San Francesco di Paola

Get a feel for how it would be to explore the Pantheon in Rome without the crowds as you wander among the religious artworks, the gleaming marble interior and the columned facade of the 19th-century San Francesco di Paola church. Step into the grand public square, the Piazza del Plebiscito, with its expanse of patterned white cobblestones. Your eye is immediately drawn to the church’s curved facade stretching around the western side of the square. More than 30 columns wrapping a semicircle around the piazza make an impressive frame for the central basilica. Take note of details such as the triangular-shaped portico with its six high columns and two pillars it mimics St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Step inside and the comparisons with Rome become even more obvious. The spacious feeling of the gleaming white marble interior is modeled on the Pantheon. Take time to admire the altar inlaid with shining lapis lazuli, and make sure to look upward. The 174-foot (53-meter) dome is decorated with numerous identical inlays leading to a central window through which light pours into the church. Visitors with an interest in religious art will want to browse the many statues and paintings on display. These include statues of several saints, as well as paintings by Luca Giordano, a celebrated and prolific Neapolitan artist from the late Baroque era, and an altarpiece that dates back to 1641. The San Francesco di Paola church is located in the pedestrian-only Piazza del Plebiscito, the city’s main square, not far from the port. Buses and cable cars stop nearby to the square. It’s free to enter the church, which is open daily, except for a few hours in the early afternoon. Half an hour or so is usually sufficient to wander through and appreciate the artwork, though you may want to spend longer taking in the views from the square.