fresco in the santa maria donnaregina vecchia

Santa Donna Regina Vecchia is a church in Naples, in southern Italy. It is called Vecchia ("old") to distinguish it from the newer and adjacent church of Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova.

The earliest mention of a church on this site is from the year 780 in a reference to the nuns of the church of San Pietro del Monte di Donna Regina. At that time, the church was quite near the old eastern city wall. The nuns were of the Basilian order and, when that order left Naples in the beginning of the 9th century, took Benedictine vows. In 1264, Pope Gregory IX gave the nuns permission to join the Franciscan order.

In 1293 a severe earthquake caused great damage to the original structure, and queen Mary of Hungary, consort of the king of Naples, Charles II of Anjou financed the construction of a new complex adjacent to the old one. The newer complex is known as Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova.

The interior has a nave with lumber trusses, according to the Franciscan style.

The main artwork in the interior is the sepulchre of Mary of Hungary, commissioned by his son Robert I of Anjou from Tino da Camaino (who had been in Naples since 1324) and another Neapolitan artist. It is located in the left aisle and portrays the queen lying with a Franciscan habit, sustained by the four Virtues, with two Angels opening curtains to show her. The sarcophagus has four small niches with columns and agival arches containing statues of the queen's sons, including Charles Martel, Louis of Toulouse and Robert himself. It has also a decoration in azure mosaics.