Napoli - Santa Maria del Carmine Maggiore

Napoli is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy. Its metropolitan area has a population of more than 3 million.

Founded by Greek settlers before 900 BC, Napoli was an important part of Magna Graecia and played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society.

Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire Napoli was shortly ruled by the Ostrogoths. Byzantine troops captured the city in 536m but after the Byzantine exarchate Ravenna fell a Duchy of Naples was created. Over centuries the Duchy´s relations to Rome or Byzanz were hard-fought. In 836 Napoli could repel a siege of Lombard troops with the help of the Saracens, what did not prevent Muhammad I Abu 'l-Abbas in the 850s loot Napoli. In the 11th century, the Duchy hired Norman mercenaries and about 1140 it came under Norman control under Roger II, then King of Sicily.

In 1228 Emperor Frederick II founded the first university in Europe here, making Napoli the intellectual centre of the kingdom. The conflict between the House of Hohenstaufen and the Papacy led in 1266 to Pope Innocent IV crowning the Angevin duke Charles I King of Sicily. Charles officially moved the capital from Palermo to Napoli.

In 1282 after the "Sicilian Vespers", a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily against the rule of King Charles I, the Kingdom of Sicily was divided into two. The Angevin Kingdom of Naples included the southern part of the Italian peninsula, while the island of Sicily became the Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily.

By the 17th century, Naples had become Europe's second-largest city – second only to Paris – with around 250000 inhabitants.

Santa Maria del Carmine Maggiore is located at the Piazza Mercato, once the centre of the city. The church was founded in the 13th century by Carmelite friars driven from the Holy Land. Tradition says that the friars brought to Napoli an image of the Madonna they venerated on Mount Carmel. This icon, named "Vergine Bruna" (and probably painted in Tuscany), was the centre of pilgrimage, that started in the 13th century - and still vibrant.

On the Piazza Mercato, next to the church, ended the short life of Conradin (aka "Conrad the Child"). He was the son of Conrad IV of Germany and Frederick II´s grandson. When he was two years old, his father died and he became the Duke of Swabia and King of Jerusalem and Sicily. Conradin´s Italian legacy was taken care of by his uncle Manfred, who, after a rumour of Conradin´s death, was crowned King of Sicily. In addition, Pope Alexander IV urged all nobles in Swabia not to support Conradin at the election of the German king in 1256/57.

Conradin was asked by the Guelphs to take arms against his uncle Manfred, who had been crowned king of Sicily, but he refused that. In 1266 Charles I of Anjou, called by the new pope Clement IV, defeated and killed Manfred at Benevento and so took possession of southern Italy. Envoys went then to Bavaria and urged Conradin to come and free Italy. Pledging his lands, Conradin crossed the Alps and issued a manifesto at Verona setting forth his claim on Sicily.

Lots of companions returned to Germany, due to threats of Clement IV and a lack of funds. Proclaiming him King of Sicily, his partisans, among them, Prince Henry of Castile, both in the north and south of Italy took up arms. The young King was welcomed in Pavia, Pisa and Siena. Most of Sicily rebelled against the Angevin rule. The revolt spread to Calabria and Apulia. In November 2367 Clement IV excommunicated Conradin.

On 23 August 1268 Conradin´s army encountered that of Charles I at Tagliacozzo, in central Italy. Conradin´s army was defeated thoroughly. Escaping from the field of battle, Conradin reached Rome but acting on advice to leave the city he proceeded to Astura in an attempt to sail for Sicily. He got arrested and handed over to Charles I, who imprisoned him in the Castel dell'Ovo in Napoli. On 29 October 1268 16 years old Conradin and his friends were beheaded right here on Piazza Mercato