Grotta di Seiano
Posillipo
Hidden gemHistory & archaeology
The story
A Roman tunnel nearly eight hundred metres long bores through the hill in the dark, then opens onto the light of the Gaiola valley and the villa of Pausilypon.
Access
free with guided tour, closed Tuesdays
The story
The Grotta di Seiano is a Roman gallery of the Augustan age, about seven hundred and seventy metres long, dug into the tuff of the Posillipo hill to connect the plain of Bagnoli to the valley of the Gaiola and the villa of the Pausilypon. Forgotten for centuries, it was rediscovered in 1841 and restored by order of Ferdinand II of Bourbon; during the war it served as an air-raid shelter.
What to see
The long tunnel dug into the rock, with the light wells that open towards the sea, is already an experience in itself: one of the most imposing Roman passages of the city, which emerges into the archaeological park of the Pausilypon and onto the Baia di Trentaremi.
Tips
The grotto is the access to the park of the Pausilypon and is walked as part of the guided tour: check days, hours and booking on the official site. It is a long and partly dark tunnel; comfortable shoes are useful. The entrance is at the Discesa Coroglio, at Posillipo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Grotta di Seiano?
A Roman gallery of the Augustan age about 770 metres long, dug into the tuff of Posillipo to reach the villa of the Pausilypon; rediscovered in the nineteenth century under Ferdinand II of Bourbon.
Where does the Grotta di Seiano lead?
It crosses the hill to the archaeological park of the Pausilypon and the Baia di Trentaremi, on the sea side of Posillipo.
How do you visit it?
As part of the guided tour of the Pausilypon, with days and hours to be checked on the official site; the entrance is at the Discesa Coroglio.
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