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The Underground Museum of Naples, Italy is now officially open, and has attracted great national press and broadcast publicity. The initial opening period is now set for visits between 10 till 12 noon, and again from 4 until 6 PM. Located at #140, Piazza Cavour, just down from the National Museum, the Museo del Sottosuolo, or Museum of the Underground now allows visitors to not only learn about the “city beneath the city” but is also becoming a cultural center for a variety of fascinating exhibits and presentations. A small museum display area is located in the entrance salon at #140, Piazza Cavour, featuring the collection from 50 years of exploration beneath the city of Naples by Engineer Clemente Esposito. He is creator of the museum and also president of the Southern Speleological Society of Italy. The collection contains contains articles dating back to the early quarrying days in the yello tuffo sandstone from 30 to 60 meters beneath the city. Ancient oil lamps and tools hark back more than 2,500 years to the Greek founding of Neapolis, or “New City” and were used in the construction of major aqueducts by greek slaves.

During the month of May, Naples celebrates “Monuments in May” all over the city, and The Underground Museum has a series of presentations scheduled all month. After each presentation, a guided your of the labyrinth below is conducted explaining the formation of the gigantic caverns through quarrying, as well as diversion of water from the aqueducts into large private reservoirs that served the palaces and villas above, and how the underworld was used for air raid shelters during the bombing of Naples in WWII.

For more news and fascinating information, visit Napoli Underground


Larry Ray