The Holy Mile, in the footsteps of San Gennaro in Naples

The Catacombs of San Gennaro are a system of underground galleries divided into two levels with around 2,000 tombs. They were carved and used as a burial site from the 2nd to the 5th century. The Catacombs are named after San Gennaro, patron saint of the city since 472 AD, whose remains were originally buried here. Over the centuries, important saints and bishops of Naples were buried here like Sant'Agrippino, the first patron of Naples. This underground cemetery also preserves some of the oldest paleo-Christian paintings in Southern Italy.

The Basilica of San Gennaro extra Moenia Basilica is the oldest temple in Naples dedicated to its patron saint. It was built between the 5th and 6th centuries AD. At the time of its construction, the Basilica was located, as its name suggests, outside the city wall that surrounded Naples and served as an access to the catacombs where San Gennaro was buried. The building underwent continuous transformations from the 9th century onwards, in accordance with the new artistic styles of each century, although it retained its Paleo Christian plan with three naves and a semicircular apse. The latest restoration finished in 2008, the same year that it was reopened

The Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità is a must-see in the Rione Sanitá District for various reasons. Built-in the 17th century, it is considered one of the main exponents of Neapolitan Baroque. The church is a museum of Baroque paintings and sculptures by renowned artists like Andrea Vaccaro, Luca Giordano and Dionisio Lazzari. The church is also known among locals as Vincenzo 'O Munacone (St. Vincent the Big Monk), whose statue is said to have stopped a cholera epidemic in 1836. The crypt below the altar hides the access to the Catacombs of San Gaudioso, the second largest after the Catacombs of San Gennaro.

Just a five-minute walk from Santa Maria della Sanità is the Basilica of San Severo fuori le mura, dedicated to the 12th bishop of Naples. The basilica was built in the 16th century over the burial place of the saint, giving access to the Catacombs of San Severo. The basilica has a Latin cross plan with three richly decorated chapels on each side of the nave. It was restored in 2017 and reopened, breathing new life into the square where it is located.

The Basilica of San Severo houses the Cappella dei Bianchi (Chapel of the Whites), a notorious chapel which since 2019 has housed the sculpture ‘The Veiled Son’ by the Italian artist Jago. This sculpture is a contemporary version of the famous Veiled Christ, sculpted in 1753 by Giuseppe Sammartino and exhibited in the Cappella Sansevero of the Church of San Domenico Maggiore. In addition to Jago's sculpture, this chapel is noted for its remarkable collection of paintings by Neapolitan artists such as Andrea Vaccaro, Luca Giordano and Francesco Fracanzano.

Although it is not an official stop on the Sacred Mile, we could not finish this list without mentioning Naples Cathedral, where the relics of San Gennaro have been kept since the 15th century. The Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro was built in the first half of the 17th century to house his remains. The chapel is decorated with frescoes by Baroque painters Domenichino and Giovanni Lanfranco. The preserved blood of San Gennaro attracts thousands of visitors every year, who come to see the phenomenon of liquefaction. If the saint's blood does not liquefy, it is considered that something bad is coming.