Catacombs of San Gaudioso

Travel back in time and explore the Catacombs of San Gennaro to learn more about the patron saint of Naples. Discover what lies beneath street level as you see stunning frescoes and Byzantine paintings from the 9th to the 10th century AD. Discover the fascinating history of the paleo-Christian burial site with your guide. Find out more about its 4th-century expansion following the transfer of the remains of St. Agrippinus to the underground basilica dedicated to him. See the baptismal font commissioned by Bishop Paul II, who took refuge in the catacombs in the 8th century during iconoclastic struggles. Admire the details of the upper catacomb, decorated in the 3rd century in the so-called Pompeian style, and now home to some of the earliest Christian paintings. Be amazed by the Crypt of the Bishops and its 5th-century mosaics, including one depicting the Bishop of Carthage, St. Quodvultdeus. After your tour, receive an entry pass to the Catacombs of San Gaudioso and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Sanità, which you can explore later.

Travel back in time and explore the Catacombs of San Gaudioso to learn more about the burial rites of early Christians and discover a mysterious world beneath the streets of Naples. Explore the history of the site and its expansion following the burial of the North African bishop, St. Gaudiosus between 451 and 453 AD. Gaze in wonder at the intensity of early Christian elements, such as the tomb of the saint and the 5th and 6th-century frescoes and mosaics with typical early Christian motifs. Explore the graves reserved for the nobles, dating back to the 17th century, when the catacombs resumed their function as a burial site. Get a closer look at the finer details, and learn how skulls were placed on display in the walls of the ambulatory in the 17th century. See stunning frescoes by Giovanni Balducci, who refused payment in order to be buried among the city's aristocrats.