L’eco delle pietre: history, modeling, and GPR as tools in reconstructing the choir screen at Sta. Chiara in Naples

This essay describes the use of Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) to establish the location and dimensions of the destroyed choir screen at the church of Sta. Chiara in Naples. On the basis of this new evidence, inserted within a laser scan of the church that provides its exact dimensions, the authors have been able to reconstruct a hypothetical model of the screen’s original appearance. The model, if correct, suggests that the choir screen not only contained altars to Saints Francis and Claire (now present in the flanking side chapels), but also that it supported an upper gallery that connected the wide tribunes on either side of the nave. It is hoped that this hypothetical model will stimulate new research on the décor, liturgy, and ceremonial functions of this important Neapolitan church.