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

Underground Napoli: The Metro.

Toledo station in via Toledo. 

Napoli is not only a unique city on the surface, but also going into its depths you can discover another fascinating city.  Under Napoli, there is a universe that goes from the greek foundations through the roman ruins and up to the modern day Metro.  I will write about the complex city of catacombs, tunnels and aqueducts in my next post, but In this one I will talk about the metro underground train system, or metropolitana which is how we call it in Italian.  Considered one of the most beautiful underground systems in Europe, the metro has received a lot of recognition all over the world, including pieces in the British Daily Telegraph and America's CNN. 

You might say "but it's only a metro station!". Well, it is far from being an ordinary metro station.  it's stations are definitely different from any other city in the world.  Every station of the Linea 1 is a unique contemporary 'art gallery' with each station displaying contemporary art from some of the the most recognized and celebrated artists of the present day.  A labyrinth of tunnels and art galleries with references to the history and culture of the city.

Linea 1 (Line 1), which connects Vomero with the centre of the city, started in the 1970's but was often interrupted due to earthquakes and archealogical finds. In 1995, The Comune di Napoli (Council of Napoli) decided to create spaces of "beauty" in the every-day-neapolitan-life.  The new metro stations offered the perfect space in order to make people more engaged to the contemporary artistic scene, so it was called the 'Stazioni dell'arte' (Stations of art).  Along the stations of the metro there are more than 200 works of art created specifically for those spaces.

The Municipio station, started in 2003 and still going on for over a decade is definitely the most problematic and challenging of all the stations of the metro.  The station is now opened but there are still archealogical works still going on due to the incredible and enormous number of archeological artefacts found in the area.  In fact, this area was in roman times the port and during the centuries the sea has reseeded where now the square is.  Archeologists have found the remains of a thermal spa, the old fortifications of the city, a tower of the Aragon era, a palace and even five roman ships.  Many artefacts are on display inside the station. 

The first station opened was Vanvitelli station, at the top of the Vomero hill and one of the busiest stations of the metro.  Here artificial and natural light combine with signage in shades of blue, purple, yellow and grey.  The corridors that take the people from the streets to the trains are decorated with works of art by Neapolitan artists.

In 2001, more art stations were opened including Museo, Salvator Rosa and Quattro Giornate. 

The Museo (Piazza Cavour) station, the stop for the Archeological Museum,  was a project by the architect Gae Aulenti.  The theme is related to the museum and the artefacts inside: corridors and tunnels in red and glass harking back to Pompeiian villas, a copy of the Hercules at rest, made by the Art Academy nearby.  The corridors that lead from the train to the museum are darker with the photographs of roman statues by the artist Mimmo Jodice. At the entrance of the station is a copy of the roman statue 'Laocoön'.  In the other corridors on display are artefacts found during the building works of other stations. 

Salvator Rosa station is the perfect example of the connection between the metro and its surroundings, where even the buildings outside have been decorated in the style of the station.  Here many important Neapolitan and Italian contemporary artists have collaborated, just to name a few; Ernesto Tatafiore, Gianni Pisani, Mimmo Rotella, Mimmo Paladino and Renato Barisani.  Mosaics, volcanic stones, red, blue and brightly coloured tiles and golden marble welcome every day, workers, students and tourists.  The entrance is through a playground where there are art installations by Alex Mocika, Augusto Perez, Renato Barisani, Lucio Del Pezzo, Nino Longobardi, Riccardo Dalisi, Ugo Marano.  From here the entrance to the station is through a huge pyramid in glass that references the guglie, the columns with saints in the city. 

Quattro Giornate station is on the eastern part of the Vomero, where the old stadium is.  Outside the station are statues in bronze and steel of athletes by Lydia Cottone.  The name quattro giornate is related to the historical event of the uprising of the Neapolitans against the Nazi's in September 1943.  At the entrance of the station there are statues by Nino Longobardi which remembers this episode. 

In 2002, two more stations were opened: Rione Alto station and Piazza Dante.

The Piazza Dante station is another busy station that serves the historical centre.  The architect Gae Aulenti created a station which echoed the  17th century square.  The result is quite impressive; the architect created many entrances to the station from every side of the square, transparent walls contrast with the volcanic stones of the square created by the architect Vanvitelli.  Once inside the station, the artist Joseph Kosuth welcomes people with his neon quotes on the walls by the famous writer Dante, who the square is named after.  While going through the escalator there are works by Jannis Kounellis and Michelangelo Pistoletto. 

Entrance to the ticket hall with neon quotes by Dante.

Colourful walls os Dante station. 

Installation in Dante station. 

Materdei station was opened in 2003, and is another interesting metro station.  Outside is an area completely closed to the traffic with a playground, a little park and many art installations.  Inside the station are many symbols of Neapolitan culture and characters from folklore of the city.  Platforms are decorated with wall drawings by Sol LeWitt and photographic installations. 

Materdei station platform. 

Bright colours and photographic panels.

Photographic installation.

Platform level. 

Under the pyramid of Materdei Station. 

The Universitá station which serves the university area was opened in 2011 and is a project by the architects Karim Rashid and Alessandro Mendini.  Here different materials are used, such as glass, steel and mirrors, with pink, purple and lime green colours.  Going down to platform level the space is created with digitally designed tiles and a light box with the words of the florentine poet Dante.  Again, past and present, Renaissance and contemporary collide. 

One of the most impressive and my personal favourite is, Toledo station designed by the Spanish architect Óscar Tusquets Blanca, opened in 2012.  Not a coincidence that the architect is Spanish as from the station it is possible to get to the Spanish Quarters (Quartieri Spagnoli)  one of the oldest parts of the city.  It is a journey into the depths of the city (50 meters), like into the depths of the sea.  The outside of the station is Via Toledo, the main shopping street of Napoli, here is the statue of The Knight of Toledo by the artist William Kentridge.  

The internal space of the station is decorated with volcanic stone and big orange circles with the first floor down echoing the ancient town walls of the Aragons.  There are mosaics by William Kentridge (Naples Procession) picturing the opening of the first train station in the city in 1906.  As you go deeper down into the station you come across another important element of the city, the sea.  On the second floor down, the walls become dramatically calm with the colours of blue and white . The more deeper you go the more bluer it gets becoming dark blue like the abyss of the ocean.  Looking up you can admire the impressive cone, Crater del luz, crater of light that with a display of LED lights gives the impression of the waves.  The artist Robert Wilson created the panels of the corridors to the platforms named "By the sea... you and me", which are series of lenticular photographs of the sea in movement.  The artist Achille Cevoli created a panel dedicated to the builders who made this station possible entitled Men at work. 

The mosaic 'Naples Procession' by William Kentridge at Toledo station. 

Toledo station: from the ground down to the sea. 

The crater of lights in Toledo station. 

Waves inside the Toledo station. 

"By the sea... you and me" by Robert Wilson at Toledo Station. 

The newest station is Garibaldi.  This is the connection at the main train station and was a project by the French architect Dominique Perrault.  The space is all in one structure, full of lights where the escalators and the people look like they are suspended on the mirrored walls.  The internal part is decorated with shiny panels in steel.  In here are two installations by the artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.  In this station the platforms are inspired by the London Underground. 

The newest metro line is Linea 6, connecting Municipio, Chiaia, Mergellina and Mostra (Fuorigrotta area).

The Chiaia metro station has been curated by the film director Peter Greenway and for its architecture and design has been given the award for the most beautiful metro station in the world by the Prix Versailles organisation.

Exit to the street from Garibaldi station. 

The metro, like in all other cities, will always be extended and improved, connecting more areas with the centre of the city and it will give more chances for artists to collaborate in a unique project.  The metropolitana of Napoli has became famous all over the world.  Neapolitans and tourists love it and of course, artists enjoy the opportunity to create unique spaces that can inspire the travelling public.  It is actually a very romantic notion to think how these works of art connect with so many people, wherever they are going to and wherever they are coming from, on Napoli's unique Metropolitana.  

For further info about timetables and stations click here in the section TRAVEL INFO.