Fontanelle Cemetery (Cimitero delle Fontanelle) Tours and Activities
41 Reviews
Free admission
Despite the name, Fontanelle Cemetery (Cimitero delle Fontanelle) in Naples isn’t a traditional cemetery. It’s a place of many thousands of burials, but it’s actually an ossuary built into a natural cave in the soft rock underneath the Capodimonte Hill in the early 16th century. It served as a burial ground until the late 1960s.
The bones interred at Fontanelle were painstakingly catalogued and re-organized in the early 1870s, after flooding and mass burials had made the cemetery more of a jumbled mess. A cult devoted to the skulls in the cemetery sprang up, and a church was built at the entrance. Today, visitors can still see the church - Maria Santissima del Carmine - as well as the cataloging work done in the 19th century.
Prior to 2010, Fontanelle was only open to the public on a few days every year. Now, it’s open year-round. Visitors are free to walk through the site without a guide, though joining a tour that includes Fontanelle Cemetery as one of its stops is beneficial to help make sense of the history of the place. Tours that include off-the-beaten-path parts of Naples sometimes include Fontanelle Cemetery.
10am-5pm daily
Via Fontanelle 80, Naples, 80136
Tours and Activities to Experience Fontanelle Cemetery (Cimitero delle Fontanelle)
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The Real Naples: Street Art, Culture & Legends Private Tour
25
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.
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From
$44.13
Price varies by group size
From
$44.13
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
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Exciting e-bike ride in the heart of Naples
7
Follow us on an easy ride on our e-bikes through the narrow alleyways into the heart of Naples. Explore its roots, cultural beliefs, dark stories and local atmosphere on an off the beaten track and uncensored tour. Discover the intriguing district of Sanità and Spanish Quarter, and taste the delicious street food of the city of the sun!
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From
$77.36
From
$77.36
Face masks provided for travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
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Private Tour: Naples Walking Tour with Typical Lunch
5
Discover the hidden mysteries of Naples on a private full-day walking tour of the city’s most intriguing churches, cemeteries and crypts. Listen to age-old legends from your art historian guide as you tour mystical sites such as the Church of Gesù Nuovo, Sansevero Chapel and Cemetery delle Fontanelle — an underground burial chamber piled high with bones. Savor a lunch of authentic Neapolitan pizza midday, and enjoy the personalized attention of a private tour.
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From
$293.72
Price varies by group size
From
$293.72
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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Private Guided Tour of Naples Catacombs Fontanelle Cemetery & Sanità Quarter
2
The Mater Dei district houses one of the city's jewels of the city, the Fontanelle Cemetery, which was carved out of a natural tufa cave just outside the walls of the Greco-Roman city.
The cave was used as a cemetery when in 1656 a severe plague raged in the city making numerous victims, and the bodies continued to be stored during other epidemics during the following centuries.
During the last century the bones preserved here have been the subject of a widespread rite among the Neapolitan people, that of the "pezzentelle souls" (poor souls). People adopted a skull of which they did not know the story and took care of it, hoping that this could help him with graces and intercessions and that, in a dream, reveal his story to him.
The guide will tell you in detail this tradition and why the Neapolitan people is so fond of this place, as well as the legends that hide behind some of the skulls preserved here.
The Sanità district offers much more with its baroque churches and buildings.
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From
$178.89
Price varies by group size
From
$178.89
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
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Tour of Naples Fontanelle Cemetery Catacombs & Sanità Quarter with Local Guide
1
Not far from the historic center of Naples is one of the most fascinating places in the city, it is the Fontanelle Cemetery.
The cemetery was built inside an ancient tuff quarry when in 1656, because of the Plague, the bones of a large part of the Neapolitan population were thrown away, which could not resist the serious epidemic. Over the years many others were added, leading to the birth of the cult of "pezzentelle souls", to whom the people turned to obtain graces and interecessions.
To accompany you there will be a guide who will tell you the legends that hover around the characters guarded in the cave.
After this mystical experience you can take a walk to the Sanità district, whose name derives from the ancient belief that the area was rich in natural and supernatural "salubritas".
You will walk through the crowded alleys of the neighborhood and staying in contact with the Neapolitan people, going to the discovery of one of the most beautiful and hidden corners of the city.
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From
$77.52
From
$77.52
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
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The Rione Sanità and the Fontanelle Cemetery Walking Tour
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.
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From
$83.48
Price varies by group size
From
$83.48
Price varies by group size
Face masks provided for travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
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Esoteric Naples Walking Tour
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.
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From
$240.53
per group
From
$240.53
per group
Private Walking Tour to Sanità District 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.
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From
$155.04
Price varies by group size
From
$155.04
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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A Half Day In Naples With A Local: Private & Personalized
1
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.
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From
$111.25
Price varies by group size
From
$111.25
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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