Hotels near Cappella Sansevero

The Cappella Sansevero is a private noble chapel that holds Giuseppe Sanmartino's 1753 Cristo Velato - a single block of marble carved into a Christ figure draped in a translucent shroud so thin you can trace the wounds beneath. Tourists routinely return three or four times to look at it; the marble veil is impossible to believe at first sight.

The chapel was commissioned by Raimondo di Sangro, an 18th-century alchemist whose other commissions include the unsettling Anatomical Machines in the basement - two preserved human skeletons with their entire circulatory systems intact. Entry is EUR 10 with a timed slot. The chapel is small (one room) and gets crowded - book online at least three days ahead.

Pro Tip: The 9.30am opening slot is empty. Photography is forbidden inside, so commit to looking - five minutes in front of the Cristo Velato is the right amount of time. Audio guide is included with the ticket.