The Atlas Obscura Guide To

Naples

12 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Naples, Italy

Unusual
Attractions
in Naples

"Venus Kallipygos" - "Venus with the lovely ass"

Gabinetto Segreto

The once forbidden "secret cabinet" of erotic art from excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

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Added by Annetta Black

The Anatomical Machines of Cappella Sansevero

These "anatomical machines" are only one of the many strange items in this Italian crypt.

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Fontanelle Cemetery Caves

Skulls from the plague of 1656 and the bombings of WWII united by a cult dedicated to caring for the ancient dead.

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Added by Annetta Black

A staircase excavated from the tuff leads to a depth of 120 feet (40 meters).

Naples Underground

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.

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Arcosolium with a fresco depiction of San Gennaro

Catacombs of San Gennaro

Underground paleo-Christian burial site, composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas.

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Tunnel and vintage cars.

Bourbon Tunnel

Dug as a secret royal escape route, the tunnel became a wartime bomb shelter and dumping ground for vintage cars.

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In the upper station

Funicolare Centrale

In a city that boasts four separate inclined cable railways, this is one of the busiest funicular lines in the world.

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Skulls in the hypogeum.

Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco

The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead still cares for the skulls at this mini-Fontanelle.

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Added by Corpse Altar

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Explore Naples, Italy

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Stories
About Naples

A Neapolitan pizza maker.

The Traditional Pizza Making of Naples Now Has Heritage Status

Good news for Neapolitans, however you slice it.

by Natasha Frost

December 07, 2017

Poor Neapolitans rush to pillage this Cuccagna, built for the birth of Prince Phillip.

The Forgotten Italian Tradition of Building Monumental Food Palaces

Then destroying them in a literal hunger games.

October 27, 2017

King Ferdinand I of Aragon had colorectal cancer.

Italian Renaissance Aristocrats Were Susceptible to Cancer, Too

Mummified evidence that cancer might not be a disease of the modern world.

by Vittoria Traverso

October 04, 2017

Eating Spaghetti by the Fistful Was Once a Neapolitan Street Spectacle

Tourists flocked to see the "macaroni eaters" cram noodles into their mouths.

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