Crowned in the Cathedral

Three months later, the Cathedral of Naples—the monumental Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta—stood radiant under a brilliant Mediterranean sky. The grand gothic facade of white marble and sculpted statues was adorned with cascades of ivory roses, white orchids, and silver ribbons. Inside the towering nave, beneath gilded coffered ceilings and ancient Bourbon frescoes, three thousand guests filled the pews: dignitaries, ambassadors, the mayors of Campania, and every sovereign capo of…