When, in 1739, Abbess Ippolita Carmignani asked architect Dominico Vaccaro to create a cloistered garden suited to “the decorum of noble ladies” for the church of Santa Chiara in Naples, she was probably a little surprised by the result.
Vaccaro must have been inspired by the dazzling sun and vibrant colours of the city. He chose a geometric design for the garden and filled it with glorious pillars and benches decorated with earthenware tiles, known locally as majolica.
Vines, lemons, oranges and figs climb up the pillars reflecting the plants in the garden.
The bench panels depict every day rural life in the 1700s in vivid colours.
The corridors are lined with frescoes.
The low walls on the other side are tiled.
We were lucky to be there in spring when the garden was looking lovely.
The Santa Chiara nuns lived in seclusion which meant that few people ever saw the beautiful cloister. In 1924 the nuns swapped convents with the nearby Franciscan friars who led less restricted lives. The Friars gradually invited philosophers and intellectuals into their garden and finally, in the 1970s, the public was allowed access.
There is a museum beside the cloister and the ruins of a Roman Thermal Bath Complex, both of which are excellent.
On the way out of the cloister is an enormous nativity scene. It is part of a series of nativity scenes created in Naples in the 18th century during the reign of Ferdinand VI of Bourbon. It is made from papier-mâché, cork, wood and fabric. The heads and limbs of the figures are terracotta.
It is behind glass, so there is some reflection in the photos.
The cloister is behind the Santa Chiara church. Look on the website for the opening hours as there is no sign on the outside to inform the public. (There is a handy sign on the inside, which you can see when the cloister is open)