Directly beneath the chaotic streets of Naples lies a massive 40-meter-deep labyrinth carved over 2,400 years ago. Originally excavated by the ancient Greeks to harvest yellow tufa stone for city walls, these vast caverns were expanded by Romans into a complex municipal aqueduct system.
During World War II, these subterranean chambers saved over 200,000 Neapolitan lives as air-raid shelters equipped with furniture, electric lights, and makeshift water taps.
Key Dossier Facts
- Depth: Up to 40 meters below ground level.
- Quarry Material: Yellow Volcanic Tufa.
- Fontanelle Cemetery: Home to over 40,000 remains of plague victims.
- Cult Phenomenon: The Anime Pezzentelle (Adopt-a-Skull ritual).
The Cult of the Pezzentelle Skulls
In the Fontanelle Cemetery—a massive cave in the Materdei district—lies one of the world's most unusual religious rites. For centuries, impoverished Neapolitans adopted unidentified human skulls (termed anime pezzentelle or poor souls) stored in the cavern.
Devotees cleaned the skulls, placed them on satin cushions in wooden boxes, gave them human names, and prayed for their souls in exchange for intercessions and lottery numbers revealed through dreams.
Read full historical museum details at Napoli Cultural Heritage Department Portal.