Crypta Neapolitana Archaeological Site

The Crypta Neapolitana is an ancient Roman road tunnel in Campania that linked the Neapolitan area with the Phlegraean plain and the port of Pozzuoli. It is a significant example of Roman engineering, cutting a direct route through a volcanic ridge near Naples.

The tunnel was commissioned in the late first century BC to improve communications and was part of the Roman road network serving the Bay of Naples. Sections of the original masonry and portals survive and have been documented by archaeologists.

Designed and realised in the Roman period to shorten coastal travel, the passage continued to be used in later centuries, with modifications and partial collapses affecting its condition. Excavated and studied in modern times, parts of the tunnel are visible to visitors in the Naples-Pozzuoli area.

Geographically the tunnel crosses the Posillipo/Phlegraean ridge between the city of Naples and Pozzuoli on the Bay of Naples, with entrances and archaeological remains located in the modern urban margins of the area.

• Roman engineering: Constructed in the late first century BC as a Roman road tunnel to link the Neapolitan area with the port of Pozzuoli, it remains one of the major Roman engineering tunnels in the region.

What to See#

• Tunnel: The tunnel itself, carved through tuff and volcanic rock, forms the main archaeological feature and runs between two ancient portals still visible in places.
• Portals and masonry remains: Lower stretches and portals where the Roman masonry survives are archaeological points of interest and can be viewed in the Naples-Pozzuoli area.

Drive: The Crypta Neapolitana (Grotta di Seiano / the Neapolitan crypt region) is on the Posillipo headland near Naples. From central Naples it is only a few kilometres (around 4-7 km) to Posillipo; drive along Via Posillipo or the seafront roads and follow signs for the Parco Archeologico del Pausilypon / Grotta di Seiano.

Public transport: Take Naples’ Line 2 metro to Mergellina and then a short local bus or a 15-25 minute walk uphill toward the Pausilypon/Posillipo archaeological area where the Crypta is located. Local buses also serve the Posillipo area from central Naples.