The Underground City

Napoli is definitely a city with many wonders and thousands of secrets.  Every century left an important mark on the city making it how we see it today.  Napoli is not just a unique city on its surface, but also in its depths.  Napoli was founded by the Greeks around 500BC. and by physically going down under the streets of Napoli you can discover remnants of the original Greek city. This area is called decumani (decumans), from the old term indicating the main streets that ran through the city (today via Tribunali, via Constantinopoli and via Benedetto Croce).  You can still visit the Greek tunnels underground where the population used to hide during the bombing of WWII. 

There are different sites where you can book your excursion under the city offering different tours (available in other languages as well). 

One of the most famous is the Napoli Sotterranea, near via dei Tribunali, one of the busiest streets of the old part.  The guide will take you down to the very depths under the centro storico (old town). 

The entrance of Napoli Sotterranea in via dei Tribunali.

The steps down.

There are 136 steps down to the tunnels. They are 40 metres below ground. Warning: it is always advisable to bring a jumper as the temperature drops dramatically (or otherwise it can also be a nice refreshment from the heat). One of the best parts to see is the Greek-Roman Aqueduct, big cisterns of water which used to supply the city, and the the remains of the Roman theatre, accessible through a typical Neapolitan house.  During WWII, these tunnels were used by the Neapolitans as shelter from the aerial bombing that was destroying and damaging the city.  Many objects of daily life were found, like children's toys, clothes and books.  There is even a Hypogeum Garden,  a scientific project dedicated to the power of the Earth. The garden, is in fact a great attraction not only for tourists but also for scientists and botanists.  Here there is a variety of vegetable plants, which were able to grow despite the absence of natural light.

Overall, this tour is very interesting and I really suggest to do it if you have the time. Although, i must warn you if you are claustrophobic!  During the visit you will be able to walk through very narrow tunnels carrying only a candle!  In case you don't feel comfortable to continue, the guide can take you back to a certain level where you can wait for the rest of the group to come back.  To know more about this excursion, visit the official website of Napoli Sotterranea or go to the bottom of the post for tickets and timetables.

The Pozzari were men who used to carry vases to supply the city with water.

Cisterns of water.

The Hypogeum Garden.

The only way to get around the tunnels.

Some of the caves were used as shelter from the bombing during WWII.

The narrow underground tunnels.

Not far from the Napoli Sotterranea in piazza San Gaetano, there is the San Lorenzo Maggiore church, here you can have a guided tour of the archeological site under the structure of the church. The excursion starts at almost 10 metres under the city from the medieval remains of the church, continuing to the remains of the Greek and Roman city where there are still the visible ruins of the market, a temple, shops, houses, marvellous mosaics and marble architectural remains.  Archeologists have outlined a map of the ancient city where the church now is.  More info about the excursions on San Lorenzo Maggiore or visit the official website or go to the bottom of the post. 

Greek and Roman streets of the ancient city under the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore.

Shops of the ancient underground city.

Temples and private habitations under the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore.

Another interesting tour under Napoli is the Bourbon Tunnel.  In 2007, a group of geologists discovered a tunnel long about 84 meters of carafa caves just under Piazza Plebiscito.  The construction of the tunnel started in 1853 and finished in 1855 for king Ferdinand II of Bourbon.  The underground tunnel linked the Royal Palace to the sea, its purpose was as a secret tunnel to move the royal troops. The tunnel was divided in two sections, the Royal Gallery and the Road Regia, one for carriages and the other one for all the pedestrians.

In the years of WWII, the Bourbon tunnel was also used as an air raid shelter.  The geologists found a large amount of personal items and objects, cars, motorbikes and vehicles, even statues and funeral monuments.

There is also a tour around the Catacombs of Napoli where you will find the the final resting place of thousands of Neapolitan skeletons from centuries past .  There are different tours, one of the most popular is to visit the San Gennaro catacombs.  San Gennaro is the saint protector of the city, and here is where his remains where originally found.  Today his remains are in the Cathedral (Duomo). The area of the catacombs is quite spacious and it is divided in two levels: covered in tuff (tufo, typical Neapolitan stone that covers most of the underground tunnels) there is the lower catacombs, with a baptismal basin, and an upper level were the tomb of San Gennaro was.  Probably originally these spaces were used as a sepulchre of an aristocratic family and then used by the christian community around the 2nd century A.D.  Later additions were made in order to keep the remains of Sant Agrippino, the first patron of Napoli, in the 4th Century A.D.  Another interesting place to visit is the Bishops Crypt and the underground cathedral. Miglio Sacro is in the area of Sanitá, which links all the churches to the catacombs. 

All these different tours of underground Napoli are very interesting journeys through the history of the city.  I really suggest to try and do at least one of these tours, if you can, first because it's a unique experience ( in no other city it is possible to see, even in Rome) and also because it is a different way to understand what's below the surface and to discover the centuries of history buried under Napoli. 

Official website: Napoli Sotterranea
Piazza San Gaetano 68 Napoli
Tel.: 0039 081 296944 / 0039 081 0190933
Mobile: 0039 392 1733828 / 0039 334 3662841
Email: info@napolisotterranea.org

Timetable excursions: in English 10,00-12,00 / 14,00-16,00 / 18,00

Also tours in other languages (french, german, spanish). 

Duration of the tour: about 2 hours.

You can book online on the official website or on the official app.

Official website: San Lorenzo Maggiore - La Neapolis Sotterrata   

Piazza San Gaetano 316 Napoli

Tel.: 0039 081 211 0860 / Whatsapp 0039 389 1091 865

Email: visite.sanlorenzo@libero.it

Timetable tours:  9.30 - 17.30  (everyday) Timetable excursions: in English 11,00 / 13,15 / 15,15 / 17,00

Tickets: € 9 /  € 7 with Artecard, for teachers, university students and Over 65 /  € 6 Under 18 / € 4 School groups / Free under 6.

Official website: Bourbon Tunnel - il Tunnel Borbonico. 

Tel.: 0039 366 248 4151 / 0039 081 764 5808

 Email: mail@galleriaborbonica.com

The tour to the tunnel has three different entrances and for each entrance there is a different tour with different fees.  Some tours are not suitable for children. 

Official website: Catacombs of Napoli - Catacombe di Napoli. 

Via Capodimonte, 13  (Entrance near the Basilica del Buon Consiglio).

Tel.: 0039 081 744 37 14
Email: info@catacombedinapoli.it

National Archeological Museum.

The National Archeological Museum is one of the most important museums of classical archeology in the world and it is absolutely a MUST SEE when you are in Napoli.

The building was originally constructed as a calvary barracks and then was used to house a university, before it was finally turned into a museum.  Over the centuries it has had many alterations for the purpose of housing its immense collection.

In the mid 18th Century, King Charles of Bourbon made available to the public his collection of antiquities inherited from his mother, 'the Farnese collection', which consisted of many amazing statues from Roman and Greek Antiquity.  The king himself was a collector of fine archeological treasures, especially from the nearby buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.  He promoted the excavations of the two cities which were covered up by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD.  From these, he gained a large number of marble and bronze sculptures, inscriptions, mosaics, pottery, jewellery, wall paintings, and Roman knick-knacks of every kind.  This is the collection we still admire today.  

The model of Pompeii on the second floor, made in 1879.

A papyrus unrolled from the Villa dei Papyrus.

Nowadays, the museum is organised on four floors.  I personally  would suggest that you start from the top floor, which has the stunning collection of frescoes from Pompeii and Herculaneum, the hall of the Temple of Isis in Pompeii, and a model of the city of Pompeii before being destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius.  

On the same floor in the western halls there are collections from the cities of Ancient Greece and also Etruscan and Roman cities, such as Pozzuoli, Capua, Baia, Miseno and Capri.  

In the others halls there is the history of Naples and the magnificent collection of the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum.  Discovered in 1750, this was a typical private villa. Very impressive is the high number and fine quality of the statues found in the villa, intense portraits of ordinary people, athletes, dancers, philosophers and gods.  I always find it incredible how detailed these statues are, their faces, their hands, and their hair.  They still seem to be alive to me.  

Also housed here is the reason of the villa's name, the spectacular collection of more than 1000 papyrus rolls from the villa's library which survived the eruption, despite the fragile material of the scrolls and the high temperature of the lava.  When first discovered many people through curiosity tried to unroll them in order to read them, but all were damaged.  Only thanks to the invention of a machine in 1754 was it possible to open the rolls and read many of the most important texts of Greek literature, which otherwise would of been lost. 

One of the statues of a dancer from the Villa dei Papiri.

A statue found in the Villa dei Papiri.

Philosophers and athletes from the Villa dei Papiri.

Athlete.

The intense and dramatic bust of Seneca.

Row of busts.

Pan and the goat from The Villa dei Papiri.

Fresco from the Secret Cabinet.

Continuing the journey down to the first floor is the reconstruction of the Casa del Fauno (house of the Faun) from Pompeii, which has the original pavements, columns, mosaics (including the famous Mosaic of Alexander) and all the original artefacts from the villa.  It is amazing that most of the features of the house still have all their splendid and vivid colours. 

From these rooms it is possible to enter into the Gabinetto Segreto (Secret Cabinet).  This is the collection of erotic artefacts and mosaics from Pompeii as well as a reconstruction of a typical brothel.  It is very interesting to see the Roman's take on sexuality. 

The original statue of the Faun from Pompeii, on the first floor.

The mosaic pavement of Alexander, from the House of the Faun in Pompeii.

Amazing colourful features from the House of the Faun.

Wall paintings.

On the ground floor, where the entrance to the museum is, you can visit the Giardino delle Camelie (Garden of Camellias) and the Giardino delle Fontane (Garden of Fountains).  Here is also the famous Farnese collection, which includes the gallery of Roman Emperors, Philosophers and mythological figures, like the giant Hercules at rest and the monumental Farnese Bull (both dated around the end 2nd/early 3rd century AD and discovered around 1545-46 in the Caracalla baths).  Continuing on your journey you will then come across the Gem rooms.

The giant Hercules at rest at the ground floor.

Detail of the Hercules at rest.

The Farnese collection on the ground floor.

The Farnese Bull, made from a single block of marble.

Statues from the Farnese collection.

To finish your visit, you will go down to the basement where you will find the Egyptian and Epigraphs collection.  To know more about it, check out my blog Egypt in Napoli. 

Museo Archeologico Nazionale 

Piazza Museo 19 - 80137 Napoli.

Tel: +39 06 39967 050           

Tickets: € 12 / Concessions € 6 / Evening entry € 2  - Promotions are applied to Trenitalia and Frecciarossa customers, see the website. 

Free entry every first Sunday of the month.

Opening hours:  09.00 - 19.30.  Closed Tuesdays.

Closed December 25th and January 1st.

The entrance of the museum