Crypts and Catacombs of Naples

Join this unique opportunity to explore two incredibly well-preserved catacombs in Naples: San Gaudioso and San Gennaro. This time, you’ll go below and beyond to a time when Christianity was considered a cult, whose members were executed as heretics and buried as martyrs.Probably occupied by the Greeks for the first time, this space was used as a burial ground for Naples by the first Christian communities nearly 2000 years ago. The chambers are more spacious than their counterparts in Rome and house hundreds of tombs, from modest singles to extravagant family tombs.While walking through the humming streets of the Rione Sanità, it’s hard to imagine how one of the most densely populated areas in Naples was once so removed from the city center to be a place of burial. Sanità means health, and the area was considered pristine, because of the presence of the saints, whose bodies were buried in the catacombs, such as the famous San Gennaro, the beloved patron of the city.You’ll hear stories of devotion, superstition, and even theft, as the relics of the saints were so precious that even thieves were attracted to these subterranean cities.Admire the first Christian representations with their mysterious symbols and the early Byzantine mosaics. You'll see the bizarre tombs of nobles, where skulls were placed on display in the walls and the rest of the body was painted in frescoes, with clothes and details about their status and life.By joining this tour, you not only support the ongoing restoration of the sites, but you offer a valuable support also to the local community, that is directly involved in the ambitious project to preserve the history of these unique places.