Admission ticket to the Neapolis Sotterrata and the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore

About this activity

The Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore is one of the most interesting monumental basilicas in Naples. It is located in the city's Old Town, at the end of San Gregorio Armeno, where it begins St. Gaetano Square.

The Underground Neapolis: the non-claustrophobic route.

From No. 316 Square you can also access the La Neapolis Sotterrata route to visit the Roman market under the San Lorenzo Maggiore complex.

The Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore is a must-see for those who want to travel through time and is rightfully part of the underground itineraries of Naples.

Why visit the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore

Adjacent to the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore there is the convent that has hosted thousands of believers. Prominent among them are two names of artists who have in their own way marked the millennial history of Italian literature, viz. John Boccaccio and Francis Petrarch.

Boccaccio was in Naples in 1334 when, after seeing her at the Holy Saturday mass held in the church, he fell in love with his muse Fiammetta. She is thought to have been Maria d'Aquino, daughter of King Robert of Anjou.

Petrarch, on the other hand, was hosted in the church in the year 1343 and found himself witnessing a tremendous tidal wave that struck the city of Naples. He described this natural calamity in a letter to his friend Giovanni Colonna contained in the Familiarium rerum liber.

Various pieces of history that make up the great Neapolitan fresco could be witnessed in this church: in particular, St. Louis of Toulouse, son of Charles II of Anjou and renouncer of the throne in favor of his brother Robert of Anjou, was consecrated a priest in this basilica commissioned by Charles I of Anjou. Inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore, the future Pope Sixtus V, born Felice Peretti, was consecrated.

Access for schools and educational institutions

Schools can also book guided tours at times other than those listed (contact Movery by email or phone).

Arrangements can be made with trip leaders for school groups:

• day and time;
• Framing lectures at the site (which may be held prior to the visit);
• Agree on or inquire about educational workshops;
• requesting guide service.

History of the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore

The building of the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore was requested in 1235 by Pope Gregory IX, pontiff of the Catholic Church between 1227 and 1241. Gregory IX ratified the intention of wanting to have a church dedicated to St. Lawrence erected, and the site was chosen where an early Christian church dedicated to the saint already stood, enlarged according to the canons of the time.

The actual work began well after the departure of Pope Gregory IX, in 1270, thanks to Charles I of Anjou. In fact, the sovereign decided to subsidize with substantial donations the construction of the church, which eventually turned out to be a mixture of different styles, ranging between the French Gothic and the more austere Franciscan styles.

French architects were responsible for the apse, believed to be the only example of French Gothic in Italy. Passing through the apse, on the other hand, one can witness the Italian Gothic style, testifying to the change of designers and workers over the years during the construction of the temple. Temple that has been remodeled numerous times over the centuries, due to numerous earthquakes that struck the area.

We can see the Baroque style introduced from the 16th century, with the addition of columns decorated with stucco, various resizing of Gothic windows and arches, and the whitewashing of frescoes.

Restorations from 1882 through the 20th century restored the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore to its original splendor, except for the façade and counter-facade, the work of Ferdinando Sanfelice and the Chapel of St. Anthony and the Cacace Chapel, the work of Cosimo Fanzago.

The basilica currently has a Latin cross plan and numerous side chapels along the length of the nave. Numerous works of art are contained within including The Adoration of the Magi by Marco Dal Pino, the sepulchral monument of Ludovico Aldomorisco, advisor to King Ladislaus of Durazzo, and a 1438 panel painting by Leonardo da Besozzo depicting St. Anthony and angels.

The Buried Neapolis

Neapolis Sotterrata is one of the most interesting complexes in the historic center of Naples. It descends ten meters below the Monumental Complex of San Lorenzo Maggiore. Here it is possible to admire part of the macellum, 1st-century AD Roman market, a rectangular arcaded space with workshops and mosaic floors.

Descending to the lower levels, one can immerse oneself even further into the complex structure of the city by traversing the layout of an ancient street that, spreading over three wings, supported the market above and defined the lower portion of the Forum. The Hole had nine stores of trade and craft activities, each with two barrel-vaulted rooms open to the street, and at the end of the street was the cryptoporticus, the covered market.

The structure remained that way until the 13th, when the construction of the convent and basilica hid it in the bowels of the city, turning it into the Neapolis Buried We can visit today.