San Ferdinando (Naples)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

San Ferdinando is the neighbourhood of Naples, southern Italy, that includes, among other landmarks, the Royal Palace, the large adjacent square named Piazza del Plebiscito, the San Carlo opera house and the church of San Ferdinando, for which the area and adjacent small square are named. (Technically, the square is now called Piazza Trieste e Trento but is commonly referred to by the older name.)

The church was originally a Jesuit house of worship and was opened in 1665. It was originally dedicated to St. Francis Xavier ("San Francesco Saverio" in Italian), friend of St. Ignatius Loyola and one of the members of the first company of Jesuits. The original name of the church was, in fact, San Francesco Saverio. The interior of the church displays numerous works of art depicting the life and missionary activities of St. Francis Xavier. The church was rededicated to San Ferdinando when the Jesuits were expelled from Naples in 1767.