Naples catacombs
The catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso, the Fontanelle Cemetery and the underground of the historic centre.
Naples has several underground burial sites. The two best-known catacombs, San Gennaro and San Gaudioso, are in the Rione Sanità district. They are managed by La Paranza, a cooperative founded in 2006 in the district, which also manages the Fontanelle Cemetery.
Catacombs of San Gennaro
The largest of the Naples catacombs, carved into the tuff of the Capodimonte hill. The original nucleus dates back to the 2nd century AD, and the catacombs have two levels that are not superimposed. The remains of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples, were brought here in the 5th century, which made the site a place of pilgrimage. The upper catacomb has the Crypt of the Bishops, with 5th-century mosaics, and the lower catacomb has the Basilica of Sant'Agrippino, with a bishop's chair carved into the rock. The site preserves the earliest Christian paintings in southern Italy.
Catacombs of San Gaudioso
The entrance is inside the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, beneath the main altar. The first part was built between the 4th and 5th centuries AD, and the catacombs grew after the burial of Bishop Gaudiosus, between 451 and 453 AD. He was bishop of Abitina, in Tunisia, and was exiled to Naples by the Vandal king Genseric. The catacombs preserve frescoes and mosaics from the 5th and 6th centuries. In the 17th century, noble and clergy burials displayed the skulls in the walls, with the bodies painted in fresco, by Giovanni Balducci, with their clothes and the tools of their profession.
Cimitero delle Fontanelle
Not a catacomb but a subterranean ossuary at Via Fontanelle 80, in the Rione Sanità, inside former tuff quarries. Remains were deposited here in large numbers, notably during the plague of 1656 and, in the 19th century, during cholera outbreaks. In 1872 the parish priest Don Gaetano Barbati arranged them in order, with a nave of priests, a nave of plague victims and a nave of the poor. The site is known for the cult of the anime pezzentelle, in which people adopted anonymous skulls (capuzzelle) and left votive images and prayer requests. The cemetery has its own official website, cimiterodellefontanelle.it.
Napoli Sotterranea
Not a catacomb, but another way to go underground. The official route, with its entrance on Piazza San Gaetano, goes about 40 metres below the historic centre and covers around 2,400 years of history, with remains of the Greek-Roman aqueduct, cisterns and Second World War air-raid shelters.
Opening days, tickets and booking rules change, so check each site's official website before you go. The catacombs have their own official website, catacombedinapoli.it.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the Naples catacombs?
The catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso are in the Rione Sanità district. The catacombs of San Gennaro are entered through the Basilica dell'Incoronata Madre del Buonconsiglio or the Basilica of San Gennaro extra moenia, and those of San Gaudioso from inside the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, beneath the main altar.
What is the difference between the catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso?
The catacombs of San Gennaro date back to the 2nd century AD and became a place of pilgrimage when the remains of the patron saint were brought here in the 5th century. The catacombs of San Gaudioso date from the 4th and 5th centuries and grew after the burial of Bishop Gaudiosus. They also contain 17th-century burials, with the skulls displayed in the walls.
Is the Fontanelle Cemetery a catacomb?
No. It is a subterranean ossuary in former tuff quarries, at Via Fontanelle 80 in the Rione Sanità. It is managed by the same cooperative as the catacombs, La Paranza.
Where is the blood of San Gennaro?
The ampoules with the saint's blood are kept in the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, in the Duomo di Napoli. The catacombs of San Gennaro are where his remains were brought in the 5th century.
Historic centre of Naples
The UNESCO-listed old city: its main streets and the sights along them.
Things to do in Naples
From museums and underground sites to views and walks.
Plan your days
See the ready-made 2-day and 3-day plans for the city.