The necklace is now comprised of other jewels of illustrious provenance created by various craftsmen at different times: a cross donated by Charles de Bourbon in 1734, a cross offered by Maria Amalia of Saxony, a three piece clasp with diamonds and emeralds, a cross with diamonds and sapphires dated 1775 bestowed by Maria Carolina of Austria, a crescent shaped broach dated 1799 donated by the Duchess of Casacalenga, a cross and a broach with diamonds and chrysolite offered by Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and other artefacts. Interestingly, Queen Marie Josè, consort of Umberto II of Italy, was attending a private visit to the Chapel of San Gennaro in 1933 and having nothing to donate, she removed the ring she was wearing and offered it to the saint. This regal gift is now to be found on the necklace.

 

The Tresure from San Gennaro of Naples at the Musee Maillol, Paris

 

Naples Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Napoli, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assuntaor Cattedrale di San Gennaro) is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the main church of Naples, southern Italy, and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples. It is widely known as the Cattedrale di San Gennaro, in honour of Saint Januarius, the city's patron saint, but is actually dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, or the Reale cappella del Tesoro di San Gennaro, is a chapel located in the Cathedral of Naples, Italy, and dedicated to San Gennaro, patron saint of the city. This is the most lavishly decorated chapel in the Cathedral, and contains contributions by the premier Baroque artists in Naples.

 

In the years 1526 to 1527, Naples endured a siege by the French, a resurgence of the plague, and a volcanic eruption by Vesuvius with its accompanying earthquakes. The surviving Neapolitans pledged to erect a chapel to their patron saint, San Gennaro. In 1527, the population of the elected city in a notarized document pledged a thousandducats for the tabernacle, and 10,000 ducats to build the new chapel.

 

The reliquary bust of Saint Gennaro in gold and silver was made by three goldsmiths Provencal, and donated by Charles II in 1305. The largest bronze sculptures, including a St Peter and Paul flanking the entrance, were made by Giuliano Finelli, a student of Bernini. The chapel's marble decoration began in 1610 under plans of Grimaldi, and completed under the direction of Christopher Monterosso. The brass gates of the chapel were designed by Cosimo Fanzago in 1630[7] replacing the one built by Giovanni Giacomo Conforto in 1628.

There are also fifty-four reliquary busts, all in all silver. The frescoes are byDomenichino, Lanfranco and Ribera

 

The Treasure of San Gennaro is composed of art works and donations collected in seven centuries of Popes, Kings, Emperors, famous and ordinary people, kept in a museum in Naples, Italy.[1] The Treasure is a collection of art works, kept untouched thanks to the Deputation of the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, an ancient secular institution founded in 1527 by a vote of the city of Naples, still existing. Today, the donations are exhibited in the Museum, whose entrance is located on the right side of the Cathedral of Naples, under the arcades.  The museum was opened in December 2003

 

 

 

One of the world's most valuable collections of jewels, dedicated to the patron saint of Naples, has gone on show in an unprecedented exhibition.

The treasure of San Gennaro is said to rival Britain's Crown Jewels and those of the Russian tsars in value.

The 70 pieces were transported under armed guard to a museum in Rome.

They include a bishop's mitre encrusted in stones, and a large necklace composed of thousands of gems, donated by many crowned heads of Europe.

The jewels, statues and religious items such as golden chalices were donated over several centuries to the patron saint of Naples, San Gennaro, or Januarius in English.

But for much of that time, the treasure of San Gennaro was kept away from the public eye in a vault in Naples cathedral.

Gennaro, the bishop of Naples, was martyred in the third century.

He has been venerated down the centuries as the city's protector against war, the plague, earthquakes, shipwrecks and natural disasters, says the BBC's Rome correspondent, David Willey.

In the 1520s, when Naples was beset by disease, war and the frequent eruption of the nearby Mount Vesuvius, Neapolitans pledged to build a chapel to San Gennaro and safeguard the donated treasure, in return for the saint's protection.

 

"The city was on its last legs, but the people of Naples knew which saint to turn to, " said the exhibition's curator Paolo Jorio.

"They voted that, if Saint Januarius helped them, they would dedicate a new treasure chapel to him."

Pope 'not expected'

"They commissioned, set up, safeguarded and managed all the masterpieces that from 1305 until today have been given to the chapel, building a patrimony of 21,610 masterpieces," he said.

Kings, popes and emperors have all sent valuable tributes to the saint's shrine.

Emmanuele Emanuele, head of the Rome Foundation organising the exhibition, told reporters the collection was "of incalculable worth, both historically and artistically, greater than that of the British Crown Jewels or the Russian imperial crown".

One of the highlights of the exhibition is a bishop's mitre, decorated with 3,964 diamonds, rubies and emeralds, commissioned to crown a bust of the saint carried in procession in Naples on his annual feast day.

But perhaps the centrepiece of the exhibition is the necklace of San Gennaro, which was begun in 1679.

Considered one of the most exquisite items of jewellery in the world, it has been forged from several ornate pieces, including a jewel-studded cross donated by the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

But our Rome correspondent says the collection is unlikely to be visited by Pope Francis, who has advocated a more frugal lifestyle for Catholic clergy and has called upon his Church to pay more attention to the needs of the poor.

 

The Treasure of San Gennaro is one of the largest collections of jewelry in the world, comparable to the crown jewels of England or France. It is also one of the most important and valuable collections of religious art. The Musee Maillol in Paris presents 70 pieces of the Treasure of San Gennaro from March 19 through July 20, 2014.

Unlike the crown jewels of royals and Russian czars, or even the Church or State, the treasure of San Gennaro actually belongs to the Neapolitans themselves. The jewels are said to be worth more than Queen Elizabeth’s jewels in the Tower of London.

In the third century, Emperor Diocletian martyred the patron saint of Naples, San Gennaro, during the persecutions of Christians. When Naples suffered from plague and war, the people of Naples sought protection of their city from the saint, San Gennaro.

The history of the Chapel of the Treasure began on January 13, 1527 during the plague. The Elect of Naples made a vow, and an indenture was attested between the Neapolitans and San Gennaro, who had been dead for more than 1,200 years. Relics for the patron saint, were traditionally kept in an inaccessible area in the left tower. In exchange for the saint’s protection against the plague, poverty, shipwrecks and eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, the people of Naples declared to establish and maintain a treasure in a chapel, especially built for him within the cathedral.

The Deputation of the Royal Chapel of Treasure was established in 1601 and is one of the oldest organizations still active in Italy. It consists of ten representatives of nobility, and two Neapolitans. By 1608, the first stone of the “The New Treasury” was set into the Cathedral, proportionally sited and opposite to the Basilica of Santa Restitua.

Three times a year, blood from two ampoules are liquefied in an ornate silver reliquary as it has been done, on the same dates for centuries. Devotees affirm that the liquidation of the blood is a miracle. However, there are times when the blood fails to turn liquid, and it is taken as a bad omen. Scientists attribute the liquefaction to “ambient heat or the warmth generated” by the archbishop while he holds the reliquary in his hands during the ceremony.

The jewel-encrusted treasures represent seven centuries of faith, commitment and artistry. Over the centuries, kings, popes, aristocrats and the sect’s followers have contributed to the treasure in tribute to San Gennaro. Normally hidden away, the delegation has safeguarded and preserved the tradition of supervising worship and the Treasure of San Gennaro until recently. The precious treasure first left the chapel in Naples to travel to Rome’s Fondazione Roma Museum in 2013. Its Paris engagement is the first time that it has left Italy.

Highlights include a saints’ bust in silver bountifully festooned with necklaces and a golden miter, the ceremonial headdress of bishops, commissioned to crown the figure on procession days. The gold-plated silver miter features 3,964 diamonds, nearly 200 emeralds, 164 rubies and two garnets.

A winged Archangel St. Michael is featured on a silver altar cross that is adorned with red coral and silver votive lamps. He slays a bronze dragon, thrashing under his feet, with its tongue dangling on the ground.

In 1679, the Necklace of San Gennaro was created to drape around the reliquary bust of San Gennaro. The necklace, considered the most precious of all the jewels in the collection, was donated by the Bourbons.  Forged with 13 large solid-gold meshes, it is hung with jewel-studded crosses, donated by the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and other royalties of Europe. The necklace also contains Columbian emeralds, Ceylon sapphires and diamonds that were bequeathed over the centuries.

According to the exhibition organizers, every sovereign that has ruled or passed through Naples has bequeathed treasures to San Gennaro, commencing with the “House of Anjou in 1305” to the “House of Savoy in 1933,” and even the “House of Bonaparte.” All bestowed in respect to the Patron Saint Gennaro.

The Treasure of San Gennaro, exhibited in Paris, are exceptional masterworks that offer onlookers insight to the artistic, religious, economic and historical significance of the remarkable devotion and skilfulness of the Neapolitan artisans.

 

One of the most precious items is a necklace, begun in 1679 and designed to hang around the reliquary bust of St Januarius, which contains emeralds from Colombia, sapphires from Ceylon and diamonds.

The precious stones were donated over the centuries by European monarchs, as well as a few commoners.

A pair of diamond earrings attached to the large necklace was given by a Neapolitan woman in thanks for surviving a plague which swept through the port in 1844.

 

One of the highlights of the exhibition is a bishop's mitre, decorated with 3,964 diamonds, rubies and emeralds, commissioned to crown a bust of the saint carried in procession in Naples on his annual feast day.

But perhaps the centrepiece of the exhibition is the necklace of San Gennaro, which was begun in 1679.

Considered one of the most exquisite items of jewellery in the world, it has been forged from several ornate pieces, including a jewel-studded cross donated by the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.   the Collar of San Gennaro, accumulated 1679-1879;

 

Over the next seven centuries and thanks to gifts from visiting royalty, the treasure of San Gennaro accumulated 21,610 items. Comparable in value to the British Crown Jewels and the treasures of the Russian czars, the San Gennaro treasure belongs neither to church nor the Italian state, but to the people of Naples, represented by a 12-member commission called the Deputation. Since 2003 the collection has been housed in its own museum beside the cathedral.

 

"The Treasure of Naples—The Jewels of San Gennaro," which has just opened at the Musée Maillol in Paris, includes more than 50 of the most important works from the collection.

 

The Necklace of San Gennaro, begun in 1679 and donated by the Bourbons, with thirteen large solid gold meshes to which are hung crosses studded with sapphires and emeralds; the gilt silver Mitra, dating back to 1713, with over 3700 rubies, emeralds and brilliants; the Mantle of San Gennaro, covered with precious stones and enamels and brilliants, the golden Calyx, studded with rubies, emeralds and diamonds, produced by Michele Lucrano in 1761; the Pyx (that is a calyx with cover to keep the hosts) in silver gilt, made by the famous goldsmith Domenico Ascione from Torre del Greco who constellated it with cameos and malachite decorations.
These are just some of the extraordinary masterpieces donated to the Patron Saint of Naples and exhibited in the Museum entitled to him.

 

“The necklace is now comprised of other jewels of illustrious provenance created by various craftsmen at different times: a cross donated by Charles de Bourbon in 1734, a cross offered by Maria Amalia of Saxony, a three piece clasp with diamonds and emeralds, a cross with diamonds and sapphires dated 1775 bestowed by Maria Carolina of Austria, a crescent shaped broach dated 1799 donated by the Duchess of Casacalenga, a cross and a broach with diamonds and chrysolite offered by Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and other artifacts. Interestingly, Queen Marie Josè, consort of Umberto II of Italy, was attending a private visit to the Chapel of San Gennaro in 1933 and having nothing to donate, she removed the ring she was wearing and offered it to the saint. This regal gift is now to be found on the necklace.

 

One of the galleries is lined with 15 spectacular colossal busts and ¾-length reliquary statues of saints in melted, molded and chiseled silver, which have often been combined with decorative elements in gilded bronze. "Tobias and the Angel" (1797) are represented in life-size silver statues as is a stunning "St. Michael the Archangel" (1691) slaying a dragon.

All are sculpted in remarkable detail, with extraordinarily expressive faces and gestures. An elderly, weary and sorrowful St. Joseph holds the infant Jesus (1690); St. Irene's outstretched hand is struck by bronze lightning bolts as she wards off storms from a miniature silver Naples (1733), while St. Emidio (1735) protects the city from an allegorical Vesuvius erupting beneath him.

The silver statuary almost outshines the jewels—but there are some fantastically opulent pieces in the collection as well. For instance, a gilded-silver bishop's miter (1713) that is studded with 3,326 diamonds, 198 emeralds and 168 rubies, one of which is nicknamed "Lava of Vesuvius" for its incandescent color.

Italy's King Umberto I donated an elegant diamond-and-emerald pendant cross (1878), while Ferdinand II de Bourbon offered a delicate gold ciborium with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires (1831). Between 1679 and 1879 more than a dozen jeweled offerings were gradually pieced together to form an astonishing pectoral collar, here accompanied by a wall chart identifying the VIP donors and dates.

 

The Mitre, the Tricentennial of which is celebrated this year, was commissioned by the Deputation in order to be placed on the bust during the festive procession held in April 1713. It was created in the Antico Borgo Orefici, established by the Anjou monarchs, which was an authentic mine of talents including the author, the maestro goldsmith, Matteo Treglia. The Mitre has an enormous material and symbolic value. The Mitre is adorned with 3964 precious stones including diamonds, rubies and emeralds, according to the traditional construction of ecclesiastical items in relation to the symbolic meaning of the gems: emeralds represented the union between the sanctity of the Saint and the emblem of eternity and power; rubies the blood of martyrs and diamonds an irreprehensible faith. The gemstones also reveal another fascinating affair. Several gems have been found to come from the ancient quarries in Latin America. Ciro Paolillo affirms that “thanks to Treglia’s devotion, today we are looking at one of the world’s most beautiful collections of emeralds belonging to the ancient people of South America; consequently, these gems are valuable both for their preciousness and history

 

The Chalice in gold, rubies, emeralds and brilliants commissioned by Ferdinand of Bourbon and created in 1761 by the court goldsmith, Michele Lofrano. The Monstrance in silver and rubies (1808) donated, as suggested by Napoleon, as an act of devotion to the patron saint by Joachim Murat when he arrived in the city. The Pyx adorned with gold, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and brilliants offered by King Ferdinand II in 1831. The Monstrance in gold, precious stones, pearl beads and enamel, a splendid example of an almost neoclassical artefact inspired by Baroque models. Maria Theresa of Austria donated the Monstrance on the occasion of her marriage to Ferdinand II.

 

 

Normally hidden away from public gaze in a chapel in Naples Cathedral, the collection, one of the most important in the world, includes saints’ busts in silver, lavishly-adorned necklaces and a golden mitre, the ceremonial headdress of bishops.

 

Created in 1713, it is studded with 3,326 diamonds, 164 rubies, nearly 200 emeralds and two garnets.

 

 

Read more at http://guardianlv.com/2014/03/treasure-of-san-gennaro-travels-to-paris/#GK8OP4slZSxZxKVr.99

 

http://www.museosangennaro.it/il-tesoro/le-statue-lignee/