Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo

Gesù Nuovo on Piazza del Gesù preserves the diamond-point rustication of a Renaissance palace around a richly decorated church. The contrast between its geometric exterior and Baroque interior is central to its architectural character.

Why it matters

The Jesuits acquired Palazzo Sanseverino in 1584 and transformed the residence into a church consecrated in 1601. Retention of the palace facade created a distinctive meeting of aristocratic and religious architecture.

What to notice

Pyramid-shaped piperno blocks cover the facade, some bearing incised marks associated with its construction history. Inside, coloured marble, inlay and painted vaults create a contrasting decorative world. Francesco Solimena's Expulsion of Heliodorus fills the counter-facade. The church also preserves the tomb of Giuseppe Moscati, the physician canonised in 1987, adding a modern devotional focus to the historic interior.

Context and history

The popular name distinguishes this church from the earlier Gesù Vecchio. Seventeenth-century decoration was followed by earthquake damage and repeated work on the dome. The expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767 brought a change of custody before their later return. Restoration of the piperno facade in the twenty-first century continued the care of its Renaissance fabric.