Saturday, January 08, 2022

Still in Naples, the Fontanelle cemetery caves


In 1656, after a plague had reduced Naples population from 400,000 to 150,000, a former quarry became a burial site. Another great accumulation of the indigent dead seems to have been in the wake of the cholera epidemic in 1837. According to the tradition of religion, the huge chamber, dug deep into soft stone, wasn't a consecrated soil.

In this unique site in the world, which is rich of history and legends, local women have been cleaning some skulls with the aim of assisting their souls in reaching heaven, in exchange for protection. Devotion to the skulls still exists today, as members of the local community think skulls may be able to deliver wishes.


Visiting underground Naples' cemetery caves is not a macabre experience or dark tourism. The Fontanelle cemetery (that's its name) is both an historical site to visit and a place for meditation.   
If you go to Italy, don't forget to visit Naples 💀👀💖

16 comments:

Królowa Karo said...

Interesting.

OLga said...

Post interessante!

DVArtist said...

Giorgio, I know of this amazing place and have always wanted to go there. The entry is simply magnificent. I agree about the skulls and would love to help clean them.

Giorgio said...

To Nicole, Olga and królowa:

If you came to Naples, I would be honored to visit with you that fantastic place
🇮🇹💀👀 ... I would visit it once again!

SzgnBsl said...

The cemetery is truly unique, but it is very sad that so many people died. It means that there were such great diseases in the past.. Happy sunday Giorgio:)

J.P. Alexander said...

Uy es un lugar muy misterioso. Me gustaría conocerlo. Te mando un beso

kestrel said...

I think Naples will be a beautiful place to visit but i am not so sure about visiting this unusual cemetery. I am grateful to be living today with all the advances in medical care. It is sad that even cholera can bring death during those times

Ivana Split said...

I didn't know about this ancient cemetery in Naples. I'd love to visit it some day. It is interesting that there is a local tradition that involves cleaning the skulls to help the souls pass on to the next stage in their afterlife. That's fascinating.

Giorgio said...

To Ivana, J.P. Alexander, and Kestrel:

I am glad to hear you enjoyed my last post about Naples' unusual cemetery and its old tradition. Many women who live there are still involved in cleaning the skulls, as they continue to believe in things that are not real.
If you came to Naples I would be honored to show you that fantastic place, where you can see a combination between religion and superstition. This old tradition is still alive today.

Veronica Lee said...

I, too, didn't know about this cemetery in Naples.

I find the skull-cleaning tradition fascinating.

Thanks for sharing this, Giorgio!

Happy Tuesday!

Şule said...


İnteresting place. I would definitely like to visit. thanks for sharing.

ashok said...

Interesting to learn history

Ivana Split said...

Buona domenica<3

Giorgio said...

To Ivana, Veronica, Sule, Ashok, and R's Rue:

It's great to read your comment ... thanks for the appreciation :-)

Lowcarb team member said...

What an interesting place.
Thank you for highlighting it.

All the best Jan

Margaret D said...

Curiosity got the better of me so therefore had to look up what plagues were about in that area at that time, so many people died..