Following the path of the ancient Roman decumanus inferior (minor road), Via San Biagio dei Librai (becoming Via Benedetto Croce to the west and Via Vicaria Vecchia to the east) is affectionately known as Spaccanapoli (Break Naples). Seen from above, it cuts right through the heart of the old city.
At its eastern end, the Ospedale delle Bambole is a local institution, a quirky shop full of dusty dolls’ heads and assorted mannequins. Further down, the Chiesa di Sant’Angelo a Nilo is benignly presided over by a quartet of tubby gilt cherubs. A modest 14th-century church, it’s of note for the monumental Renaissance tomb of Cardinal Brancaccio, created by Donatello and others.
Backing on to lively Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, the Gothic Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore was completed in 1324 and much favoured by the Angevin nobility. The interior, a cross between baroque and 19th-century neo-Gothic, features some fine 14th-century frescoes by Pietro Cavallini and, in the sacristy, 45 coffins of Aragon princes and other nobles.
The simple exterior of the nearby Cappella Sansevero belies the sumptuous sculpture inside. The centrepiece is Cristo Velato (Veiled Christ), Giuseppe Sanmartino’s jaw-dropping depiction of Jesus covered by a veil so realistic that it’s tempting to try and lift it. Also intriguing is Corradini’s Pudicizia (Modesty), which is more erotic than modest. Downstairs are two meticulously preserved human arterial systems, testament to the bizarre obsession of alchemist Prince Raimondo di Sangro, the man who financed the chapel’s 18th-century makeover.
