Spiritual Naples – Secrets and treasures of faith

4 days / 3 nights

from 325€
per person

I have been watching over this city for centuries, this is where my body lies and some ampoules contain my blood; three times a year the faithful anxiously follow the moment when the liquid melts in a miracle and consider it a sign of my presence and my protection. I will be the one to lead you to get to know this city of a thousand colours and atmospheres, but profoundly believing, where noble and religious souls have lived who, together with me, have endured martyrdom, like my companions Procolo and Sossio, in nearby Puteoli and Miseno.
Naples is spirituality and superstition, two inseparable elements if you consider the traditions that this people has been practising for centuries: at the fontanelle and in the church of the Purgatory you will see those skulls adopted by the Neapolitans who look after them like family members and from whom they ask favours.
You will not only see where he is thought to have been buried and where he now rests, but I will show you the most beautiful churches, from Gesù Nuovo to Santa Chiara, and in the art of the crib you will understand how sacred and profane are not easily distinguished here.
Naples is this: tradition and superstition, faith and sacredness, superstition and culture. Discover the Spiritual Tour of Naples.

A spiritual tour of Naples to discover the saints and patrons who have always watched over the city.

Discover the day-by-day programme of the spiritual tour of Naples

Day 1
Arrival at the hotel, settling into the rooms and transfer by coach to the Sanità district, meeting with the guide.

We will start our tour in one of the most suggestive and particular sites of Naples. The Fontanelle Cemetery is famous for the ritual of the “pezzentelle souls”, that is the adoption and care by a Neapolitan of a certain skull of a deceased person to receive protection.

Transfer by coach to Piazza del Plebiscito, for a walk along Via Toledo and passing by the most famous places, such as the Maschio Angioino, the Galleria Umberto, the San Carlo theatre, the Royal Palace and the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, arriving at the sea to see Castel dell’Ovo, where the tomb of the siren Partenope was and where the city of Naples was founded.

Return to the hotel by coach, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2
After breakfast, transfer to the coach and meet the guide at the Cathedral of San Gennaro.

This day is dedicated to the relationship that the population has with its patron saint.

We then visit the imposing church, commissioned by Charles of Anjou, where the Saint’s relics are kept. Next we enter the Treasure Museum, which displays silver, gold and gems donated by kings, queens and nobles from all over the world. The Treasure belongs to the city of Naples and is estimated to be worth more than the crown of England.

After a few metres, we will visit the Church of San Giovanni a Carbonara, rich in works of art.

Lunch in the city.

After lunch, transfer by coach to the Catacombs of San Gennaro.

This is the site of the Saint’s second burial. The original nucleus of the Catacombs dates back to the 2nd century AD. It was probably the tomb of a noble family who later donated the space to the Christian community. We will end the day with a visit to the Basilica of the Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio, located next to the Catacombs, which is considered to be the little St. Peter’s for its similarity.

Return to the hotel by coach, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3
After breakfast, transfer by coach to the city centre and meet the guide. Today we will make an in-depth visit to Italy’s third largest city by number of churches after Rome and Palermo. We start our walk through the historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, by entering the Church of Gesù Nuovo, which houses the tombs of San Ciro and San Giuseppe Moscati. We continue to the Complesso di Santa Chiara with its magnificent majolica cloister and the Basilica di San Domenico Maggiore. The last church of the morning will be Santa Maria delle anime del Purgatorio. This particular church was commissioned by Neapolitan families to house the bodies of poor people; below it stands a second church with skulls and exposed burial spaces.

Lunch in town.

Walking through San Gregorio Armeno, the “street of nativity scenes”, we will enter the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore, one of the most beautiful churches in Naples, the site of great celebrations such as that of Pope Sixtus V. Petrarch and Boccaccio stayed in the convent.

Through the “decumani” we will then reach the famous Sansevero Chapel, a church by day and a Masonic temple by night, it is the most visited museum in Naples. Inside we can admire the Veiled Christ, famous throughout the world for the precision with which the veil was sculpted.

Free time in the historic centre.

Return to the hotel by coach, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4
After breakfast, transfer by coach to the Rione Terra and meet the guide. We will visit the first nucleus of the Roman city of Puteoli. After a nice walk, we will enter the Cathedral of Pozzuoli, the Cathedral dedicated to St. Prokulus, companion of St. Gennaro and patron saint of Pozzuoli, only in the mid-60s it was discovered that the Church had been built and modified by incorporating the Temple dedicated to Octavian Augustus, remained virtually intact after several millennia.

Return to the hotel by coach. END OF SERVICES