It has rarely left the southern Italian city and spent centuries locked in a vault, largely forgotten by the wider world.
Sumptuous: Visitors look at the Necklace of St Januarius, made in 1679 by goldsmith Michele Dato, on display as part of the treasure exhibition in Rome
Impressive: A golden mitre commissioned to crown the saint's bust in its annual procession is made of 3,300 diamonds and hundreds of rubies and emeralds, given in many separate donations
In awe: Visitors looks at the mitre, part of a collection on display at the Fondazione Roma Museum in Italy
Pretty: Chalices at the unprecedented exhibition of emeralds and diamonds once owned by popes and kings
The 70 pieces were transported under heavily armed guard to a central Rome museum earlier this month and will be on display until February.
Known in English as Januarius, the bishop of Naples was martyred in the 3rd century and remains popular among Catholics.
Thousands gather three times a year to see whether a vial of his coagulated blood will turn to liquid, which they believe to be a miracle bringing good fortune to the city.
Some Neapolitans attribute a 1980 earthquake that killed thousands to the failure of the dried blood to liquefy but sceptics say the liquefaction could be brought about by shaking or heat from hands holding the vial.
Close-up: A detail of a chalice displayed during the press day of the new exhibition at the museum in Rome
Story: The exhibit, which runs until February, features the empty reliquary that holds the saint's purported blood. According to legend, the blood 'miraculously' liquefies during certain religious ceremonies
Treasure trove: A detail of a golden monstrance is seen at the exhibition in Rome, which opened this week
Big draw: A man visits the Treasure of San Gennaro exhibition. The 70 pieces were transported under heavily armed guard to a central Rome museum earlier this month and will be on display until February
In the 1520s when Naples was struggling with plague, war and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, surviving citizens pledged to build a chapel for the saint in return for his protection.
'This necklace tells the history of Europe'
Paolo Jorio, expert at Naples museum
The vow was put in writing by a lawyer, and the original 1527 document is on display at the exhibition entrance in the Fondazione Roma-Museo.
The hoard includes what is thought to be one of the most precious pieces of jewellery in the world - the necklace of San Gennaro, begun in 1679 to adorn a gold and silver bust containing the skull of the saint.
Separate ornate pieces of jewellery were forged together over centuries to make the necklace.
Walking on by: A man steps in front of a tapestry at the exhibition. Hidden away for centuries, the Treasure of San Gennaro is formed of precious objects donated in tribute to the patron saint of Naples
Shining: A silver statue depicting San Gennaro and St Joseph is seen reflected off glass during the exhibition
Gift: A cross of diamonds and emeralds, donated by French Emperor Napoleon, is seen on the necklace
Magnificent: The Treasure of San Gennaro is a set of precious objects donated in tribute to the patron saint
Sparkles: The necklace, one of the most precious pieces of jewellery made by artist Michele Dato in 1679
These include a cross of diamonds and emeralds donated by French Emperor Napoleon and many gifts from monarchs dating from years when the Kingdom of Naples was a major power.
‘This necklace tells the history of Europe,’ said Paolo Jorio, director of a Naples museum where the collection is normally kept.
The necklace includes a relatively humble pair of earrings, the only possession of a commoner spared in a disease epidemic in 1844 who donated the family heirloom to the saint.
Another centrepiece is a golden mitre, the ceremonial headdress of bishops, commissioned to crown the saint's bust in its annual procession and made of 3,300 diamonds and hundreds of rubies and emeralds, given in many separate donations.
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