In Naples and throughout Campania, the arrival of Easter is always a highly anticipated time as it brings with it a long series of spiritual traditions and culinary, many of which have remained unchanged over the centuries and are deeply rooted in the population. The rituals of the Holy Week in preparation for Easter begin with the blessing of olive branches on Palm Sunday and conclude on Monday in Albis, that is, the day of Easter, with the classic trip out of town. However, the Neapolitan people are especially fond of Holy Thursday. On this day, in addition to eating the traditional mussel soup, it is customary to celebrate the rite of sepulchres visiting seven churches in Naples. According to tradition, the faithful must enter the different churches and recite the Gloria, Hail Mary and Our Father in each, beseeching goodwill to God. In the past, the last church to enter was that of St. Francis of Paola, the most important in the 19th century because of its structure resembling the Pantheon in Rome. The earliest historical records of the custom of the Tour of the Seven Churches date back to 1552, when St. Philip Neri churches to visit the seven most important churches in Rome on a single day, criticizing the pagan celebration of carnival. Over the centuries this custom gradually spread to other places in Italy and became part of the rites of Easter.

 

The Tour of the Seven Churches is a Catholic pilgrimage that originated in Rome in medieval times. It was officially formalized in the 16th century at the behest of St. Philip Neri, but the earliest records of the cult date back to the 7th century, when Santa Begga thought of building six other oratories in addition to his own, which later gave the monastery of Sept-Églises its name. Probably this practice goes back to the Pope's custom of celebrating the sacred offices in the Roman stationary churches according to the liturgical calendar of the time, pointing then to the seven main churches also listed by the humanist Onofrio Panvinio. According to some, this tradition can also be traced back to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor mentioned in the Book of theRevelation. In any case, it was with the institution of the Jubilee in the 14th century that lists of indulgences indicated seven basilicas where they could be bought. This usage was later taken up by St. Philip Neri, giving it new religious meanings introduced by Counter-Reformation trends. During the ritual the seven penitential psalms were recited to ask for the forgiveness of the seven deadly sins and meditated on the seven principal stations during the Passion, the seven effusions of Christ's blood, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments and the seven works of mercy. The custom of the Seven Churches Tour in a short time found a large following of pilgrims, so much so that Sixtus V included it in the papal bull in February 1586, regarding the extension of penitential practices.

 

 

The Tour of the Seven Churches is still a strong and deep-rooted act of devotion to be practiced during Holy Week. Specifically, it is performed during the Easter triduum (Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday). The pilgrimage consists of visiting seven churches stopping to pray near the Blessed Sacrament near the Altar of Repose. For this reason, the rite is also called the Visit of the Sepulchres. The expression "making the rounds of the Seven Churches" has entered common parlance with a negative meaning since in some cases it can mean wasting time going around without a reason or going in search of someone who will listen. But why does one go around visiting precisely seven churches? The number seven has a very strong symbolic value. In fact, this number refers to the seven heavenly spheres, the seven degrees of perfection, the seven branches of the cosmic tree and the seven major planets of the solar system. More generally, seven represents spiritual and material renewal.

 

 

In ancient times, the route of the Seven Churches was predetermined and had as its main goal the obtaining of the plenary indulgence, recognized on the occasion of the Jubilee. Worship began from Dante Square to then move to Toledo Street and conclude in Plebiscite Square. The seven churches were all located along that route and included St. Nicholas alla Carità, Spirito Santo, St. Liborio alla Pignasecca, St. Brigida, Madonna delle Grazie, St. Ferdinand di Palazzo, and St. Francis of Paola. Today there is no longer any constraint on the choice of churches. Choosing which houses of worship to include in the pilgrimage is difficult since there are those who prefer smaller ones and those who wish to go to the Cathedral and to the most famous basilicas. There are so many options and one is spoiled for choice. So let's see which churches are the most popular among the faithful: