the afternoon – and there’s no admission charge. Give yourself around half an hour to wander the church’s interior and marvel at the artwork and don’t forget to take some time to admire the beautiful square too.