Catacombs of San Gaudioso: Guided Tour

Just below the bustling Sanità district lie thousands of years of Neapolitan history! Originally housing the remains of the Tunisian bishop Saint Gaudiosus, these sacred tombs were expanded to make room for nobles and high-ranking Christian figures over the centuries. Now you can discover this perfectly eerie crypt and travel back to the early days of Naples.

The Gaudioso Catacombs were built in many stages, with the earliest dating back to Greco-Roman times. Originally a necropolis, it was later used as an early Christian cemetery, before it was abandoned due to persistent mudslides.

Over 1000 years later, the crypt was modernized and used as a mass gravesite for victims of the plague and cholera epidemics. If you think that sounds macabre, just wait until you see how it's decorated!

The walls and ceilings are covered with detailed frescoes by famed painter Giovanni Balducci. The ghostly portraits which decorate the tombs actually incorporate skulls and bones of the deceased, with a reconstructed skeleton (from multiple corpses) guarding the catacombs.

If you like your history a little on the creepy side, there's plenty of secrets to discover in this fascinating journey through the ages.