Cimitero delle Fontanelle / Museo delle Capuzzelle
Rione Sanità
KnownSacred art
The story
Thousands of nameless skulls line the old tufo (volcanic tuff) quarry: the capuzzelle (little skulls) that Neapolitans adopted and cared for, in the tender, desperate cult of the souls of purgatory.
Access
reopened as a museum (Apr 2026): check ticketing
The story
The Fontanelle Cemetery is a great ossuary carved out of an ancient tuff quarry in the Rione Sanità, where over the centuries the remains of a great many Neapolitans were received — often victims of plagues and famines, dead without a name. Here, from the end of the nineteenth century, a popular devotion developed: the cult of the 'anime pezzentelle', the abandoned souls of purgatory. The faithful would 'adopt' a skull — the 'capuzzella' — caring for it and praying for its relief, in exchange for protection. The devotion became very intense during the Second World War, when mothers and wives tended those anonymous dead like their own loved ones lost at the front. In 1969 the ecclesiastical tribunal for the cause of the saints prohibited the individual cult of the capuzzelle, declaring it «arbitrary, superstitious and inadmissible» because the remains could not be traced to persons of recognised sanctity.
What to see
The long naves carved into the tuff hold the remains gathered and ordered over the centuries. To some skulls the district's oral tradition has tied figures and legends, such as 'the Captain' or Donna Concetta. It is a place of memory and of contemplation, where the history of Naples, its popular religiosity and its suffering touch one another: it should be crossed with respect, as the space of devotion that remains for those who still pray there.
Hours and prices
Visita accompagnata € 6, guidata € 8; fasce gratuite lun/ven 9:00-10:00 per la preghiera e per i residenti di II e III Municipalità
10:00-18:00, chiuso il mercoledì (ultimo ingresso 17:15)
Tips
It is a place of memory and of faith, not a thrill attraction: enter with respect for the remains and for those who gather there. Admission is by ticket and by compulsory booking, with time slots dedicated to prayer and concessions for residents: check hours, fares and booking on the official site before going (the conditions are recent and may change). You are in the Rione Sanità, to be discovered with its churches and its palaces.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cult of the 'anime pezzentelle'?
A popular devotion born at the end of the nineteenth century and intensified during the Second World War: the faithful would 'adopt' an abandoned skull — the 'capuzzella' — caring for it and praying for its peace, in exchange for protection.
Why was the cult of the capuzzelle prohibited?
In 1969 the ecclesiastical tribunal for the cause of the saints declared it «arbitrary, superstitious and inadmissible», because the remains could not be traced to persons of recognised sanctity. The measure concerned the cult, not the closure of the cemetery.
How do you visit the Fontanelle Cemetery?
With admission by ticket and compulsory booking; free time slots dedicated to prayer and concessions for residents are provided. Check the current hours and fares on the official site.
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