La cupola della cappella Caracciolo del Sole in San Giovanni a Carbonara: architettura e restauri di un ‘monumento’ della Napoli del Quattrocento

The complex of San Giovanni a Carbonara, built in a long time period, starting from 1343 and lasting about two centuries, is a palimpsest of extraordinary relevance for the Neapolitan architecture history. It stands out for the presence of two important centrally-planned chapels, arranged according to a configuration which recalls the ancient and early Christian basilicas-martyria. The former of the two, named after the Caracciolo del Sole family and started a few years before 1427 to host the tomb of Sergianni, the great seneschal of the kingdom and queen Giovanna II’s lover, murdered in 1432, is placed on the axis of the church’s nave and it is covered by a ribbon dome. The paper deals with the architectural and constructive history of this chapel and its dome, highlighting their role of urban “pole” also through an in-depth analysis of the iconographic references over the centuries.