Basilica di San Gennaro extra Moenia
Sanità
Hidden gemSacred art
The story
Outside the ancient walls, beside the catacombs that once held the body of San Gennaro: one of the oldest churches in Naples, in the shade of the Capodimonte hill.
Access
check ahead
The story
The Basilica of San Gennaro outside the walls (extra Moenia) arose in the fifth century near the catacombs of San Gennaro, outside the ancient city. It is one of the oldest basilicas of Naples, today incorporated into the hospital of San Gennaro dei Poveri, a witness to the first centuries of Neapolitan Christianity.
What to see
The building keeps the memory of early-Christian Naples, with ancient elements and features that also recall the East. It is the natural complement to a visit to the nearby catacombs of San Gennaro, the great Christian cemetery of the city.
Tips
It is in the complex of the hospital of San Gennaro dei Poveri, in the Rione Sanità: find out about access arrangements and hours on site and on the official channels. To be combined with a visit to the adjacent Catacombs of San Gennaro.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Basilica of San Gennaro outside the walls?
One of the oldest basilicas of Naples, arisen in the fifth century near the catacombs of San Gennaro, today in the hospital of San Gennaro dei Poveri.
Why 'outside the walls'?
Because it was built outside the circuit of the ancient city, near the Christian cemetery area of the catacombs.
Where is it?
In the Rione Sanità, in Naples, near the Catacombs of San Gennaro.
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