Il quartiere Sanità

You probably know this place as a prime location for numerous films including Mario Martone's Nostalgia.

Sanità is a district built in the 16th century, used as the city's burial place already in the Greco-Roman era. Here, in fact, it is possible to visit the Catacombs of San Gaudioso, San Gennaro and, above all, the Fontanelle Cemetery, a massive man made cave carved into the tuff that was formerly used to house plague victims; today it’s a unique place where thousands of skeletons and bones are displayed in an orderly manner, with some of the skulls being adopted by Neapolitan families who call them “anime pezzentelle” (beggar souls): a pagan, popular rite that involves the adoption of a "capuzzella" (small skull) and its rearrangement in exchange for protection.

This is one of the many legends that make the rione steeped in magic and folk tradition. Sanità is a place of resistance, where in addition to stupendous period buildings, including the Palazzo dello Spagnuolo, it is possible to discover the soul of its residents. Totò's voice echoes through the streets, as do the melodies of Sanitansamble, the neighborhood's youth orchestra.

Here, too, gastronomic excellences such as Poppella Patisserie's “Snowflakes” and Concettina Ai Tre Santi's well-known pizza, to name a few, will enliven the visit by satisfying both taste and smell.

Sanità is only a 30-minute walk from Attico 33. But if you are fatigued, walk to the “Università” station of the Metro Line 1 (next to our building) and get off at "Museum" station (14-minute walk to Sanità).