Catacombs of San Gennaro

The Catacombs of San Gennaro are underground paleo-Christian burial and worship sites in Naples, Italy, carved out of tuff, a porous stone [1]. They are situated in the northern part of the city, on the slope leading up to Capodimonte, consisting of two levels, San Gennaro Superiore, and San Gennaro Inferiore [1]. Originally, there were three separate cemeteries, dedicated, respectively, to Saint Gaudiosus (San Gaudioso), Saint Severus (San Severo) and St. Januarius (San Gennaro) [1]. These catacombs in Naples are different from their Roman counterparts in that they have more spacious passageways along two levels [1]. The lower level is the oldest, going back to the 3rd-4th century and may actually be the site of an earlier pre-Christian cemetery later ceded to the new sect [1]. Approximately 200 oil lamps dating from late antiquity to the Middle Ages have been found in the catacombs [1]. The oldest oil lamps found date back to the second half of the third century and were made in Naples [1].