
Church of San Ferdinando in Naples.
' San Ferdinando' is the neighbourhood of
Naples, southern
Italy, that includes, among other landmarks, the
Royal Palace, the large adjacent square named
Piazza del Plebiscito, the
San Carlo opera house and the church of San Ferdinando, for which the area and adjacent small square are named. (Technically, the square is now called ''Piazza Trieste e Trento'' but is commonly referred to by the older name.)
The church was originally a
Jesuit house of worship and was opened in 1665. It was originally dedicated to
St. Francis Xavier ("San Francesco Saverio" in Italian), friend of
St. Ignatius Loyola and one of the members of the first company of Jesuits. The original name of the church was, in fact, ''San Francesco Saverio''. The interior of the church displays numerous works of art depicting the life and missionary activities of St. Francis Xavier. The church was rededicated to San Ferdinando when the Jesuits were expelled from Naples in 1767.