16 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Naples - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Naples

Gabinetto Segreto

The once forbidden "secret cabinet" of erotic art from excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The Anatomical Machines of Cappella Sansevero

These "anatomical machines" are only one of the many strange items in this Italian crypt.

Fontanelle Cemetery Caves

Skulls from the plague of 1656 and World War II bombings are united by a cult dedicated to caring for the ancient dead.

Naples Underground

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.

Bourbon Tunnel

Dug as a secret royal escape route, the tunnel became a wartime bomb shelter and dumping ground for vintage cars.

Catacombs of San Gennaro

An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas.

Toledo Art Station

This shining multicolored metro station deep under Naples is said to be the most beautiful in Europe.

Gaiola Island

A magical-looking island notorious for being cursed.

See All 16 Things to Do in Naples See All 16 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Naples

Sfogliatella

This layered pastry from Italy's Amalfi Coast may have origins in a 17th-century convent.

Pizza Montanara

Its deep-fried crust is part of a longstanding Neapolitan tradition.

Graffe

During Carnival, Neapolitans fill up on these fluffy potato doughnuts.

Pizza Fritta

Folding and deep-frying pies is a beloved Neapolitan tradition.

See all 7 things to eat in Naples See all 7 things to eat in Naples

Atlas Obscura Trips

Culinary Naples: Producers, Purveyors, and Pizzaioli

From street food to lavish feasts, piping-hot coffee to smooth aperitivos, folk songs to opera, hilltop farms to urban wilds, immerse yourself in the greatest culinary and cultural experiences of Naples, meeting lively local Neapolitani for whom this is the only way to live.

Tao Tao Holmes

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Stories
About Naples

Kircher's map of the Earth's core and volcanoes, from <em>Mundus Subterraneus</em>, is richly detailed.

Stare Into the Belly of the Earth With 17th-Century Polymath Athanasius Kircher

How a visit to Vesuvius shaped his prescient vision of a hot core.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

A Neapolitan pizza maker.

The Traditional Pizza Making of Naples Now Has Heritage Status

Good news for Neapolitans, however you slice it.

by Natasha Frost

December 7, 2017

Poor Neapolitans rush to pillage this Cuccagna, built for the birth of Prince Phillip.

The Forgotten Italian Tradition of Building Monumental Food Palaces

Then destroying them in a literal hunger games.

October 27, 2017

King Ferdinand I of Aragon had colorectal cancer.

Italian Renaissance Aristocrats Were Susceptible to Cancer, Too

Mummified evidence that cancer might not be a disease of the modern world.

by Vittoria Traverso

October 4, 2017

Eating Spaghetti by the Fistful Was Once a Neapolitan Street Spectacle

Tourists flocked to see the "macaroni eaters" cram noodles into their mouths.