Neapolis Sotterrata (San Lorenzo Maggiore)
Napoli (NA)
KnownHistory & archaeology
The story
Beneath the cloister you walk along a real Greco-Roman street: the macellum, the bakers' shops, the laundry. The Neapolis of the 1st century, frozen beneath your feet.
Access
Included with the ticket for the monumental complex, can also be visited on your own. Prices to be checked
The story
The basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore, founded by Charles I of Anjou from 1270, is one of the great Gothic churches of Naples, with an apse of French Gothic taste unique in Italy. But its most surprising treasure is underground: beneath the convent extends a Greek-Roman archaeological area, with the remains of the ancient agora and forum, and the macellum, the covered market of the ancient city.
What to see
The route of the 'submerged Neapolis': a street and the workshops of the Greek-Roman market resurfaced several metres beneath today's city, among the best preserved in Europe. Above, the Gothic basilica — where Boccaccio met his Fiammetta in 1334 — the cloister and the Museo dell'Opera.
Tips
The underground excavations are visited with a ticket, together with the museum and the complex: check hours and arrangements on the official site. The underground route is fascinating but with steps and narrow passages; comfortable shoes are useful. You are on via dei Tribunali, opposite San Gregorio Armeno.
Frequently asked questions
What is the submerged Neapolis of San Lorenzo Maggiore?
The Greek-Roman archaeological area beneath the convent of San Lorenzo, with the street and the workshops of the macellum (the covered market) of ancient Neapolis, among the best preserved in Europe.
What is there to see at San Lorenzo Maggiore?
The Angevin Gothic basilica, the cloister, the Museo dell'Opera and above all the excavations of the Greek-Roman city in the subsoil.
How do you visit the excavations of San Lorenzo Maggiore?
With a ticket, together with the museum and the complex: it is best to check hours and arrangements on the official site.
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