---
title: "History of Naples Underground — 2,400 Years Below the City — Naples Underground"
url: https://underground.naples.it/history
description: "Discover the history of Naples Underground: from the Greek tuff quarries of the 4th century BC to the Roman aqueduct, medieval cisterns and WWII air-raid shelters."
lang: en
---

Naples Underground: https://underground.naples.it/

#### Naples Underground: Standard Entry Ticket

8944 1h

From $18,88
https://underground.naples.it/experience/naples-underground-standard-ticket

#### Naples Underground: Skip-the-Line Ticket + Guided Tour

6142 1h 30m

From $23,58
https://underground.naples.it/experience/naples-underground-skip-the-line-guided-tour

#### Naples Underground + Sansevero Chapel: Combo Ticket

1850 2h+

From $34,21
https://underground.naples.it/experience/naples-underground-sansevero-chapel-combo

#### Catacombs of San Gennaro: Guided Tour

1668 50m

From $18,04
https://underground.naples.it/experience/catacombs-of-san-gennaro-guided-tour

#### Naples Underground: 90-Minute Guided Tour in English

1240 1h 30m

From $25,95
https://underground.naples.it/experience/naples-underground-guided-tour-english

#### Galleria Borbonica: Guided Tour

449 1h

From $20,81
https://underground.naples.it/experience/galleria-borbonica-standard-course-guided-tour

#### Naples City Card: Underground & Top Attractions

380 3 days

From $104,99
https://underground.naples.it/experience/naples-city-card-underground-top-attractions

#### Catacombs of San Gaudioso: Guided Tour

273 50m

From $18,04
https://underground.naples.it/experience/catacombs-of-san-gaudioso-guided-tour

#### Complex of San Lorenzo Maggiore & Archaeological Area: Entry + Audio Guide

179 6h

From $13,87
https://underground.naples.it/experience/san-lorenzo-maggiore-archaeological-area-ticket-audio-guide

#### Spanish Quarters Underground: Guided Tour

106 1h

From $20,81
https://underground.naples.it/experience/spanish-quarters-underground-guided-tour

#### Ipogeo dei Cristallini: Guided Tour

35 45m

From $24,97
https://underground.naples.it/experience/ipogeo-dei-cristallini-guided-tour

Experiences: https://underground.naples.it/experiences

Sights: https://underground.naples.it/what-to-see
Hours: https://underground.naples.it/opening-hours
Directions: https://underground.naples.it/how-to-get-there
FAQ: https://underground.naples.it/faq

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# History of Naples Underground

## 2,400 Years Beneath Naples

The history of Naples Underground begins in the 4th century BC, when Greek settlers from Cumae founded the city of Neapolis and started extracting yellow tuff blocks from the volcanic subsoil to build their temples and houses. The cavities they left behind became the first chambers of an immense underground network.

## Roman Era — The Aqueduct

Under Roman rule, the tunnels were expanded into one of the most sophisticated aqueduct systems of antiquity. Built by Augustus around 30 BC, the Aqua Augusta channeled water from the Serino springs across more than 100 km, supplying Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Roman fleet at Misenum.

## From Cisterns to Wells

For over a thousand years, until the cholera outbreak of 1884, Neapolitans drew their drinking water from cisterns dug directly into the bedrock beneath their houses. The pozzari — the well-keepers — moved through the tunnels maintaining the system and inspired countless local legends.

## WWII Air-Raid Shelters

During World War II the cavities were rapidly converted into air-raid shelters, protecting tens of thousands of citizens from Allied bombings. Walls still bear graffiti, drawings, dates and the personal belongings left behind by those who hid here.

## Today

Today Naples Underground is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Italy: a journey 40 meters beneath the historic center, through tunnels, cisterns, gardens and a Greco-Roman theater hidden beneath modern apartments.

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