Museo Jago (Sant'Aspreno ai Crociferi)

In the Sanità district, the Jago Museum brings contemporary sculpture into the historic church of Sant'Aspreno ai Crociferi. Marble works by Jago, including the Pietà carved on site in 2021, are shown within the Baroque interior.

Why it matters

Jago, born Jacopo Cardillo, came to the Rione Sanità in 2019 and made the church his studio. The museum opened on 20 May 2023 as a collaboration with the Catacombe di Napoli circuit. Its use of a historic church for contemporary sculpture connects artistic practice with the neighbourhood's cultural life.

What to notice

The church was built in 1633 for the Crociferi order and dedicated to Saint Aspreno, Naples's first patron saint. Rebuilt from 1760 by Bartolomeo and Luca Vecchione, it has a raised entrance stairway of lava stone and works associated with Francesco La Marra and Domenico Mondo. The relationship between Jago’s marble sculpture and the Baroque nave reflects the space’s development from an atelier into a museum.

Context and history

The church was abandoned for about forty years before the restoration and reuse that made it Jago's studio and then a museum. The project was supported by the Fondo Edifici di Culto, Fondazione CON IL SUD, Fondazione di Comunità San Gennaro and Intesa Sanpaolo. The church remains consecrated.