Duration: 1 Hour
Under the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, the neuralgic centres of the district, we find the second most important early Christian cemetery in the city.
The Catacombs were extended following the burial of the North African bishop, deposited here between 451 and 453 AD. The Catacombs of San Gaudioso are the second largest in Naples, and includes both early Christian and 17th century elements.
On one side there is the intensity of the early Christian elements, such as the tomb of St. Gaudiosus and frescoes and mosaics of the 5th and 6th centuries, and on the other, the special graves reserved for nobles, dating back to the 17th century, when the catacombs resumed the function of a burial site.
During the 17th century, the site mainly contained graves for aristocrats and the clergy.
The tombs of the nobles and clergy were created following a special procedure. The skulls were placed on display in the walls of the ambulatory, while the rest of the body was frescoed, usually with the clothes and professional instruments that represented the social status of the deceased.
The frescoes were painted by Giovanni Balducci, an artist who refused payment in order to be buried among the aristocrats in the Catacombs of San Gaudioso.
Guided Tour is available in English and in Italian languages every hour from Monday till Sunday from 10.00 a.m. till 1 p.m. ( last entrance is at 1 p.m.)
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