Sansevero Chapel Museum
The Sansevero Chapel Museum in Naples showcases Baroque art, including the renowned Veiled Christ sculpture, reflecting the genius of Raimondo di Sangro.
Planning your visit
The Veiled Christ is why people queue. Giuseppe Sanmartino carved it in 1753 from a single block of marble — a dead Christ lying beneath a shroud that clings to the body, with the features and wounds visible through it. The illusion is so complete that a persistent legend held the veil was real cloth chemically petrified, which it is not.
The chapel around it was the project of Raimondo di Sangro, Prince of Sansevero: a Freemason, inventor, alchemist and scholar who filled the building with sculpture of extreme technical difficulty, including Modesty, veiled in the same manner, and Disillusion, a figure struggling from a marble net.
In the basement are the anatomical machines — two skeletons with their circulatory systems reproduced in wire and wax, made under his direction, which fuelled centuries of rumour about how they were produced.
Timed entry is enforced and it sells out. Allow forty-five minutes. Bookable options include skip-the-line private tours. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Sansevero Chapel Museum?
Sansevero Chapel Museum is in Naples, Italy. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Sansevero Chapel Museum?
Allow forty-five minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
What are the opening hours of Sansevero Chapel Museum?
Daily 9.00 am – 7.00 pm. Hours change on public holidays, so check the official site before travelling.
Do I need to book Sansevero Chapel Museum in advance?
Skip-the-line entry is worth booking ahead here: the saving is the queue, which is exactly what sells out.
