Top 10 Hidden Gems Things to do in Naples, Campania

The church of Monteoliveto, or Sant'Anna dei Lombardi, is known for its quantity and quality of Renaissance artworks, such as those by tuscans Benedetto da Maiano and Antonio Rossellino, together with famed frescos by Giorgio Vasari within the Sagrestia Vecchia that make the Church one of the most relevant examples of Tuscan Renaissance in Naples. It’s also important to mention the Compianto sul Cristo Morto, a statuesque group by Guido Mazzoni from Modena. Guided Tours of the Museum are organized by the Social Cooperative ParteNeapolis.

Around the origin of our Catacombs much has been discussed, they were simpleburial and never were quarries or underground ways; the first note of the monumentis repeated since the death of St. Agrippino our bishop in the II century, when hisbody was buried there in a noble tomb. Many miracles the saint operated by thetomb, so it became a place of reverence and neapolitan wished to be buried in thatplace.

Enchanting scenery that unfolds to the eyes of visitors, a secret place full of history and magic atmosphere.An emotional journey that conducts visitors in the new section of the underground of Naples. It is situated in Vico del Grottone 4, from to 150 mt. to Plebiscito Square. Until a few years ago it wasa veterinary laboratory, now is the entrance of the Bourbon Tunnel. A staircase with 8 ramps, 33 yards deep descending into the belly of Chiaia. The second entry is in Via Domenico Morelli,40, through the crosswalk of “Quick parking”.The Tunnel was built in 1853 by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, who, concerned about the outbreak of rebellion, he asked for an escape from the Royal Palace to the barrack in Via della Pace, now Via Morelli. The work was uncompleted and, during the second World War, was used by residents of the area as a military hospital, later becoming the Hall Judicial Deposit.The war left its mark even in the subsoil. That’s way there are handwrite, folding beds, messages of wish and desolation of those who lived it and still maintains its memory. Along the tunnel thereare also the evidences, 530 meters, where visitors can discover the history of real life. Through the spacious streets, it’s easy reachable the network of tunnels and cisterns of seventeenth-century,large buildings, where worked the "pozzari", the only connoisseur of Naples underground.The show is stunning, but that's not finished. On Via Morelli appear statues dating back to fascist period and many cars and motorcycles, abandoned for years, freed from piles of rubbish, arranged and illuminated ad hoc for the route.Nothing is left to chance, even lighting, perfectly integrated with the path of the visitors.Since today everything is possible to visit. Five years ago the scenery was completely different.Rubbish, degradation, wastes of all kinds covered the reliquaries.

Pausilypon was the Villa d’otium build by roman knight Publio Vedio Pollio. When Pollio died (15 b.C.) it was given in legacy to the emperor Augustus, becoming an official imperial estate. It is located in one of the most fascinating places in Naples with a fantastic view over the Bay of Naples.The gateway to the villa was given by the monumental Seiano’s cave (a tunnel 770 meters long caved in the hillside of Posillipo).

Under the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, the neuralgic centres of the district, we find the second most important early Christian cemetery in the city. The Catacombs were extended following the burial of the North African bishop, deposited here between 451 and 453 AD. The Catacombs of San Gaudioso are the second largest in Naples, and includes both early Christian and 17th century elements. On one side there is the intensity of the early Christian elements, such as the tomb of St. Gaudiosusand frescoes and mosaics of the 5th and 6th centuries, and on the other, the special graves reserved for nobles, dating back to the 17th century, when the catacombs resumed the function of a burial site. The Catacombs of San Gaudioso conserve valuable frescoes and mosaics from the 5th and 6th centuries that feature many symbols that were widely used in the early Christian era, such as the fish, the lamb, and grapes with branches.

The Association RESPIRIAMO ARTE offers a unique tour in the Church of Art of Silk of Saints Philip and James. Tour's duration is 30 minutes, it walking inside the story of noble Silk Art and includes the visit of the Church and some secret special place: the remains of frescos of XVI century, the wood Neapolitan Sacristy of XVIII century, the Crypt where men of Silk Corporation were buried and archaeological remains in the inside courtyard. A guided tour that returns to Naples the title of City of Silk. Guided tours every 40 minutes with admission until 30 minutes before the closing. The Guided Tour in English language is possible with a descriptive brochure of the places and their history but always following the tour group in Italian language.