Beneath the Capodimonte hill, just a few steps from the traffic of Naples, lies a silent world carved into the tuff: the Catacombs of San Gennaro. We visited them with a guide and came out with a much richer picture of Naples in the first centuries of Christianity. Here is why they deserve a stop.
The city’s most important early Christian monument
The catacombs are considered the most important monument of early Christianity in Naples. They began between the end of the 2nd century and the beginning of the 3rd century around the tomb of a wealthy Roman family, and later grew into a large Christian cemetery.
A first key moment was the burial of Saint Agrippinus, bishop of Naples, which made the site a place of veneration. The complex covers about 5,600 square metres carved into the tuff, with thousands of loculi and hundreds of arched tombs, the arcosolia, spread over two levels that do not lie on top of each other.
The arrival of San Gennaro
The turning point came in the 5th century, when Bishop John I had the relics of San Gennaro (Saint Januarius), the city’s patron saint, martyred in 305, moved here. From then on the catacombs became a place of pilgrimage and took the name they still bear today.
In 831 the saint’s relics were taken to Benevento, and a long period of neglect began for the catacombs. Their modern recovery started in 1969, on the initiative of Cardinal Corrado Ursi, with works that brought the bishops’ crypt and the saint’s tomb back to light.
What to see: frescoes and mosaics
Walking through the corridors, what struck us most were the decorations. The upper level preserves 2nd–3rd-century paintings on the ceilings, in a style reminiscent of the decoration of Roman houses. A little further on is the bishops’ crypt, with 5th-century mosaics portraying the bishops of Naples.
The most moving moment is standing in front of the 5th-century portrait of San Gennaro, considered the oldest known image of the saint. The catacombs also hold a large underground basilica, built after the arrival of the relics, and an ancient baptistery: we recommend listening carefully to the guide’s explanations, because every niche has a story to tell.
A rebirth that came from the neighbourhood
The catacombs have been open to the general public since 2006. Today visits are run by a cooperative of young people from the Rione Sanità, the neighbourhood that stretches out at the foot of the hill. Their work has turned the catacombs into a driving force for the revival of the whole area, and you can feel it: the tours are told with passion and a strong bond with the local community.
The route is also accessible to people with reduced mobility thanks to ramps and walkways, which is no small thing for an underground site. Before you go, check opening hours, tickets and booking arrangements on the official website.
How to get there and when to go
The entrance is on via Capodimonte, next to the Basilica dell’Incoronata del Buon Consiglio. You can get there on the city buses that climb towards Capodimonte from the Archaeological Museum area, or on foot, up a rather steep climb. Visits are guided. Underground the temperature stays cool all year round, so the catacombs are a good idea even on the hottest summer days: still, bring a light sweatshirt.
Nearby
Complete your exploration of underground Naples with The Catacombs of San Gaudioso and The Fontanelle Cemetery: between beliefs and truth, both in the Rione Sanità. Heading up the hill instead, you reach the royal palace described in The Museum and Royal Forest of Capodimonte. To understand the bond between the city and its patron saint, read The miracle of San Gennaro, and to plan the rest of your trip, start from our guide Naples and Surroundings.
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Read also: The Church of Gesù Nuovo
Read also: Visiting underground Naples
