DOMA San Domenico Maggiore

About the museum

The San Domenico Maggiore complex was founded in 1283 at the wish of Charles II of Anjou, who financed a new basilica incorporating an older medieval Benedictine church dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel at Morfisa. Over the centuries the building and the adjoining convent went through transformations, earthquakes, fires and war damage; the present neo-Gothic look of the basilica is the result of a radical restoration in the 19th century.

The DOMA museum, run by the Opera San Domenico Maggiore Onlus, takes visitors on a route of about eight centuries of art, history and faith. Visitors see the sacristy, a Baroque jewel designed by Giovan Battista Nauclerio, whose vault was frescoed by Francesco Solimena in 1709, and the gallery that houses the Arche Aragonesi (Aragonese tombs), wooden chests holding the mummified bodies of sovereigns and figures of the Neapolitan court. The Treasury Room (Sala del Tesoro), once a medieval chapter hall, was transformed in the second half of the 17th century to a design by Antonio Picchiatti.

Among the Aragonese burials is also an extraordinary collection of garments from the 15th and 17th centuries, a precious record of the history of costume and fashion in Naples. More recently the Carafa di Roccella crypt has been opened to the public: a neoclassical space attributed to Carlo Vanvitelli beneath the Rosary chapel, with forty marble sarcophagi of the noble family. Entry to the basilica, a place of worship, remains free; the ticket covers the museum routes.

Highlights

• Baroque sacristy with the vault frescoed by Solimena
• Arche Aragonesi with the mummified bodies of sovereigns and courtiers
• Garments from the 15th to 17th century taken from the tombs
• Neoclassical Carafa di Roccella crypt with forty marble sarcophagi
• Treasury Room with terracotta floor and majolica

Permanent exhibitions

• Sagrestia e Arche Aragonesi – Baroque sacristy with Solimena’s vault and the gallery that holds the wooden chests with the mummified bodies of Aragonese sovereigns and courtiers.
• Sala del Tesoro e collezione di abiti del XV-XVII secolo – Former chapter hall with a terracotta and majolica floor, which holds the garments taken from the Aragonese remains, evidence of Neapolitan fashion between the 15th and 17th centuries.
• Cripta Carafa di Roccella – Neoclassical hypogeum beneath the Rosary chapel, with forty white marble tombs of the Carafa di Roccella family.

Operated by

Opera San Domenico Maggiore Onlus

Visitors per year

approx. 10,000

Admission & discounts

The “Tour completo” ticket (€11, reduced €8) includes the sacristy with the Arche Aragonesi, the Treasury Room with the costume collection and the Carafa di Roccella crypt. Entry to the basilica is free. The museum does not take part in the free Sunday scheme of the state museums.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The basilica is accessible to people with disabilities from Vico San Domenico Maggiore 18. The places run by DOMA have architectural barriers: the full route is not recommended for people with serious disabilities, as the Carafa di Roccella crypt is cramped and the passage is not easy. To reach the convent section and the cell of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a flight of about ten steps leads to the lift.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Educational workshops and play-based visits for younger children, and interdisciplinary routes for secondary schools; booking is compulsory for educational activities (didattica@domasandomenicomaggiore.it).

Getting there & parking

The museum entrance is at Piazza San Domenico Maggiore 8A, in the old town of Naples; access for people with reduced mobility is from Vico San Domenico Maggiore 18.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop with volumes on the history of the basilica and the convent. Pets are allowed (pet-friendly venue).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

For exhibitions or conferences in the spaces run by DOMA, write to info@domasandomenicomaggiore.it.

Plan your visit