Visit the Church of SS. Filippo e Giacomo with Campania>Artecard, located in the historic center of Naples.

In 1477, without competitive intent but solely “for the honor and status of Her Majesty of the Republic of the city of Naples,” the art of silk was officially established, bringing a radical and, at times, revolutionary shift to the silk manufacturing of Naples and southern Italy. The processing of silk was centered in Naples, “the only hub in the kingdom, besides Catanzaro, where this activity could be carried out.”

An important center for the production and processing of silk, this sector was a driving force of the kingdom's economy from the second half of the 16th century until the 18th century. The importance, power, and wealth achieved by the Silk Art Corporation were expressed and made tangible in the creation of the Church of Silk, also known as the Complex of SS. Filippo e Giacomo. Artists such as Alessio D’Elia, Jacopo Cestaro, Giacomo Massotti, the Massa brothers, and Giuseppe Sammartino contributed to the frescoes, marble decorations, altars, and sacred furnishings. These artists participated in the 1758 renovation of the church, which gave it its current appearance, characteristic of Neapolitan Baroque.

The tour begins at the church and allows visitors to explore areas normally inaccessible to the public, including: the fresco zone from the late 16th century, a testament to the earliest silk chapel of SS. Filippo e Giacomo; the 18th-century sacristy, which houses works by 18th-century Neapolitan woodcarving masters and examples of 17th-century silk art created by the corporation. The tour continues through a finely crafted bronze trapdoor to the suggestive crypt, a burial place for members of the silk corporation. Finally, from the inner courtyard, visitors reach the archaeological remains where testimonies of 16th-century and Roman Naples can be observed.
This exclusive guided tour celebrates the places of silk restored to the public by the Respiriamo Arte Association, preserving the Naples described in historical sources as: “Bustling with spinning mills, silk shops, dye houses, weaving workshops, merchant warehouses, numerous foreign presences, and financial and commercial activities linked to the trade and processing of fabrics and other silk products.”