Chapel of our lady of Purity

1. The chapel. This chapel was named by the family of the Cardinal Francesco Stoppani (1774), then of Cardinal Vidoni (1830), who made poor restorations in the year of the jubilee of 1825. Originally dedicated to the Holy Family, however, in 1647, after the General Chapter Of the Theatines declared the “Madonna of Purity” Patron of the Order, the chapel was called in her honor. Below the altar, consecrated on November 20 of 1725 by the theatine bishop Giorgio Làscaris, is located the body of the s. Fortunate martyr. In 1912, Silvio Galimberti painted the four lunettes above the archs (“Birth of Jesus”, “The Presentation to the Temple”, “The Carpenter of Nazareth”, “Among the Doctors of the Law”) and the scenes in the Vault (“Angels Choir”) . The gates and stuccoes of the tholobate and lantern are admirable. In the pendentives is written: RELIGIO (Religion), LABOR (Work), SAPIENTIA (Wisdom), FAMILIA (Family).

2. The Madonna of Purity. the table of Our Lady received this title, painted by the spanish Luis de Morales “The Divine”,the painting since September 7 of1641 is located in St. Paul Major in Naples. Since 1647, the Neapolitan painter Alessandro Francesi made several copies, the first of those copies was transported and venerated here, arrived from Naples in 1647. The romans called upon her one year later, for the liberation of the city from famine. Once her worship grew up, on December 7 of 1678, the Vatican Chapter ornamented the head of the divine Mother and of the Son with unique gold crowns.

3. The Holy Child of St. Gaetano. On the left side of the chapel, is written the burial tombstone of the cardinal. Stoppani: A + O. / IO. FRANCISCUS EP. PRAENESTINUS / S.R.E. CARDINALIS STOPPANIUS / MEDIOLANENSIS / HERE VIVENS SIBI SUISQ. / HOC MONUMENTUM POSUIT / OB. XIV KALENDIS DEC. AN. S. MDCCLXXIV / AET. SUAE AN. LXXIX / ORATE PRO EO.

Since 1907 and for the interest of Fr. Francesco of Paola Ragonesi, in front of this tombstone was a wooden image of the miraculous Child also called of s. Gaetano, placed in a glass urn on top of the marble base. After a triple theft of the original statue, from 1966 to 1972, a copy is venerated in stucco, copy of the Holy Baby Jesus, made from a in a ancient roman way, preserved by a roman artisan at Santa Maria delle Fornaci.