Walking along Via dei Tribunali, it's hard to miss: on the façade and in front of the entrance there are bronze skulls that seem to watch the passers-by. We stopped out of curiosity and stepped into one of the most surprising places in Naples, a church on two levels where Baroque art lives alongside an ancient popular cult. Here is the story of Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco.
A church built for the souls in Purgatory
The story begins in 1605, when a group of Neapolitan nobles founded the Opera Pia, a lay congregation devoted to praying and having masses said for the souls in Purgatory. A donation of 4,000 ducats from the knight Pietro Antonio Mastrilli made it possible to begin building the church.
Work began in 1616 to a design by Giovan Cola di Franco, who was succeeded around 1619 by Giovan Giacomo di Conforto. The church was consecrated on 2 November 1638, All Souls' Day, but the decoration continued throughout the 17th century. The Mastrilli family went on supporting it, and in the presbytery you will still find the memorial of Giulio Mastrilli.
The upper church: a 17th-century gem
The upper church has a single nave with side chapels and is a fine example of Neapolitan Baroque. Above the high altar hangs the Madonna of the Souls in Purgatory by Massimo Stanzione, showing the Virgin coming to the aid of the souls amid the flames.
Take your time looking around: there are works by Luca Giordano, including the Death of Saint Alexis from 1661, and by Andrea Vaccaro. We were particularly struck by the marble winged skull carved by Dionisio Lazzari: a perfect symbol of this place, poised between death and the hope of salvation.
The hypogeum and the "anime pezzentelle"
The emotional heart of the visit, however, lies below. The lower church, the hypogeum, is not a simple crypt but a true church, still bound to the cult of the dead today. The dead were buried here, and here, from the 17th century onwards, the cult of the anime pezzentelle arose spontaneously.
The name comes from the Latin petere, "to ask": these were the souls of the poor, nameless dead, believed to need the prayers of the living to leave Purgatory. The faithful, mostly women, would "adopt" a skull, clean it, bring it flowers and candles, and in return ask for a grace. Skulls and bones were placed in niches, small altars and wooden cases.
In 1969 Cardinal Corrado Ursi banned the practice, but the devotion never completely died out. Going down among the niches, we felt a silence unlike that of any other church: the same one you'll find in the Fontanelle Cemetery: between beliefs and truth, the other great site of this cult.
The legend of Lucia
The most venerated skull is that of Lucia: you'll recognise it because it wears a bridal veil and a small crown, next to two other skulls that popular tradition identifies as her servants. Several folk legends have grown up around her, and she has always been regarded as the protector of brides.
For years devotees have left notes, photographs and small gifts beside her. More than the story itself, this is what struck us: proof of a bond between the living and the dead that is still deeply felt in Naples, as we also describe in Famous Neapolitan traditions.
Getting there and when to go
The church is on Via dei Tribunali, one of the decumani of the historic centre, a short walk from the Cathedral and San Gregorio Armeno. The most convenient metro stops are Dante (Line 1) and Piazza Cavour (Line 2); from there you continue on foot.
Besides the church, the complex houses a small museum and runs cultural activities, so opening times and visiting arrangements may vary. Check opening times and tickets on the official website before you go. We suggest combining the visit with a stroll along Via dei Tribunali, ideally in the morning.
Nearby
- San Lorenzo Maggiore and the excavations: the Gothic basilica with the Roman city beneath your feet, just a little further on.
- San Gregorio Armeno, the street of nativity scenes: the street of the crib figures, a stone's throw away.
- Naples Cathedral: the cathedral of San Gennaro, at the end of Via dei Tribunali.
- Visiting Underground Naples: to continue your journey beneath the city.
- Naples and its surroundings: our complete guide to the city and its province.
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