In a former quarry in Naples, thousands of anonymous skulls and bones sit in the cool half-light of a vast chamber carved from volcanic rock.
Cimitero delle Fontanelle can look unsettling at first glance, particularly around Halloween, but its real story is one of care rather than fear.
For generations, Neapolitans tended the dead who had no names, families or marked graves. Some women adopted a skull, cleaned it and prayed for its soul in exchange for protection, comfort or a favour. This was the tradition of the anime pezzentelle, the “poor souls” whose fate became entwined with the lives of the living.
Cimitero delle Fontanelle, Naples’ extraordinary ossuary
Cimitero delle Fontanelle began as a quarry for tufo, the soft volcanic stone found across Naples. As burial space in churches ran short, disused quarries became a sombre solution for remains brought from overcrowded churches, hospitals and burial grounds.
There are no grand family tombs or neat lines of headstones here. The cave-like space instead preserves a collective memory of people who died during epidemics and hardship, or whose families could not afford a conventional burial.
Plague, cholera and the people buried outside consecrated ground
The cemetery played a major role during the plague of 1656, when Naples’ usual burial spaces could no longer cope. More remains arrived after later crises, including the cholera epidemic of 1836–37.
Burial outside a parish church and away from consecrated ground carried particular weight in a deeply Catholic city. Local belief held that souls without proper rites could remain in Purgatory, unable to complete their journey to heaven. Fontanelle became a place shaped by that fear, but also by solidarity.
Naples’ tradition of adopting souls
After years of neglect, priest Don Gaetano Barbati reorganised the ossuary in 1872 with women from the surrounding neighbourhood. The remains were arranged into three symbolic aisles:
- the Aisle of the Priests;
- the Aisle of the Plague Victims;
- the Aisle of the Pezzentelli, for those too poor for a more formal burial.
The anime pezzentelle tradition grew from this work. These “poor souls” were anonymous dead people without relatives to pray for them or advocate for them after death.
A worshipper might choose a skull, or capuzzella in Neapolitan, then clean it and say prayers. It could rest on an embroidered handkerchief, with flowers, candles or a rosary nearby. In return, the person caring for it might ask for help during illness, relief in hard times or family protection.
The relationship was thought to be reciprocal, often confirmed through a dream. In this way, anonymous remains could become someone’s responsibility, even part of their family.
How a skull became part of a family
A skull was first selected and cleaned while prayers were said for the soul. It was then marked as adopted, usually with a cloth and small devotional objects.
If a requested grace was believed to have been granted, the capuzzella could be placed in a more permanent wooden or marble case. If no connection came, tradition held that the skull might be turned towards the wall and another soul chosen.
Visiting Cimitero delle Fontanelle
Fontanelle is a place of remembrance, not a Halloween set piece. The atmosphere is striking, but the remains belong to real people whose identities have largely been lost. Visiting is open Monday to Sunday, except Wednesday, and is free to visit. There is also the option of an audio guide or guided tour.
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Source: https://www.idealista.it/