San Gennaro: Unearthing the History and Significance of Naples’ Beloved Saint

The city of Naples and San Gennaro are intricately linked, you cannot really talk about one without the other. For centuries the legends of San Gennaro have played an essential part in Neapolitan traditions and culture, but why is the saint so important here? Let’s find out!

San Gennaro (Saint Januarius in English) is a legendary figure in Naples. Long one of the city’s protectors, Neapolitans still revere him as much as they ever did, with statues, graffiti, murals and more dedicated to him on display everywhere.

I’ll be honest with you, the details of the life and death of Saint Gennaro are pretty murky. The earliest written information about his life dates from the 6th century, around 300 years after he lived and died. As you can imagine, this makes any definitive statement difficult to make!

There are some generally accepted facts about Gennaro however, which are somewhat supported indirectly by other sources, and over the centuries a consensus has been reached about specific parts of his life:

The life of San Gennaro

San Gennaro was born in the late 3rd century in the city of Benevento, which is inland from Naples.

Benevento was an important city with ancient origins, but the Romans had conquered the local people and turned it into a colony early on, around 270 BCE. This status gave the city wealth and influence, so when Gennaro was born nearly 500 years later, his family was rich and could afford for him to have an education.

At an early age Gennaro became a Christian, which at this time was still not common. He quickly rose to prominence, becoming the local priest at 15 and then the Bishop of Naples at 20 years old.

Unfortunately for Gennaro, he was an open Christian during the time of Emperor Diocletian. Persecution of the early Christians had been taking place on and off for many years within the Roman empire, but political disagreements had meant the Christians had been able to escape notice for a while.

This changed when Emperor Diocletian came to power in 286 CE. Between 303 and 312 CE he ordered the largest and most intense persecution of Christians of any Roman emperor, with severe punishments for anyone caught or even just suspected of following the Christian faith.

San Gennaro did his best to help his fellow Christians escape, but he signed his own death warrant when he went to a jail to visit Sossius, who was the deacon of nearby Misenum and had been arrested.

The local authorities had Gennaro arrested and he was condemned to die.

How did Saint Gennaro die?

While all sources agree that Gennaro was executed, there are a few different versions of how this happened.

Gennaro and his fellow Christians were sent to the amphitheater at Pozzuoli, where they were to be thrown to wild bears. From here the story diverges. One version is that the bears refused to attack the Christians, another is that the authorities were worried that the executions would cause riots so cancelled the public spectacle. Yet another version is that he was put into a furnace but was miraculously able to survive the flames.

Either way, San Gennaro was not able to escape his fate. He was beheaded along with his fellow Christians at the Solfatara volcano near Pozzuoli in 305. The exact date was supposedly September 19, which is why this is the day that marks the Feast of San Gennaro each year.

The story of San Gennaro does not end with his death however.

Following his execution, a woman named Eusebia (in different versions either his nurse or a local devout follower) found his body and severed head still dripping blood. She collected some of the blood, which was then preserved. This is the same blood that is at the heart of the Miracle of the Blood ceremony which takes place three times a year.

It was not just the martyr’s blood that was preserved. The body and head, originally buried in Pozzuoli, were moved to the Catacombs of San Gennaro in the 5th century. Originally dedicated to Saint Agrippinus, an early patron saint of Naples, the catacombs came to be named for Gennaro when his relics were moved here, with the site becoming very popular.

Later, the head and body were separated, with the body being moved to Benevento in the 9th century. They were not reunited until the early 1500’s when the magnificent cathedral in Naples was built.

Designed specifically to be a suitably grand home for Naples’ protector, the crypt underneath the high altar today still holds the reunited head and body of the saint.

You can pay your respects to Saint Gennaro in the crypt, but the main focus of his worship is in the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro.

It is in this chapel that the vials of blood are securely kept, ready to be brought out in May, September and December to see if the solid, clotted blood will liquefy.

It is also in this chapel that you can see the stunning gold and silver reliquary bust of San Gennaro, along with over fifty other busts of Naples’ other patron saints, all made from silver.

The chapel was built after the cathedral was already largely completed, and was commissioned by a group of wealthy Neapolitans who had survived a siege, plague and an eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

The Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro

Attached to the Chapel of San Gennaro is the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro. You cannot access this museum from the cathedral unless you have purchased an entrance ticket, but I think it is well worth doing.

The small museum contains a collection of devotional items, artwork and votive offerings to San Gennaro, which doesn’t sound that impressive but the pieces are breathtaking!

The mitre of San Gennaro (the bishop’s headgear) is very impressive, as is the ornate necklace strung with jewels. There are examples of crosses used in processions, intricately decorated devotional objects and more.

The museum is open daily and I strongly recommend booking online in advance if you are planning to visit at a point when the Miracle of the Blood is taking place.

First recorded as happening in 1389, three times a year the Miracle of the Blood ceremony takes place.

These are:

• The Saturday before the first Sunday in May, commemorating the original transfer of Gennaro’s relics to Naples
• September 19, the official Feast of San Gennaro commemorating his death
• December 16, which remembers the day in 1631 when Vesuvius erupted but the city was saved by bringing out the blood, which spontaneously liquefied and stopped the flow of lava at the city gates.

On each of the three days, the ampoule containing the blood is brought out and the large crowds wait to see if the precious liquid will liquefy in front of them. If it does, it bodes well for Naples and its people, but if not, it is held as a warning sign that something is wrong.

Luckily far more often than not the blood does indeed liquefy, but the years when it hasn’t have been marked by the Covid pandemic, a severe earthquake, World War II and the last eruption of Vesuvius in 1944. Given this, I can understand why the Neapolitans take it so seriously!

How to be a part of the ceremony

If you are in Naples in mid September or mid December, the ceremony takes place in Naples Cathedral. The blood is brought out to the altar before a special service is given and the church is packed with people waiting to see what happens.

These events are extremely packed, they really do squeeze in every person possible into the cathedral. Neapolitans pray, chant and implore the saint to perform the miracle, and it is a very charged atmosphere. For this reason I prefer to wait outside to find out the result and return to see the blood later.

It remains on display in the chapel of San Gennaro for 8 days after the miracle, when you can see it without the huge crowds. The priests regularly walk around the chapel with the ampoule, moving it so you can see the liquid blood up close and blessing pilgrims who have come to see it.

If you are in Naples on that first Sunday in May, this ceremony is slightly different. On this occasion, there is a procession from the cathedral to the Basilica of Santa Chiara with the blood ampoules and the silver and gold bust of the saint. The miracle is then witnessed in the open at the end of the procession before they return to the cathedral.

I never fail to be moved by the Neapolitan people’s dedication to their main patron saint. Faith plays a huge role in daily life here, even if you aren’t a practising Christian, in a way that I don’t see in the same way in Rome or other places in Italy.

Perhaps it is the ever-looming presence of Mount Vesuvius, or the city’s long history of having to defend itself from aggressors, but there is something defiant in the way Naples presents itself. San Gennaro is both a protector and a defender of the city, with his feast days being celebrations of Naples and its resilience.

The Feast of San Gennaro in New York

This passion traveled with Italian immigrants from Naples who went to the United States in the early 1900’s.

Many Italian immigrants settled in the same parts of the new city, and they continued to celebrate the Feast of San Gennaro in their new home, in the area of New York now known as Little Italy. Originally these celebrations were a simple one day block party, but now they last 11 days and cover all 11 blocks of the Little Italy neighborhood.

The festival takes place every September and has live music, Neapolitan food and drink and a procession of a statue of San Gennaro, honoring the city’s principal patron even if they don’t live in Naples anymore.

The way the saint’s blood is displayed for everyone to see, and the passion San Gennaro generates speaks to something deep and powerful.

For centuries it has brought men and women, rich and poor together in one place to pray for the continued protection of the city and its people, and then to celebrate together when this is (usually!) successful. I am privileged to have been witness to the emotions and passion of these events and I strongly encourage you to see this for yourself if you have the chance.