In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Fontanelle cemetery, a former ossuary in the Rione Sanità, reopened on 18 April 2026 and is no longer free. Booking is compulsory: €6 with an audio-guide app or €8 guided, 40 minutes, with entry every 15 minutes in groups of up to 25. It is open daily 10:00 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:15, and closed on Wednesdays. Arrive 15 minutes early: a missed slot is not refunded. Book at the cemetery’s own site, cimiterodellefontanelle.it. Or book: the cemetery sells a ticket with a guided tour on GetYourGuidead from €10.
Tickets and prices
Prices are the cemetery’s own, from its plan your visit page. The cemetery is run by a valorisation project with the Rione Sanità’s community network. Descriptions written before the reopening say entry is free and unbooked.
| Ticket | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Audio-guide visit | From €6 | 40 minutes, with the intoRioneSanità app: a visit accompanied by the voices of the community, not a guide |
| Guided visit | From €8 | 40 minutes, with a guide who explains the cult of the anime pezzentelle and the legendary figures of the cemetery |
| Residents of the 2nd and 3rd municipalities | Free | Booked online as well |
| Groups of 20 to 50 | Booked in the group section | One free ticket for the tour guide per slot |
- Every person needs a ticket, the free ones too. A party of two adults and two children under 12 buys two full tickets and two free ones.
- Reduced rates need a document proving the right, such as proof of residence, age or student status.
- No booking: only leftover tickets are sold at the site, and the wait may be long.
- A Fontanelle ticket gives 15 per cent off at the partner sites of the Rione Sanità network.
Where to buy
GetYourGuide’s price is its lowest “from” price. The cemetery sells this product itself.
| What | Official | GetYourGuide | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio-guide visit | From €6 | Not sold separately | Official |
| Guided visit | From €8 | From €10, with free cancellation | Official, unless you want free cancellation |
Tours worth paying for
The cemetery’s own visit is the tour, so there is little to add. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
The cemetery with a guide
From €10 · 40 minutes · 4.8 stars from 188 reviews
Naples: Fontanelle Cemetery with Entry Ticketad is sold by the cemetery itself, with a live guide, an audio-guide app on request and free cancellation. It sells above the operator’s €8 guided price.
The Holy Mile
From €19 · 3 hours · 4.9 stars from 773 reviews
Naples: The Holy Mile 3-Hour Guided Tourad is the Catacombe di Napoli’s walk through the Rione Sanità on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 9:30. See the Catacombs of Naples.
What to see
The cemetery is an ossuary of about 3,000 square metres cut out of tuff quarries.
A gallery of the Fontanelle cemetery, cut out of the tuff. Photo: Dominik Matus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The ossuary. Skulls and bones in the quarry galleries. The lighting is soft and concentrated on the points of interest, with no flashing or strong lights.
- The cult. The guided visit and the audio guide tell the story of the anime pezzentelle and of the figures who have entered the city’s imagination.
The visit is 40 minutes and is paced by the entry groups, so there is no order to choose. What to skip: nothing; the route is short. It is cooler and damper inside than outside, so bring something to cover your arms. Keep your phone on silent and speak quietly. Photographs and video are allowed, without blocking others.
Skulls along a gallery wall, with small marble cases holding individual skulls. Photo: Dominik Matus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Rione Sanità around it
The Fontanelle sits in a quiet spot apart from the heart of the district, and the walk between the sites is the reason to give the Sanità half a day. On foot from the Fontanelle, the Catacombs of San Gaudioso are 15 minutes away and the Catacombs of San Gennaro 26 minutes.
The Rione Sanità, seen from the Ponte della Sanità. Photo: Alexandre, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Basilica di San Severo fuori le Mura: Jago’s Figlio Velato is in the Cappella dei Bianchi, for €10, daily 10:00 to 14:00, with no booking.
- Jago Museum: the sculptor’s museum-studio at Piazzetta Crociferi 4, open Monday to Thursday 10:00 to 14:00 and Friday to Sunday 10:00 to 14:00 and 15:00 to 19:00.
- Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità: a baroque church over the San Gaudioso catacombs, with 17th-century Neapolitan paintings and a nativity scene.
Hours, rules and getting there
- Hours: Monday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:15. Closed on Wednesdays and 25 December. On Mondays and Fridays the cemetery opens at 9:00 for worship, and the prayer area is open from 9:00 to 10:00; that is not a visit.
- Getting there: Via Fontanelle 80. From Metro Line 1, the Materdei stop is 10 minutes on foot. From Line 2, take the Cavour stop and the shuttle bus C52.
- Access: the site has no architectural barriers, and the audio guide suits blind visitors.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: arriving late. A missed slot is not moved to a later one and is not refunded.
The Catacombs of Naples are the other half of the Sanità, and the Sansevero Chapel guide separates the Veiled Christ from Jago’s Figlio Velato. The underground tours compare the cisterns in the old centre. What to book before you go to Naples lists the booking-only sights and the closed days, 3 days in Naples keeps the Sanità off a Wednesday, and Naples public transport has the metro fares. Concettina ai Tre Santi and Poppella are in the same district: see the best pizza in Naples and Naples street food and pastries. Where to stay in Naples compares the areas.
Common questions
Is the Fontanelle cemetery open?
Yes. It reopened on 18 April 2026 after works to consolidate it, and paid, booked visits began on 19 April. It is open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:15, and closed on Wednesdays and 25 December.
Is the Fontanelle cemetery free?
No. Entry is by booked ticket, from €6 with an audio-guide app and from €8 for a guided visit. It is free only for residents of the 2nd and 3rd municipalities of Naples, who still book.
Do I need to book the Fontanelle cemetery?
Yes, booking is compulsory. Visitors enter every 15 minutes in groups of up to 25, with no more than 75 people on site. Without a booking you can buy only leftover tickets on the spot, and the wait may be long.
How long does the Fontanelle cemetery visit take?
Up to 40 minutes. Arrive at least 15 minutes before your slot: a missed slot cannot be moved to a later one and is not refunded.
What is the difference between the €6 and €8 tickets?
The €6 ticket is a visit with an audio-guide app, which you download before you go because the signal inside is poor. The €8 ticket is a guided visit. Both last 40 minutes.
How do I get to the Fontanelle cemetery?
It is a 10-minute walk from the Materdei stop on Metro Line 1. From Line 2, take the Cavour stop and the shuttle bus C52. It is 15 minutes on foot from the San Gaudioso catacombs.
