HEAD TO HEAD
SANMARTINO’S VEILED CHRIST
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Italy is famed for its Renaissance art – but which city state is best to discover rt, especially sculpture, is intimately entwined with the history of Italy’s city states, from ancient Roman figures of Jupiter to evocative contemporary installations at Venice’s Biennale. Here, two of our Italy specialists contemplate how the cities of Florence and Naples are reflected in their statuary – Michelangelo’s David, which is known around the world, and Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ, which is beloved inside Italy but largely unknown elsewhere.
SANMARTINO’S VEILED CHRIST, NAPLES
By Eva Costanza Seeing the Veiled Christ is a lot like visiting Naples itself. You begin on hectic Spaccanapoli (the long, straight Roman road that splits the city down the middle) and then turn off to walk down a narrow street whose walls are scrawled with graffiti. Go through an unremarkable wooden door, however, and you discover a small Baroque chapel that contains the most celebrated sculpture
you’ve likely never heard of – Giuseppe Sanmartino’s Cristo Velato, or Veiled Christ. The 18th-century figure, which lies as if in state in the Cappella Sansevero (above image), is a masterwork in marble. The body of Christ is draped in a transparent veil, its many folds rendered with such skill that it’s hard to believe it’s stone and not sheer voile. You can make out the tiny details on his hands and feet, seemingly through the marble, but the most moving aspect is probably the face. Seen at one angle, it’s a portrait of anguish, but as you move around the head, it resolves into a peaceful, even ethereal, expression of repose. To many Italians – certainly to most Neapolitans – this is the greatest piece of
sculpture in the world. And, you can contemplate it in the peace it deserves – most visitors don’t even know to search it out in the first place. That’s Naples in a nutshell. Many people overlook this loud urban jungle, but the city rewards visitors with one of the most authentic Italian experiences you can have. I suggest lingering for at least two days – one for a guided walking tour, which includes the Cappella Sansevero, and another for a privately guided visit to the National Archaeological Museum. Naples’ name, from the ancient Greek for ‘new city’, hints at its ancient roots, which you can explore at the museum. Its blockbuster exhibit is the haunting array of relics unearthed at nearby Pompeii. However, don’t overlook the Farnese Collection, Pope Paul III’s trove of artwork from antiquity. I particularly like the huge statue of Hercules, which was dug up at Rome’s Baths of Caracalla. It’s a rare depiction of the Greek demigod in a less-than-heroic pose as he slumps against his club, exhausted from his toils. Get me there: An eight-day trip of southern Italy, including a walking tour of Naples, starts from $7,165pp. For more information, please call our Italy specialists on 1-855-787-3971.
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