The Church, dedicated to St. James, is preceded by the pronaos, with the beautiful portal and the fresco of Florentine Niccolo di Tommaso depicting Giacomo Arcucci offers the Charterhouse to the Madonna, of 1371.

At the Centre of the painting, the Madonna on the throne with child, on the left of the one who looks at St. John the Baptist, with his hand on the shoulder of the Queen of Naples, Giovanna I d’Angio in prayer, side by side with Muretta Valva and Margherita Sanseverino, first and second wife of Arcucci; on the other side, the elder St. James with staff, protects Giacomo Arcucci, supported by his sons, Francesco and Jannuccio, who had his second wife.

The interior is a single nave with three cruising cruises connected by ogival bows.

The semicircular apse may not belong to the primitive Church, whose schematic model, without the apse, is visible in the frescot Niccolo di Tommaso.

The trifora at the bottom of the aisle was opened in the restoration curated by Gino Chierici in 1927, and in the same operation the 14th-century windows on the right side of the nave and the facade rosette were visible, visible only from the outside in order not to compromise the late seventeenth century painting of the counterfaced. To the left of the apse there are chapels of St. James and St. Bruno and the large sacristy.*

*information from a signboard in the church

As mentioned in my previous post this is the Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach gallery displayed in the former refectory in San Giacomo Carthusian Monastery.

Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach (Hadamar 1851 – Capri, 1913)
The painter Karl Wilheim Diefenbach, born in Hadmar on February 21st 1851, came to Capri in the early 20th century in an attempt to escape frequent vicious attacks on him by the press. On the Island of Capri, Diefenbach was inspired by the dramatically beautiful scenery, the soaring cliffs and enchanting panoramas, which he skillfully reproduced in works which he exhibited in his studio close to Capri’s Piazzetta.
Karl Wilheim Diefenbach observed the principles of Theosophy and preached the return to a simple way of life, in harmony with nature: his let his hair grow long, walked barefoot and dressed in nothing more than a white robe, even in the coldest months. Many of the German painter’s works were of notable dimensions and were created using unusual materials and unconventional techniques. Since 1975, Karl Wilheim Diefenbach’s works have been displayed in the Charterhouse of San Giacomo.

I was moved by the above painting which is entitled ‘Visione di Cristo’. My photograph doesn’t do the painting justice due to the light from the windows reflecting on the painting.

La Charterhouse of San Giacomo is one of the oldest structures on Capri, built in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci of Capri, Secretary to Jeanne I of Anjou, and originally a convent.

The original convent is composed of three buildings: an annex housing the pharmacy and women’s chapel, open to the public; a building dedicated to the lay brothers with storerooms, stables, and workshops; and the cloisters, including the Greater Cloister lined by individual cells, and the Lesser Cloister, with a number of rooms dedicated to those sworn to the monastic life.

During the 1500s, the Charterhouse suffered extensive damage during a number of pirate assaults, which were a danger at the time. Restoration work lasted until 1636, when the invading French commandeered the complex to be used as a barracks, hospital, and, until 1898, a military prison for anarchists and soldiers. In 1927, an extensive restoration was begun under the Superintendent Gino Chierici, who brought the Charterhouse back to its former splendor as a 12th century convent.

The former refectory hall holds canvases by Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach, a German painter belonging to the European Symbolism Movement, who lived on Capri until his death in 1913. In the Prior’s apartments, there are often temporary photography and contemporary art exhibitions, while the outdoor spaces host important events, including concerts and live shows.

Santo Stefano is a Catholic church and former cathedral on the island of Capri, Italy. Dedicated to Saint Stephen, it is the principal house of worship in the town of Capri.^[1] The religious complex was built around the Piazza Umberto Isquare in the seventeenth century. The archbishop’s palace is now used as the town hall (“Municipio”).^[2] Santo Stefano and Chiesa di San Costanzo are the island’s two oldest churches.^[3]

This was the church where inadvertently, I almost ended up attending the service.

When we arrived in the square, we found that the Cathedral (Cathedral of Santo Stefano) which had been closed when we first arrived in Capri, was now open. We ventured inside for a quick look before we made our way back to the harbour for the ferry.

It is a beautiful church and, after sitting for quiet reflection, I arose and took in some of the features of the church. For some reason I was drawn into a side passage, at the end of which was a large silver bust in a showcase. I continued into the passageway, which I would describe as showing Christian artifacts. I paused looking into an open room to find a gentleman standing there. He picked up a white garment and for a moment I thought he was looking at  me and then I realised that he was holding a fascia and he handed it to a priest that had quite silently arrived behind me.

The gentleman then engaged me in conversation, asking me if I liked the church and where had I come from before politely saying goodbye. I realised that a church service was due to start and as I turned to make my way out of the passageway I noticed that the gentleman that had been speaking to me was carrying an incense thurible into the main body of the church. I left the church quietly, noticing that now there were many people seated quietly ready for the service as tourists were still pouring in through the entrance with their cameras in hand.

Richard Jeffries