Bourbon Tunnel

Come and see enchanting scenery unfold before your eyes in a secret place full of history and atmosphere. This emotional journey conducts visitors through the new section of the underground of Naples. The Bourbon Tunnel was built in 1853 by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, who, concerned about the outbreak of the rebellion, asked for an escape from the Royal Palace to the barrack in Via della Pace, now Via Morelli. The work was not completed and, during the Second World War, the tunnel was used by residents of the area as a military hospital, later becoming the Hall Judicial Deposit. The war left its mark even in the subsoil where we find handwritten messages of wishes and desolation of those who lived there. In the tunnels, you will also find statues dating back to the fascist period and a unique exhibition of many cars and motorcycles, abandoned for years and then freed from piles of rubbish, arranged and illuminated ad hoc along the route.

Accompanied by an expert and professional guide you will discover the majesty of the monumental area of Naples: Starting from the central Piazza Municipio you can admire the Neptune Fountain overlooking the majestic Castel Nuovo, better known among the Neapolitans as Maschio Angioino. You will continue towards Piazza Trieste e Trento and the adjacent Piazza del Plebiscito to enjoy the most important monuments of the city, from the San Carlo Theater to the Umberto I Gallery, from the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola to the Royal Palace, in an excursus of medieval, baroque art. and neoclassical. We will continue along Via Chiaia to discover the history of the Antica Pizzeria Brandi, where the famous pizza Margherita was born, and of the Gran Caffè Gambrinus. At the end of the walking tour you will begin your tour in the subsoil of Naples, you will discover the secrets that are hidden in the ancient Bourbon Gallery wanted by Ferdinand II of Bourbon in order to create a military path that would allow the troops to reach the Royal Palace in a short time time. The Bourbon Gallery is a long underground tunnel built in the mid-19th century by Ferdinand II of Bourbon and is considered the pride of underground Bourbon civil engineering. Rediscovered in 2005, the gallery offers the public a surprising itinerary in the subsoil and in the history of the Neapolitan city. Through the Standard route it will be possible to appreciate the war refuge, ancient cisterns of the Bolla Aqueduct, fragments of statues, vintage cars and motorcycles found during the safety measures.