Purgatorio ad Arco

Look at the bronze skulls outside the church: they shine because passers-by touch them for luck. Welcome to Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco, a church built in 1616 by several noble families, above all the Mastrillo, to give burial to the city's poor.

1Two churches, one on top of the other

Upstairs is the Baroque church, consecrated in 1638. Below lies the hypogeum, an underground space where for centuries the dead with no family and no name were buried: the so-called «anime pezzentelle», the poor souls. According to belief, they waited in purgatory for someone to pray for them.

2Adopting a skull

This gave rise to a very Neapolitan cult. The faithful would «adopt» an anonymous skull, the «capuzzella»: they cleaned it, built it a little house and prayed for its soul. In return they asked for favours, and sometimes the soul appeared in dreams to answer. The Church eventually banned the practice in 1969 as superstition, but it never entirely disappeared.

The most famous skull is Lucia, crowned with a bridal veil. According to tradition, she was a young noblewoman who died shortly after her wedding; today brides pray to her.

No document confirms who she was: Lucia is, above all, a symbol.

3What to look for

• The bronze skulls outside the entrance.
• The crossbones and skulls on the portal, from 1716.
• The round relief showing the Virgin and the souls of purgatory amid the flames.