Museo Diocesano di Napoli (MUDD)

The Museo Diocesano Diffuso (MUDD) is a network of churches and historic sites across Naples, organised by the Archdiocese to interpret the city's religious and artistic heritage. Its hub is the Complesso Monumentale Donnaregina, while the cathedral is central to the network.

Why it matters

Rather than bringing objects into a single museum building, MUDD presents art and religious heritage in the churches and chapels where they belong. The project began as an initiative of Archbishop Domenico Battaglia in 2022. The Fondazione Napoli C'entro, established by the Archdiocese in 2024, coordinates the initiative, which also provides training and cultural work for local young people.

What to notice

The Donnaregina complex brings together two churches. Donnaregina Vecchia, rebuilt after the 1293 earthquake, contains an elevated choir and a fourteenth-century fresco cycle associated with the Cavallini school. Donnaregina Nuova, begun in 1617 for the Clarisse nuns and consecrated in 1669, contains frescoes by Solimena and a work by Luca Giordano in the choir vault.

During Gino Chierici's restoration of 1928–1934, a frescoed wall was moved on rails to separate the two churches again. The complex's architecture and restoration history make it a striking example of Naples' layered religious heritage.

Context and history

The Donnaregina complex condenses the longer history of the network's sites. A monastic presence is attested from 780. The complex was rebuilt and enlarged under Angevin patronage, later remodelled by the Clarisse, and suppressed in 1861. Its subsequent restoration restored the architectural relationship between the medieval and later churches.

MUDD extends this approach across other sacred sites in Naples. Its themes include the cult of San Gennaro and the city's religious history, presented through the artistic and architectural settings in which they developed.