Fontanelle Cemetery (Cimitero delle Fontanelle) Tours and Tickets

Many Naples tours concentrate on magnificent historic and architectural landmarks, but this city’s unique culture is what sets it apart. Get to know the authentic side of Naples with this guided tour that dives deep into the lively residential and student quarters of the historic center, touching on its vibrant street art scene, coffee culture, designers and artisans, legends and lore, and even its most atmospheric cemetery.

The vibrant city of Naples covers a vast stretch of coastline along the Bay of Naples, so visiting the top sights on foot or with public transportation can be a challenge. Cover more ground without losing steam with this guided e-bike tour that takes in sights from the city’s elegant seaside promenade to the lively street of the Sanità and Spagnoli neighborhoods.

Together with your local host, explore Naples, a city dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE. Soak up the dark side of the city’s history at the Purgatorio ad Arco and Fontanelle cemetery, or explore Rione Sanità’s tiny street markets and creepy catacombs. Maybe you’ll browse fresh produce at the market on Pignasecca Square, or walk down Toledo street – a perfect representation of modern Naples’ city life. Or simply drink in views of Mount Vesuvius from the Bay of Naples, and let your host recommend a local haunt for an espresso or a gelato. Within 24 hours after booking you'll receive a short questionnaire about your personality and interests. Based on your responses, you'll be assigned a like-minded host. Your host will communicate with you directly to suggest an itinerary to help you discover what makes the city unique. You will also agree on a meeting time and place. Your itinerary is flexible, so during the experience, you can always change your mind about what you want to do.

The tour will begin from the Fontanelle Cemetery, built in an ancient tuff quarry and in which, still today it is possible to learn more about the relationship between Neapolitan people and death. In this place sacred and profane coexsist, creating the cult of the” pezzentelle” souls of Purgatory. It contains over 40,000 remains of people, mostly skulls, victims of the plague and cholera epidemics of the mid-seventeenth century. At the end of 19th century it became a cult place; some believers decided to rearrange the thousands of anonymous bones, adopting a skull of an abandoned soul in return for protection. The guided visit will continue in the Rione Sanità where you will have the opportunity to admire two masterpieces of the Neapolitan Baroque: Palazzo San Felice and Palazzo dello Spagnolo. Before ending our tour at Porta San Gennaro, we will taste the famous sweet “fiocco di neve” in one of the most important pastry shops in Naples.

Our journey will start from the Metro Materdei stop,one of the so-called "MetroArte" stations. We will start from the Cemetery of the Fontanelle. The large amount of human remains and skulls will leave you surprised: this place was born as mass grave and was then one of the places where the worship of the souls of Purgatory . We will continue towards the Basilica of Santa Maria alla Sanità: the pulpit with its double ramp on one side surrounds the crypt and on the other leads to the upper presbytery: it is truly a unicum in European architecture. We'll move to its most famous mansions: Sanfelice Palace and Spagnuolo Palace, jewels of late Baroque architecture, and I will show you the birthing house of an illustrious Neapolitan citizen, namely Prince Antonio de Curtis... Aka Toto! Crossing the Borgo Vergini, where you can meet a typical Neapolitan market, we will conclude our tour in Porta San Gennaro: it is one of the oldest accesses of the city, dedicated to its most famous Patron.

See a different side of Naples, off the typical tourist path, on this walking tour with a knowledgeable guide. Discover the city’s mythological side as you hear about legends of ghosts, the occult and secrets behind cathedrals and other historical landmarks. The itinerary can be customized to suit any specific interests you have.