The Church of San Michele, completed in 1727, is a sanctuary of Neapolitan Baroque art. The altar is an elaborate marble structure crafted by Agostino Chirola, and above it is a dramatic depiction of St. Michael the Arcangel by Nicola Malinconico. But the most striking feature of the church is its floor, which is covered in a stunningly detailed mosaic by Leonardo Chiaiese called The Explusion of Adam and Eve.
The titular event takes place in the center of the floor, where an angel orders the couple out of the Garden of Eden. They are surrounded by a host of animals, including a unicorn, waterfowl, camels, and a serpent wrapped around the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Considered one of the finest works of 19th-century Neapolitan Majolica craftsmanship, the mosaic is made of 1,500 tiles and was completed in 1761.
