Underground Naples: An exciting adventure to discover the treasures of hidden Naples

Naples is synonymous with abundance, because joy, culture, natural beauty, the liveliness of street urchins, voices in the markets, landscapes, colours, smells and flavors abound here, but it is Naples itself that is abundant at to the point of not being 1 city, but rather 2 in one: one on the surface with everything described and another Naples, the underground one, the antithesis of the first because it is calm, slow, constant, silent, almost single color and single smell.

The latter, however, is a true hidden wonder made up of a network of tunnels, galleries and passages that extends under the city, dating back to different historical eras. From ancient Roman aqueducts to the cellars of noble palaces, Naples Underground is a true hidden treasure that deserves to be discovered.

But it's not just a question of history: visiting Naples Underground is an exciting adventure. You can walk along the ancient tunnels, admire the architectural engineering of the Roman cisterns, visit the catacombs of the early Christians where it is said there is also the tomb of the Martyr Gennaro (Patron Saint of the City) and even enter the anti-aircraft shelters from the Second World War where they are preserved still historical remains.

To access Underground Naples, there are several routes you can choose. One of the most popular options is to take part in a guided tour, which will take you through the galleries and provide you with historical and cultural information about the places you will see. You can find tours of different durations, depending on your preferences and the time available.

Some popular options are the Museum of Naples Underground, located in the historic center on Via Dei Tribunali, and the Bourbon Tunnel which houses a series of tunnels dating back to World War II.

But there are so many routes, these below are just some of them:

1 – Underground Naples (classical) from Via dei Tribunali
2 – Bourbon Gallery
3 – Catacombs of San Gennaro (where the tomb of the Holy Martyr is housed)
4 – Catacombs of San Gaudioso (in the Quartierà Sanità and can be done in combination with those of San Gennaro)
5 – Fontanelle Cemetery
6 – San Lorenzo Maggiore Monumental Complex – The Buried Neapolis
7 – Lapis Museum – Basilica della Pietrasanta (entrance from Piazzetta Pietrasanta)
8 – Pausylipon Archaeological Park and Seiano Cave
9 – The Museum of the Underground (ancient Greek-Roman aqueduct of Naples - entrance from Piazza Cavour)
10 – Naples and the underground city (Bull aqueduct of Greek origin, the Augustan aqueduct and the Carmignano aqueduct - entrance from Vico Sant'Anna di Palazzo)
11 – Underground of Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino)
12 – Basilica of Santa Restituta (here the remains of Greek / Roman Naples - entrance from Via Duomo)
13 – Succorpo dell'Annunziata (eighteenth-century underground church and represents one of the most interesting testimonies of the Neapolitan activity of Luigi Vanvitelli - entrance from Via dell'Annunziata)
14 – Hellenistic funerary hypogea (they are different and almost all in the Sanità district)
15 – Church of Santa Luciella and the Skull with Ears (entrance from Vico Santa Luciella)
16 – Teatro Instabile (a singular structure with a mystical-esoteric destination - entrance from Vico Fico Purgatorio ad Arco)

17 - Crypta Neapolitana and Virgil's Tomb