Opening onto one of Naples's most beautiful squares -- graced by the Guglia San Domenico, a marble spire erected between 1658 and 1737 in gratitude for the end of that century's plague -- this church actually offers its back to the public: Its facade, following an Angevin tradition, is only visible from the inner courtyard. Built by Carlo II d'Angiò between 1283 and 1324, San Domenico Maggiore encloses the older church of San Michele Arcangelo a Morfisa, which is still accessible from the transept. Inside both are innumerable works of art, including many Renaissance monumental tombs graced by sculptures and carvings, as well as 14th-century frescoes and 15th- and 16th-century paintings. The main altar is a beautiful work of marble inlay from the 16th century.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Amalfi Coast, 2nd Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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