Naples historic center and the underground of the city
Downtown Naples is the historic center full of attractions to visit, a place where you can feel the atmosphere and folklore of this wonderful city.
One of the truly magical places in the historical center is "Naples underground", a subteranean area of the city where, in the third century B.C. (B.C.E.), the Greeks dug tunnels to extract the tuff from the subsoil to build buildings of the city. In downtown Naples, in via dei Tribunali (Tribunali street), is located one of the entrances of the underground area, where you can descend for about 40 meters and visiting this wonderful place.
During the Imperial Age the tunnels dug was connected to the Serino aqueduct to bring water to the courtyards of any house, so the inhabitants of the city, at that time, had already the water on its own water well.
Naples Underground, during the Second World War, was used by the inhabitants of Naples as a refuge.
Info and reservations here: napolisotterranea.org
Napoli sotterranea, in via dei Tribunali by Dominik Matus - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58137301
Downtown Naples and Christmas nativity scenes
In downtown Naples one also finds a lot of craft shops open all year round with an exposition about the Christmas nativity scenes. Below you'll find many photos of handcrafted works of this city with 18th century people statues representing the birth of Jesus.
Downtown Naples, cloister and church of St. Gregorio Armeno
The cloister and the church of San Gregorio Armeno
In Naples historic center it is possible to visit the cloister and the church of San Gregorio Armeno (St. Gregory of Armenia). The cloister is managed by the Crucified Sisters Adorers of the Eucharist.
The monumental complex of St. Clair
In Naples historic center one finds the the monumental complex of St. Clair: the basilica, the cloister, the museum and the archaeological excavations.
The Basilica of St Clair was commissioned in 1310 AD (CE) by the King of Naples Robert of Anjou for his wife devoted to the cloistered life who, being a queen, could not respond to her vocation.
The basilica open every day 7.30 - 13.00 / 16.30 20.00
The monumental complex of Santa Chiara is open every day from 9.30 to 17.30. Sunday: 10.00 - 14.30
The Church of "Gesù Nuovo" and the obelisk of the Immaculate
The church of Gesù Nuovo (New Jesus), located in the square of the same name, is the second church that the Jesuits wanted to build in 1584 AD (CE) and to distinguish it from the old one they decided to call it the church of the new Jesus.
Open every day 7.00 - 13.00 / 16.00 - 20.00
Naples historic center and Sansevero chapel
Source photo: mueseosansevero.it
In Naples historic center, the Sansevero chapel, a deconsecrated church of Santa Maria della Pietà (St Mary of Pity), also called Pietatella, is one of the most visited places in the city. It is located near San Domenico Maggiore in via Francesco de Sanctis, 19 Naples.
Open every day: 9.00 - 19.00 - Closed on Tuesdays
Online booking on Museosansevero
Downtown Naples, Basilca and Obelisk of St Dominico Maggiore
In downtown Naples is located the Basilica of st. Dominic Majors wanted by Charles II of Anjou in 1283 and it was completed after 41 years.
The basilica is more precisely located in San Domenico Maggiore square.
Open Monday to Saturday 10.00 - 19.00
Historic Center of Naples, the Cathedral
The Cathedral of Naples: the basilica of Saint Mary of the Assumption
Address: Via Duomo, 147, 80138 Naples.
In Naples historic center you can visit the Cathedral, the church of Santa Maria Assunta (Saint Mary of the Assumption), a monumental basilica of the Neapolitan archdiocese famous for the liquefaction of the blood of the patron of city, St. Januarius (in italian is San Gennaro). The superstition, also called the miracle of the saint Januarius, says that if the liquefaction does not happen, the city of Naples will be devastated by various natural disasters.
The days dedicated to the miracle of St. Januarius are:
- September 19th, the day of the patron of city of Naples.
- The Saturday before the first Sunday of May
- December 16th
The last few times the blood didn't liquefy was:
- in 1973 when there was the cholera epidemic,
- in 1980 when the earthquake destroyed Irpinia, a district near Naples city,
- in 2016 when there was the fire that devastated Vesuvius and the earthquake on the Ischia island.
The Cathedral of Naples is open every day: 8.30 - 13.00 / 14.30 - 19.30
Sundays and holidays 08.00 - 13.00 / 16.30 - 19.30
Downtown Naples, the Chapel of the Treasury of St. Januarius
Saint Januarius Necklace (source photo: museosangennaro.it)
The museum of the treasure of St. Januarius, adjacent to the cathedral, is the place where a lot of saint of Naples valuables are
exhibited: the mitre with almost 4000 precious gems, the necklace, the saint's cloak and much more.
booking and timetables on the official website
Pio Monte della Misericordia Museum
Adress: Via dei Tribunali n° 243.
One of Caravaggio's works, the Seven Works of Mercy, is exhibited here
Hours: Every day: 9.00 - 18.00 - Sunday 9.00 - 14.30
Prenotazione su piomontedellamisericordia.it
National archaeological museum of Naples
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is the place where all the archaeological finds found in the sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum etc. are exhibited. It is located in Piazza Museo, 19, 80135 Napoli NA
To reach the museum by car park here.
In case do you want to reach it by metro (Tube):
- line 1 the stop is Museo
- line 2 the stop is Piazza Cavour
Madre Museum of Napoli
In the Madre Museum of Naples there is an exhibition of contemporary art and it's located in via Luigi Settembrini, 79, not far from the archaeological Museum.
Hours: 10.00 - 19.30 / Sunday: 10.00 - 20.00 / Closed on Tuesday