Fontanelle Cemetery
In the beating heart of the Rione Sanità, carved into the tuff belly of the Materdei hill, a gigantic cavern opens up, guarding the most mysterious and visceral soul of Naples.
The Cimitero delle Fontanelle (Cemetery of the Little Fountains) is not a simple ossuary, but a true temple of popular piety, born to house the thousands of anonymous remains of the victims of the great plague of 1656 and the cholera epidemic of 1836. Walking through its imposing rock naves, illuminated by a dim and evocative light, means entering a dimension where the boundary between life and death dissolves completely.
The true essence of this place lies in the moving cult of the anime pezzentelle (poor, abandoned souls). For centuries, Neapolitans "adopted" a nameless skull—affectionately called a capuzzella—cleaning it, placing it in small wooden display cases (scarabattoli), adorning it with rosaries and coins, and praying to ease its suffering in Purgatory. In return, the soul offered protection, favors, or, according to tradition, winning lottery numbers in a dream. Visiting the Fontanelle is an unforgettable emotional experience: there is nothing macabre in these immense caves, only a centuries-old pact of love. It is an extraordinary lesson in empathy, a place where the living take care of the dead, and the dead continue to watch over the living.
INFO
ADDRESS: Via Fontanelle, 80, 80136 Napoli (NA)
PHONE NUMBER: +39 081 744 3714
WEB: https://cimiterodellefontanelle.it/
MAIL: info@cimiterodellefontanelle.it
