Starting September 18, visitors, scholars, and art enthusiasts can explore the first complete digital catalog of the Cappella Sansevero in Naples. This initiative makes the chapel the first museum in Italy to publish a fully scientific, open-access, and continuously updateable digital archive of its collection. The project was coordinated by Professor Gianluca Forgione and realized by a team of specialists in southern Italian art from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The endeavor combines two core elements – rigorous academic research and advanced digital technology. The scholars examined newly discovered archival sources and clarified several long-standing attributions. For instance, the monument dedicated to Paolo di Sangro and the sculpture “Amor divino” were reattributed to Michelangelo Naccherino, rather than the previously credited Francesco Queirolo. Drawing from documents in the Diocesan Historical Archive of Naples, the research also reconstructed the chapel’s 17th-century history and tracked the transformations introduced by Prince Raimondo di Sangro during his years at the Collegio Romano between 1720 and 1730.
On the technological front, the catalog was created using Quire – an open-source publishing platform developed with support from the Getty Research Institute – and applied in Italy for the first time through a partnership with Haltadefinizione s.r.l., part of the Panini Culture Group. Haltadefinizione carried out an extensive gigapixel photographic campaign covering every sculpture, painting, and frescoed surface, as well as immersive 360-degree imagery of the chapel’s interiors. The outcome is a high-resolution digital platform where visitors can explore each artwork in extraordinary detail, zooming in to appreciate textures and nuances invisible to the naked eye.
The online catalog currently features 31 entries written as scholarly essays – each modular, updateable, and formatted like traditional printed catalogues, yet enhanced by dynamic navigation and interactive visuals. An integrated system called Coosmo – developed by Haltadefinizione – manages and preserves both the ultra-high-resolution images and the evolving text records, ensuring full transparency and long-term continuity. The interface allows users to view artworks side by side with their interpretive notes, merging academic precision with an accessible digital experience.
Beyond its technological achievement, the project represents a milestone for accessibility and cultural preservation. By publishing its catalog online, the Cappella Sansevero expands its mission far beyond Naples – offering scholars, educators, and art lovers worldwide the chance to study its masterpieces remotely. It also underscores the museum’s dedication to innovation in cultural heritage, illustrating how digital tools can deepen engagement and open new paths for research and education.
The catalog was formally introduced during a special study day hosted by the museum earlier this year. The event included presentations by the museum’s president, Maria Alessandra Masucci, and the project coordinator, Gianluca Forgione, along with leading art historians such as Andrea Bacchi (University of Bologna and Fondazione Zeri), who discussed Antonio Corradini’s work, and Riccardo Naldi (University L’Orientale of Naples), who unveiled an unpublished terracotta model of the celebrated “Cristo Velato,” recently found in a private collection.
As the museum itself notes, the need for such a catalog was long overdue. Despite many publications devoted to the chapel, no comprehensive scientific catalog existed to guide researchers or curators. The only prior reference consisted of inventory sheets prepared in the 1990s by the Central Institute for Cataloguing – a valuable start but incomplete. Recognizing this gap, the museum launched a full-scale documentation project in 2022 to serve both the scholarly community and the general public, ensuring permanent digital access and a foundation for future conservation.
In this sense, the Cappella Sansevero’s digital catalog stands as a model for how heritage institutions can merge scholarship, technology, and accessibility. It transforms what was once a static collection into a living, evolving archive – a space where art, science, and innovation meet. By inviting users everywhere to navigate its masterpieces in unprecedented depth and clarity, the museum extends the legacy of Prince Raimondo di Sangro’s genius into the digital age, offering a new way to experience one of Naples’ most enigmatic and intellectually fascinating monuments.
