Basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine Maggiore

Neapel · Italy · Church

The crucifix ducked its head as the cannonball came. The ball is still in the crypt, and Christ has never straightened his neck.

During the war between Angevins and Aragonese, Rene of Anjou had turned the Carmelite bell tower into an artillery post. On 17 October 1439 Peter of Aragon had a bombard called la Messinese fired at it. The ball punched through the apse and flew straight at the head of the great wooden crucifix — which, the legend says, bent its head down to the right shoulder and let it pass. The crucifix is unharmed and is shown to the congregation once a year, lowered from its tabernacle; the head still leans to one side. The cannonball is kept in the underground room behind the sacristy. Outside the church door lies Piazza del Mercato, and it was in the friars' dormitory here that the fishmonger Masaniello was killed in 1647, ten days after leading the revolt against the Spanish.

FAQ

Where is Basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine Maggiore located?

Basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine Maggiore is in Neapel, Italy.

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