Very important for the Neapolitan style of decoration is the Cloister of Santa Chiara, inside the Convent of Clarisse nuns behind the Church. It was restructured by the Neapolitan architect Vaccaro around 1750 and from the original Gothic structure it conserves only the pointed arches of the cloister, while the octagonal pilasters and the stone benches of the internal open space were covered by majolica representing rural and allegorical subjects. Many generations of Neapolitan ceramists had been inspired by the majolica of Santa Chiara, in their works for the decorations of villas, palaces and gardens all around the kingdom. Still nowadays the tiles produced around Naples by craftsmen, in their workshops of artistic pottery, evidence the influence by that tradition.

The Church of Gesł Nuovo (New Jesus), which gives the name to the square, was early a private palace owned by the noble family Sanseverino, Princes of Salerno, who lost the Viceroy's favours for the antispanish positions taken by Prince Ferrante, who was exiled. Their palace was confiscated and transfered to the Jesuits. The main facade is done with ashlar and it is the original one of the palace, while the interiors was reconstructed in Baroque forms, with an important and wealthy decoration of paintings and sculptures. In the middle of the square there is the high Spire of Immacolata (Immaculate), which has a statue of the Madonna on its top. This statue is crowned with a flower garland once a year, on the festivity of the Immaculate Conception, by the Major and the Cardinal of Naples, lifted together up to the top of the spire by a crane among the crowd.  [ More...]