Fontanelle cemetery, Underground ossuary in Materdei district, Naples, Italy.
The cemetery contains eight million human bones stored within natural caves carved into the volcanic rock of the Materdei hillside.
The site became a mass burial ground during the 1656 plague epidemic, which eliminated approximately half of Naples' population at that time.
In the 19th century, local residents started the practice of adopting and caring for specific skulls, creating personal connections with the unnamed dead.
The cemetery offers guided tours through Cooperativa Sociale La Paranza, located at Via Fontanelle 80 in the Materdei neighborhood.
Father Gaetano Barbati organized the scattered remains in 1872, creating an organized display of bones and skulls within the cave system.
Location: Naples
Inception: 1656
Official opening: 2006
Address: Via delle Fontanelle 80 80136
Website: https://comune.napoli.it/cimitero-delle-fontanelle
GPS coordinates: 40.85811,14.23906
Latest update: May 26, 2025 21:43
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