The borbonica gallery, a refuge during World War II
If any place has not lacked work for archaeologists, it is in the Italian region of Campania. When one travels to ** Naples **, its capital, it is easy to plan visit things that were once buried and that these noble explorers of the past have taken it upon themselves – and take upon themselves every day – to bring to the surface.
Of course, we mean an excursion to the nearby Pompeii. maybe also to herculaneum . But when you walk through Naples, you do so on its surface, with your feet on the ground. As much on the ground as this crazy city allows.
One walks through its cobbled streets dodging fast motorcycles that cross stalls of nativity scenes under piles of hanging clothes. Nevertheless, the subsoil of the city is composed of a volcanic stone called tufa which is extremely simple and safe to extract.
Historically, when it has been necessary to extract this type of stone for some construction it has been done without problems. This has contributed to Naples hiding great treasures under the ground we walk on. Here we leave you some of the most interesting.
The catacombs of San Gennaro, patron saint of the city
THE NAPLES METRO
We start with something simple and suitable for all audiences. Line 1 of the Neapolitan suburban contains some of the most beautiful stations in the world.
Perhaps the most notable is the Toledo , who in 2012 the Daily Telegraph declared as the most beautiful station in Europe. CNN did the same in 2014, giving it the title of most incredible station.
The construction is the work of the Catalan architect Oscar Tusquets. Since the 1.5 euros invested give us for 100 uninterrupted minutes of travel by metro, we can also go through other interesting stations such as Dante, Museum or Municipality.
Toledo metro station
CATACOMBS OF SAN GENNARO
They are undoubtedly the most sacred catacombs of Naples because its patron saint, San Gennaro, was buried there. For those who have visited this type of tombs in Rome, they will quickly see that the big difference is that those of San Gennaro are much larger and more spacious.
The visit has a price of 9 euros and to do it we will have to move outside the most touristic areas to the Sanita neighborhood, a somewhat deteriorated part of the city that some associations have spent years trying to revitalize through tourism.
One of them is responsible for organizing guided tours of the catacombs. Habitually in English or Italian.
The catacombs of San Gennaro, in the Sanità neighborhood
SANTA MARIA DELLE ANIME OF PURGATORY AD ARCO
Here we go down to a church under another church; the hypogeum. The latter much more gloomy and sinister if possible. we will find an underground graveyard, locules full of bones and skulls, offerings and the famous skull of Lucia, the girlfriend who died for love.
Since the founding of the Opera Pia in 1605, anime pezzentelle have been worshiped here. This lay congregation cared for those poor souls who dwelt in Purgatory, represented by the hypogeum of this church.
still today this cult continues despite the prohibition imposed in 1969 by Cardinal Corrado Ursi.
In Dante's Divine Comedy, Virgil was going through Purgatory. The Marquis de Sade he recommends us in his book to read Virgilio and we recommend reading Sade and his ** His trip to Naples **
Not only to better understand this city and its people during our trip, but for his detailed explanation of the different churches.
Santa Maria delle Anime of Purgatory ad Arco
THE NEAPOLIS OF SAN LORENZO MAGGIORE
Here is Pompeii in miniature. in tiny under the basilica San Lorenzo Maggiore hides buried the Greco-Roman city of 'Neapolis' buried in the 5th century AD. by an avalanche of mud.
These were difficult times for the declining Western Roman Empire and obviously the reconstruction of the city was not a priority. It was built on top of it. Archaeologists later unearthed it.
Today they cannot continue digging because the ancient city continues to exist in the foundations of the houses, as in Herculaneum.
The guided tour costs 10 euros and lasts approximately one hour. This begins in the cloister, partially built on the macellum of the old city. Going down you will discover its streets, nine shops and the city's public treasury, among many other corners.
Tunnels in the archaeological area of the Greco-Roman city of 'Neapolis'
UNDERGROUND NAPOLI
Here, as in much of Naples, tuff was mined as early as Greek times. In this visit of 10 euros we will go down more than 136 steps to go forty meters underground and walk through the corridors that the Greeks and later the Romans excavated in their day to build underground aqueducts and cisterns.
The visit lasts about an hour and a half and They end up visiting the remains of the Greco-Roman theater. It is perhaps the most touristic underground exploration that we can do in this city.
Entrance to the 'Underground Naples'
Bourbon Gallery
This spectacular complex of underground tunnels was excavated in the mid-19th century in order to establish a direct connection between the royal palace and the military barracks.
Thus, the king was quickly allowed to flee to the harbor and the soldiers defend the king.
These galleries were reused as a shelter during World War II and subsequently were forgotten until just ten years ago.
When rediscovering this complex of tunnels, a large number of abandoned cars, motorcycles and bicycles shortly before World War II, when the gallery was used as a warehouse.
All that Naples hides under the ground