Museo chapel of Assumption or st. Philomena

The Chapel of the Assumption, or of Saint Philomena, was built in 1816 based on a design by Carlo Vanvitelli, son of Luigi Vanvitelli and his successor as architect of the Royal Palace. Carlo was born in Rome in 1739 and died in Naples in 1821.

The chapel was commissioned by the residents of the surrounding neighborhood, known as Santella—a popular contraction of Sant’Elena (Saint Helena), the name of a nearby church. King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon granted the land. It is a fine example of Neoclassical style in both its architecture and decorations, featuring paintings by Schmidt and Hill. It is unknown whether a pre-existing chapel or a devotional shrine stood on the site prior to its construction.

The building sits at the corner of the street formerly known as Cavallerizze reali and along the perimeter of the so-called "Flora Gardens," which were laid out in 1837 by architect Gaetano De Lillo and botanist Giovanni Gussone.

The chapel served as the seat of the parish known as Saint Philomena, though officially dedicated to Saints Henry and Vitalian—established in 1885 and approved by King Umberto I in 1887. In 1906, the parish seat was transferred to the newly inaugurated church dedicated to the two saints, built starting in 1883 on Via Renella (now Via Napoli).

In 1959, Bishop Mangino approved the establishment of the Shrine for the Fallen of the Italian Air Force, reflecting the military branch's presence in Caserta since 1925. In 1960, as the owner of the chapel, the Municipality of Caserta officially granted the property to the National Association of Families of Fallen and Maimed Airmen.

[text, and photographs: Pietro Di Lorenzo, associazione culturale "Francesco Durante", Caserta, 2026]

[music: P. Anfossi, Ne declinas / L. Di Giugno soprano, L. Varallo violoncello, P. Di Lorenzo organo, , liverecording 2026]