1. Home
  2. Italy
  3. Naples
  4. Mysteries & legends

Naples · Mysteries & legends

Deals with the devil, alchemist princes and restless souls

In few cities do the sacred and the pagan live side by side as closely as in Naples. This route walks the old town following its most famous legends, always separating what the documents say from what has been told for centuries in the back streets.

  • 6 stops
  • 1.8 km
  • 1 h 40 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Bronze skull on a stone post outside the church of Purgatorio ad Arco

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Palazzo PenneA palace from 1406 which, legend says, the devil built in a single night.
  2. 2 Gesù NuovoA palace facade turned into a church, with mysterious marks carved into its diamond points.
  3. 3 Sansevero ChapelThe chapel of an inventor and alchemist prince, home to the Veiled Christ and two skeletons with every vein in place.
  4. 4 Statue of the NileAn Egyptian god that Neapolitans mistook for centuries for a mother nursing the city.
  5. 5 Purgatorio ad ArcoThe church of the skulls, where Neapolitans adopted a lost soul in exchange for favours.
  6. 6 Naples CathedralSan Gennaro's church, where three times a year the city waits for its patron saint's blood to liquefy.

Loading the map…

Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Deals with the devil, alchemist princes and restless souls

The Prince of Sansevero

Raimondo di Sangro, inventor and alchemist, and the stories the people spun around him.

The cult of the skulls

The «souls in torment» that Neapolitans adopted and asked for favours in exchange for prayers.

The blood of San Gennaro

The prodigy the city has awaited three times a year for more than six centuries.

Keep exploring

More routes in Naples

Back to Naples
HistoryFrom Greek Neapolis to the Bourbon court MixedFrom Piazza Dante to the sea: the Naples you can't miss

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Naples?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Naples in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Naples in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Naples in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary