Temples & religious sites
Santa Maria della Sanità, Naples
The Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità is a basilica church located over the Catacombs of San Gaudioso, on a Piazza near where Via Sanità meets Via Teresa degli Scalzi, in the Rione of the Sanità, in Naples, Italy. The church is also called San Vincenzo or San Vincenzo della Sanità, due to the cult of an icon of San Vincenzo Ferrer, also called locally O' Monacone.
What it is
Santa Maria della Sanità is a Dominican basilica built directly over the Catacombs of San Gaudioso, in the heart of the Rione Sanità. Locally it's often called San Vincenzo, after a venerated image of San Vincenzo Ferrer known as "'O Munacone." The main draw for visitors is descending into the catacombs beneath the church, an early Christian burial site with faded frescoes and funerary niches, reached on a guided tour that starts inside the basilica itself. Above ground, the church is also architecturally distinctive, with a staircase built around the entrance so the piazza connects directly to the crypt level below.
Getting there
The Sanità district sits just north of the historic centre, below Capodimonte hill. From Piazza Dante or the Duomo, it's a walk of about 20-25 minutes downhill through the Sanità neighbourhood, or a short ride on public transport to the Sanità area. It's also an easy uphill walk of 10-15 minutes from the Naples National Archaeological Museum.
Time to allow
Plan on roughly 45 minutes to an hour, most of it for the catacomb visit, which typically runs as a guided group tour rather than a self-guided wander. Add extra time if you want to look around the church interior and piazza afterward.
When to go
Catacomb tours run at set times in small groups, so mornings tend to have more availability than afternoons. The site is not heavily touristed compared to central Naples landmarks, but tour slots can still fill up, so it's worth arriving with some buffer time rather than right at a tour's start.
What to combine it with
- The Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte (0.6km) and Museo di Capodimonte (0.8km) sit uphill in the same green area, making a natural extension of the visit.
- The Naples National Archaeological Museum (0.7km) is an easy add-on given the short walk downhill toward the centre.
- The Secret Museum (0.7km) is housed within the Archaeological Museum, so the two can be visited together.
Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
