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A Jacobite Gazetteer - Italy
Naples |
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The city of Naples is located on the west coast of Italy, 185 kilometres south of the city of Rome. |
Chiesa di Santa Caterina a ChiaiaThis church is located at Via Santa Caterina 76. King Charles Emanuel IV of Sardinia (later King Charles IV)and his wife Queen Marie Clothilde were in the habit of worshipping in this church when they lived in Naples from 1800 to 1802. 1 On the right, in the Cappella della Divina Pastora (Chapel of the Mother of the Good Shepherd), are preserved the mortal remains of the Venerable Queen Marie Clothilde of Sardinia (died 1802). The tomb bears a Latin inscription written by Count Francesco Morelli, of Asti: 2 |
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An inscription to the right of the tomb records that in 1933 the chapel was restored by the Prince of Piedmont (later King Umberto II of Italy). 3 On the wall facing the tomb is a white marble urn containing the heart of Maria Teresa of Savoy, sister of King Charles IV and King Victor, and wife of the comte d'Artois (later King Charles X of France), brother of Queen Marie Clothilde. 4 Maria Teresa died in Graz in 1805; in 1839 her son the duc d'Angoulême had her heart placed here next to the tomb of her dear friend and sister-in-law according to her wishes. An inscription in French records the placing of Maria Teresa's heart here. In 2001 a marble bust of Queen Marie Clothilde (sculpted by Domenico Velletri) was installed in the chapel. 5 In the sacristy are preserved several items connected with King Charles IV and Queen Marie Clothilde. 6 Among these is Charles' death mask. Every year on March 7 (the anniversary of Queen Marie Clothilde's death) there is a solemn commemmoration including mass. This is preceded by a triduum with vespers on March 4, 5, and 6. 7 Website: www.santacaterinachiaia.it. Telephone: 081 41 39 24. Notes 1 Bottiglia, Luigi. Vie de la vénérable servante de Dieu, Marie-Clotilde-Adélaid-Xavier de France, Reine de Sardaigne. Translated by J. B. Idt. (Lyon: Rusand, 1823): 183. 2 François-Charles Uginet, "Portrait d'une reine: Un tableau de Bernardino Nocchi à l'abbaye de Hautecombe (Savoie)", Alla signorina: mélanges offerts à Noëlle de La Blanchardière. Collection de l'École française de Rome, 204 (Rome: École française de Rome, 1995), 385. 3 Uginet, 384. Among other things, Umberto placed two votive lights in the chapel. 4 Uginet, 384. Maria Teresa was the grandmother of the duc de Bourdeaux who married Princess Maria Beatrice, sister of King Francis I. 5 "Italia Reale", http://italia-reale.alleanza-monarchica.com/0401/cater.htm. 6 Uginet, 385. 7 "Santa Caterina a Chiaia, Sezione Attività", http://www.santacaterinachiaia.it/attivita.asp. |
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Chiesa di Santa ChiaraThis church is located on Via Benedetto Croce. In the Cappella di San Tommaso Apostolo (the chapel closest to the high altar on the right side of the church) are preserved the mortal remains of many members of the Royal Family of the Two Sicilies. The chapel preserves its baroque decoration unlike the rest of the church which was severely damaged by bombing in 1943. On the right side of the chapel is the sarcophagus of the Venerable Queen Marie Christina of the Two Sicilies, daughter of King Victor. She was buried here, February 8, 1836, eight days after her death. 1 The tomb is marked by the following Latin inscription: 2 |
The inscription refers to the 1853 visit by Cardinal Sisto Riario Sforza, who was investigating Maria Christina's sanctity. 3 On May 6, 1937, Pope Pius XI issued a decree on her virtues, thus declaring her Venerable, the first step towards canonization.
Notes 1 The ceremony is described in Diario dei Cerimonieri della Cattedrale di Napoli, volume XX (1825-1846), f. 35v, in the Archivio Storico Diocesano di Napoli. 2 Luciana Regolo, "La Reginella Santa: Tutto il Racconto della Vita di Maria Christina di Savoia, Sovrana delle Due Sicilie". http://www.simonel.com/librionline1/reginella.pdf 3 Cf. Luciano Regolo, La Reginella Santa: Tutto il racconto della vita di Maria Cristian di Savoia, sovrana delle Due Sicilie (Milano: Simonelli, 2000), 435-436. Image 2 (Cappella di San Tommaso Apostolo): Gaudenzio Dell'Aja, Il Pantheon dei Borboni in Santa Chiara di Napoli (Naples: Giannini, 1987), 24. |
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This page is maintained by Noel S. McFerran (noel.mcferran@rogers.com) and was last updated October 16, 2006. |