Santa Maria Donna Regina Vecchia

In 1293 a severe earthquake caused great damage to the original structure, and queen Mary of Hungary, consort of the king of Naples, Charles II of Anjou financed the construction of a new complex in Gotico Angioiano style adjacent to the old one.

[1] Like San Lorenzo Maggiore, the other Franciscan foundation in Naples, Donna Regina is built in the Italian variant of the French Gothic style favored by the mendicant orders in the 13th and 14th century, with pointed arches, window tracery, and a faceted apse, all surmounted by a trussed, wooden roof.

The elaborate Gothic monument is the work of Sienese sculptor and stonemason Tino da Camaino and an unknown Neapolitan artist.

Angels draw back curtains to reveal the gisant figure of the Queen, who is clad in the habit of a Poor Clare, or Franciscan nun, recalling her long-standing financial support of the convent and underscoring her efforts to emulate mendicant spirituality in general.

Also notable are the 14th-century frescoes by Pietro Cavallini (along with his workshop, or some of his followers) and Filippo Rusuti, one of the most important pieces of paintings from that century in Naples.