About the Underground Naples Walk in Naples
Naples is a city whose roots run deep. Its complex history is so profound that only a visit beneath the present-day city surface will uncover the complete picture. The historical center of Naples articulates the stratification of various epochs and how preexisting levels have encompassed later ones. Underneath the chaotic alleys of the historic center lies a curious maze of tunnels, imperial structures and cisterns. During our three-hour Underground Naples walk, we will explore a series of spaces unassumingly scattered throughout the historical centre that offer an archeologist's point of view of the enigmatic past of this city.
We begin with a stroll through the lively streets of the city center which still follow the ancient decumani, main Roman roads. These thoroughfares illustrate the vivid sights, sounds and smells of Neapolitan street life, while also illustrating the imprint of ancient civilizations on the modern-day city.
Located right off the via Tribunali, the decumanus ma
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Naples is a city whose roots run deep. Its complex history is so profound that only a visit beneath the present-day city surface will uncover the complete picture. The historical center of Naples articulates the stratification of various epochs and how preexisting levels have encompassed later ones. Underneath the chaotic alleys of the historic center lies a curious maze of tunnels, imperial structures and cisterns. During our three-hour Underground Naples walk, we will explore a series of spaces unassumingly scattered throughout the historical centre that offer an archeologist's point of view of the enigmatic past of this city.
We begin with a stroll through the lively streets of the city center which still follow the ancient decumani, main Roman roads. These thoroughfares illustrate the vivid sights, sounds and smells of Neapolitan street life, while also illustrating the imprint of ancient civilizations on the modern-day city.
Located right off the via Tribunali, the decumanus major, the excavations underneath the Gothic church of San Lorenzo Maggiore are one of the key places to view the traces of the ancient city. The complex corresponds to the ancient Greek agora, subsequently the Roman forum and center of political, commercial and religious activity. From here, we will descend into a series of ancient streets that date from the 1st and 3rd century B.C. , where various building typologies line the streets; the aerarium, where the city's riches were held, the bakery, laundry and the suggestive cryptoporticus. Beneath the Roman buildings, lay slabs of tufo rock which date back to the Greek era.
By the end of this walk, we will have a much clearer understanding of the evolution of Naples, as a city, and a deep appreciation for its current attempts to salvage its priceless links to its illustrious past.
