The restoration and cleaning of the external side staircase of the Church of Santa Chiara in Naples has been completed and will be returned to citizens and tourists on Wednesday 8 May at 11 am with an inauguration.
The event will be attended by Father Carlo D'Amodio, Provincial Minister of the Friars Minor, Father Massimiliano Scarlato Guardian of the Fraternity of Santa Chiara, Dr. Alessio Cuccaro, official of the Superintendency of the Area, Dr. Aldo Guida, restorer who supervised and carried out the recovery project with his work team.
The side staircase is located on the left side of the Basilica of Santa Chiara in correspondence with the sixth chapel of the church and was most likely built in the sixteenth century.
This is not the first time that the Neapolitan Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), concessionaire – on its own and as special attorney of the Custodian of the Holy Land – of the entire complex of Santa Chiara, finds itself having to carry out such reclamation works that restore dignity to a place that is exposed to all sorts of vandalism, especially when the Church is closed, when it becomes a “no man's land”.
The Friars Minor have already restored and cleaned the staircase and the tuff wall outside the monument, thanks also to the help of the citizens in 2017/2018, and even before that in 2013; but this time they had to provide for themselves with their own resources and without any external help.
It should be remembered and highlighted that the aforementioned staircase and the entrance to the Church of Santa Chiara overlook an area of municipal jurisdiction with all the problems associated with the situation of complete abandonment and degradation that such ownership entails. Despite repeated requests to the Municipality aimed at eliminating what is hidden outside the convent and monumental complex, nothing has changed over the years, indeed the situation has worsened.
In 2023, the Neapolitan Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus OFM was invited-warned to carry out cleaning and maintenance work on the side staircase because reports of its deterioration had been received.
After the necessary authorizations, we have arrived at today with the restored staircase but we hope for a round table with the institutions, which has been requested several times, for the most correct identification of the measures to safeguard the property and the surrounding areas.
Furthermore, the recovery action carried out by the Friars Minor includes the installation of surveillance of the area with a system of cameras that can only take place after the release of the authorizations by the Municipality.
This restoration restores dignity to a work, as mentioned, but in order not to see human and economic resources wasted, control and security on the territory is needed and this is a task that falls under the responsibility of the Municipality of Naples.
Article published on May 4, 2024 - 09:49 pm
Video Chronicles
