Tourist excursions and visits to the Naples underground

1 ) - Napoli Sotterranea

- piazza San Gaetano
This is a fascinating guided tour, in Italian, down and through a Greco-Roman aqueduct into an example of the huge cisterns used to supply fresh water to the palaces and villas above.

2 ) - La Napoli Sotterranea - vico Santa Anna di Palazzo (which runs up from Via Roma into the ancient Spanish Quarter, just across from the Galleria Umberto)
This tour by LAES, or roughly translated “Free Association of Underground Excursions” takes you down a square flight of steps put in place by Mussolini in WW II leading down 40 Mt. into an actual air raid shelter. Telephone +39081 400256 for reservations.

3 ) - Museum of the Naples Underground - Piazza Cavour #140 - (under development)
This is an actual underground museum . . . of the Naples Underground! It has only recently opened and is still undergoing outfitting and development.
For reservations contact the president of the sponsoring Southern Speleological Association, Ing. Clemente Esposito at the following telephone numbers with country, city codes and number: 39081 291203, 39081 5467791, or cell 39340 7809779.
The museum is in a huge underground tufo, or yellow sandstone quarry and contains incredible artifacts and objects found by Mr. Esposito and members of the association during his more than 50 years of exploring the labyrinth beneath Naples.

Video taken by US Navy Journalist Michael Pulley - in English

Photographs of the underground quarry
Photographs of a section of ancient aqueduct
the video of the discovery Video 1 - Video 2 - Video 3 - Video 4 - Video 5 - Video 6 - Video 7

Location of the Naples Underground Museum
Google Earth map

 

Historic Sites connected to the Naples underground

1 ) - The Fontanelle Underground Cemetery - via Fontanelle alla Sanità - operated under auspices of the City of Naples.
The Fontanelle Underground Cemetery - via Fontanelle alla Sanità - operated under auspices of the City of Naples. This is considered the most fascinating and macabre part of the Naples underground. Religions cults began to care for the skulls and bones of victims of terrible epidimics through the centuries buried in the tunnels and galleries of the Fontanelle Cemetery. The long interconnected burial tunnels with vaulting ceilings occupy an area equal to more than half a soccer, or football field. They adopted these lost, unknown souls and performed religious rites in the underground grottoes and tunnels seeking solace for the thousands of lost souls. The practice continued until the 1950's and was so active that a city tram line ran to the Fontanelle to accommodate the faithful who visited regularly to pray for their adopted long lost friends.
Visits to this mysterious place are by telephone reservation only.
Reservations can be made by calling 081-5490368 from Monday through Friday with calls taken only from from 10AM till noon.

Photographs before restoration of the cemetery.

also a VIDEO tour of the restored Fontanelle Cemetery on Napoli Underground Channel (ON-DEMAND category English voice over movies).

Location of the cemetary of the Fontanelle

Google Earth map

 



2 ) - Archeological Excavation of Greco-Roman Street and Shops below San Lorenzo Maggiore.
Entrance for tours is near the San Lorenzo Maggiore Cloister at Piazza San Gaetano in the historic sector of Naples

3 ) - The Seiano Grotto - Pausylipon Archeological Park on Cape Posillipo reached by taking the winding street marked “Discesa Coroglio-Grotto di Seiano” Visits by special reservation only.
Photographs

4 ) - The Neapolitan Crypt - Ancient tunnel connecting one part of Naples with another, large enough for military wagons and carriages to pass through. Located in the Mergellina section above Virgil’s and Leopardi’s Tomb - Salita della Grotta #1
Photographs

5 ) - Naples Underground - another perspective - if you take the original Naples Metropolitana Line 1, get off at the Piazza Cavour station. Leaving the station there is a long corridor that connects the station to the National Museum. A display has been set up along the way showing fascinating archeological treasures that were discovered as the subway line’s tunnels were being excavated. It is very interesting and informative as it is set up in a temporary covered walkway making it possible to travel through the various periods in Naples from prehistory to the present.
And it is a free exhibition!

6 ) - Catacombs of San Gennaro - via Capodimonte # 13 Telephone 39081 7411071 or 39081 5441305.
These paleochristian catacombs are extensive and a remarkable example of how the yellow sandstone or tufo, beneath the city can be worked “in negativo” forming huge pillars, hallways, arches and burial niches. Fascinating tour . . . call for information.

7 ) - Catacombs of San Gaudioso - piazza Sanità - Telephone 39081 7411071 or 39081 5441305.

8 ) - Catacombs of San Severo - piazzetta S. Severo a Capodimonte - Telephone 39081 7411071 or 39081 5441305


Historic and naturalistic Sites outside Naples

1 ) - The Archeological Park at Cuma and Sibyl’s Cave - Cuma, Naples suburb
Photographs
Videos

2 ) - The Piscina Mirabilis - Bacoli, Naples suburb.
This was the huge reservoir supplying water to the Roman fleet from the Claudius aqueduct. Incredible stonework.
Photographs

3 ) - The Solfatara Volcano - Pozzuoli, nearby suburb of Naples.
This is a sunken active volcano crater with fumeroles, bubbling boiling mud pools, sulfurous gasses believed to be good for the lungs can even be inhaled in two caves. This is a real trip into a living, steamy, smoking inferno.
Photographs
Video

4 ) - The Cocceio Grotto - Cuma, Naples suburb
The visit is limited to the exterior of the ancient cave, which is closed.

5 ) - The Cento Camerelle - Bacoli, Naples suburb
A Roman cistern - it may still be closed for restoration work.


6 ) - Grotto of the Dog Agnano, suburb of Naples
A small excavated grotto near the Ancient Roman Baths built 2,700 years ago.
The small grotto has a geothermal emission of lethal carbonic acid gas inside which gathers in a layer a couple of feet high the floor of the grotto. Until the middle of the last century it was used as a cruel display of the effects of the gas. A human could walk in with no ill effects, however a dog led into the grotto would quickly succumb to the effects of the carbonic acid and if led back out quickly enough would slowly recover from the suffocating effects of the gas.
Thus the name of this unusual historic attraction.

7 ) - The Dragonara Grotto Miseno, suburb of Naples
On the beach of Miseno is the opening to this huge historic cistern dating back to Roman times. It is dug completely into the underlying tufo sandstone.
Recent explorations and excavations have uncovered ruins, in rather poor condition, of a Nymphaeum or shrine to various nymphs, popular in the mythology of the period.
Presently closed to the public, special guided tours can be arranged by E-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

8 ) - The Blue Grotto Capri
The most famous speleological attraction of the world.

9 ) - The Sibilla Grotto Averno lake - Lucrino
Reservation 333-6320642

10 ) - The Flavian Ampitheatre - Pozzuoli
Photographs
Video