Ipogei dei Cristallini

Sanità

KnownHistory & archaeology

The story

Twelve metres below the Rione Sanità, Greek tombs of the 4th century BC with frescoes intact — Egyptian blues and trompe-l'oeil: Hellenistic Neapolis found again in a baron's garden.

Access

€, booking required

The story

The Ipogei dei Cristallini are hypogeal tombs of the Hellenistic period (late fourth–third century BC), carved into the tuff when the Sanità was, outside the walls of the Greek Neapolis, an area of burials. Buried over the centuries under metres of debris, they were rediscovered in 1889 by Baron Giovanni di Donato during excavations in the garden of his palace. For a few years now they have been open to the public.

What to see

Greek funerary chambers carved into the rock, with painted and relief decorations of extraordinary preservation: cornices, festoons, klinai — the funerary beds — carved. They are among the most important testimonies of Greek Naples, a direct plunge into the Hellenistic world beneath the modern city.

Tips

They are privately owned and are visited by booking, with limited entries: book in advance on the official channels. You are in the Rione Sanità, to be combined with the catacombs and the churches of the district.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Ipogei dei Cristallini?

Greek hypogeal tombs of the Hellenistic period (late fourth–third century BC), carved into the tuff of the Sanità, with painted and carved decorations exceptionally preserved.

How do you visit the Ipogei dei Cristallini?

By booking and with limited entries, as it is a privately owned site: it is best to book in advance.

When were they rediscovered?

In 1889, by Baron Giovanni di Donato, during excavations in the garden of his palace.

Directions