The "Basilica Maior". © La Paranza Coop.
The Catacombs of San Gennaro are underground paleo-Christian burial and worship sites in the north part of Naples (Rione Sanità). The site is carved out in the tuff, a porous stone and is today open to the public. The catacombs are situated on the slope leading up to Capodimonte. The site is now easily identified by the Basilica dell’Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio (Crowned Mother of Good Counsel). In the square of the basilica there is the monumental entrance to the catacombs of San Gennaro represented by a large bust of the saint over 4 metres high and weighing 15 quintals. The bust is the work of the Italian sculptor and painter Lello Esposito.
Bring a sweatshirt with you. The temperature inside the Catacombs of San Gennaro varies between 15 and 22 degrees. We therefore recommend that you bring a sweater or sweatshirt with you, even in summer (when, indeed, the temperature range from the outside is very marked). Also wear comfortable shoes for your visit to the Catacombs of San Gennaro.
Do you suffer from claustrophobia?Don’t worry, thanks to the particular properties of the Vesuvian tuff, the Catacombs of San Gennaro are characterised by quite large rooms (in the lower catacomb the ceilings reach up to six metres high), in which you should not feel umconfortable. However, keep in mind that the lighting is quite discreet, thanks to an efficient LED system built in 2009 by Officina dei Talenti, a cooperative of young people in the Rione Sanità.
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Best Catacombs of San Gennaro Tours
Tickets for Catacombs of San Gennaro: Guided Visit
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What are catacombs?
Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. The catacombs in Naples are different from their Roman counterparts in that they have more spacious passageways along two levels.
What era do the Catacombs of San Gennaro date back to?
The Catacombs of San Gennaro are the oldest Christian cemetery in the city of Naples. The first rooms date from the second century A.D.. Then they were extended over the third, fourth, fifth and sixth centuries. They cover a huge period of the history of the church and city of Naples. They started as the catacombs of another Saint. the bishop Agrippinus, the first patron Saint of Naples.
Around this time, the first galleries were created. San Gennaro was only buried here in the fifth century, so about 300 years later, and around his grave new galleries and tombs were created. Both Agrippinus and Gennaro are patron Saints of Naples nowadays. Naples actually counts 52 patron Saints, one for each week of the year, but San Gennaro is the most important.
How big are the Catacombs of San Gennaro?
The area of the Catacombs extends over 56,000 square metres dug into the tuff of the Capodimonte Hill and houses about 30,000 burial. The first nucleus of the Catacombs consiosts of the sepulcher of a noble family who then donated the spaces to the Christian community.
What can you see at the Catacombs of San Gennaro?
The Catacombs of San Gennaro are arranged on two non-overlapping levels, with large spaces. Inside the Catacombs it is possible to admire the Crypt of the Bishops, where the bishops of the cvity were buried, and even an underground basilica with three naves, the so-called basilica adjecta.
General informations
Useful information for your visit to the Catacombs of San Gennaro.
Location
The main entrance is in via Capodimonte 13, Naples.
Opening hours
To visit the Catacombs of San Gennaro the times are as follows:
- Monday to Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
- Sunday: 10 am to 2 pm
- Closed: 25th December
How to get to the Catacombs of San Gennaro
To reach the Catacombs of San Gennaro:
Buses: lines 168,178, C63, R4 (bus stop: Basilica Incoronata – Catacombe di San Gennaro)
By Car: take the Naples Tangenziale and come off at exit no. 5 – Capodimonte. Take a right turn onto Via Capodimonte and the Catacombs are 200 metrtes ahead on the right. Free parking is available on-site.
Attractions nearby
- National Archeological Museum of Naples (1.3 km)
- Cappella Sansevero (1.86 km)
- Via San Gregorio Armeno (1.91 km)
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