The Cimitero Delle Fontanelle

How to get to The Cimitero Delle Fontanelle

The History of the Cimitero Delle Fontanelle 

After the Spanish occupation of the city, and the move of cemeteries to outside city walls, the churches became full and older graves were relocated to the Cimitero Delle Fontanelle. In 1656, a plague hit Naples, which brought a population of 400,000 down to 150,000 people. Without a place to inter the huge number of people who had died from the plague, the bodies were discarded in the tufa cave, where they remained anonymous and without any burial rites. Because the bodies had not received the proper treatment of the dead, it was believed according to Catholic rites, that the souls remained in purgatory. The cemetery was unkept until 1872, when Father Gaetano Barbati had the locals organise and catalogue the remains, which inspired a Cult of the Dead in Naples. Locals would care for the bones, visiting them with tokens of flowers, cleaning the bones and even naming them. They believed that they were paying them the respects that they had not been given, since they were too poor.

The Cult of the Dead remained until the mid 20th Century. Cardinal Ursi of Naples declared in 1969 that the cemetery of Fontanelle was to be closed, to prohibit the cult of the devotion to the skulls. The cult had reached its height, with many claiming skulls as lucky charms or fortune tellers. Today, you may still see local women caring for the souls, cleaning the skulls and laying flowers by the bones. 

Visiting the Cimitero Delle Fontanelle Today

Entrance to the Cimitero Delle Fontanelle is free - you do not need to book or purchase tickets to enter. 

There is no signage or stories around the Fontanelle Cemetery, so be sure to understand the history before you go, or book onto a guided tour. The official website offer guided tours of the Cimitero Delle Fontanelle as well as the San Gennaro Catacombs and more!

Other Places to Visit in Campania

Other Places to Visit in Italy

When I was younger, learning about the Romans, Pompeii always popped up. The archaeological postcard - a snapshot of a moment in time - has followed me throughout my studies, and I finally got the opportunity to visit it for myself in 2015. And because that wasn't enough, I went back again in 2016. And again in 2019. Working so close to the Bay of Naples on an archaeological field school left me in the lucky position to visit these ruins for myself time and time again, and this year when I took my family to visit Naples, it was top of everyone's list. Thinking of visiting Pompeii for yourself? Then you'll be looking for some tips and guides to help navigate the ruins for yourself.

Today, I'm bringing you some tips for your visit, to help you prepare and pack accordingly. Next time, I'll be bringing you a bit more of an in depth guide to Pompeii, chatting more about its fascinating history and some must-see sites in Pompeii. However, if you already know that you'll be visiting Pompeii and don't need me to convince you, then you'll be trying to prepare for what to expect.

Tips for Visiting Pompeii

1. Visit off peak 

Obviously this tip will be dependant on if you've booked your holiday or not, but if you're flexible, why not consider visiting out with the peak summer season. Queues can be long, and the ruins will be crowded during the height of summer, not to mention the heat. The best time to visit Pompeii is at a quieter time of the year - say February - will give you a more relaxed, quieter visit, and helps to avoid heat exhaustion!

2. Arrive Early

The best time to visit the site is as early - as is always the suggestion for visiting popular tourist sites. Not only will you avoid large queues for tickets, but the site will be less crowded, giving you a bit more freedom to explore at your own pace. Earlier in the day also means that the sun isn't quite as strong, and you can miss out on the intense mid afternoon heat.

3. Pompeii is big - arrive with a plan

If you've decided to visit Pompeii without a guided tour, then you're going to want to prepare a plan. Make sure you pick up a map as you go into the ruins (or bring one with you) and get to know the layout of the city before you dive in. While a lot of the well known sites are located centrally - like the forum, the forum baths, the brothel - there are some must-see spots that are located further out. For example, the Amphitheatre is located at the far end of Pompeii, and not many people make the walk to visit it - but its impressive remains should not be missed. At the complete opposite end of Pompeii is the Villa Dei Misteri, which has exquisitely preserved and vibrant frescos. If you know you want to visit both these sites, make your self a route so that you're not walking back and retracing steps. You'll be thankful when you're hot and tired!

4. Don't just stick to the main area

A lot of tourists will stay in the main forum area of Pompeii, exploring the inner city and well known temples. Once you start exploring some of the areas away from this main part, the streets become less crowded and you can stumble upon some true gems. As I've already said, Pompeii is much bigger than you expect it to be, and many folk will just stick to the forum area. Wander down some quiet streets and get a feel for the city without hundreds of tourists battling to see things too.

5. Find a reputable guide

If you decide that you don't want to explore the ruins on your own, or rely on the free map at the entrance, then make sure you get a guide who knows what they are doing. It can be overwhelming when you first hop off the Circumvesuviana, and there's loads of guides trying to entice you in with their offers. The guides that wait at the station are cheaper, but take you in larger groups - making it harder to hear the tour & to get close to the remains without a fight. Inside are the official guides, a little more expensive, but worth it as you can ask more questions, you're in smaller groups, and they really know what they are talking about.

6. Bring a water bottle 

Be prepared to get hot and sweaty. Pompeii is a hot place (see point below), and you'll be wanting to keep yourself hydrated. There is a cafe in the archaeological site itself, but if you want to avoid buying from there, bring a reusable water bottle with you. Some of the street taps within the ruins are still functioning, meaning you can refill your bottle as you go along - there's even some that spill from the mouth of a lion.

7. Be prepared for the heat

Pompeii is hot. You'll be walking around with the sun beating down on you, and there's very little opportunity for shade breaks. Not only does it feel like you're baking in the sun, it can also feel quite stuffy. You'll find yourself walking a lot more than you expecting, and its not all flat ground either. As well as your water bottle, be sure to have packed sun cream, a hat and sunglasses - as the sun can really reflect off of the buildings.

8. Give yourself time

Pompeii is big, and if you're committed to exploring it fully then you need to schedule time for it. You won't be able to hit off all the main spots in just a couple of hours. Don't do what I did, and hike up Vesuvius before visiting the ruins. Ideally you'll give yourself a good few hours to fully be able to explore - if you're a real geek like me, then plan for a whole day.

9. Wear sensible shoes

As I've said, there's a lot of walking involved in a visit to Pompeii, so make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. You're walking along the ancient roads, which isn't always smooth and flat. Make sure you've prepared with shoes that support you throughout the day. While you can wear sandals, you should be prepared to get dusty. There are taps at the exit for you to clean your feet under, but you will find yourself with very mucky feet and ankles while walking around.

10. Avoid the first Sunday of the month (or don't, depending your budget)

In Italy, the first Sunday of the month is free to visit museums and archaeological sites. It's great for those who are on a tighter budget, and an opportunity to keep costs lower (or squeeze in an extra visit to another site since you're saving money!). The downside of saving a little cash? The sites can be very overcrowded and queues can be long. Pompeii caps visitor numbers at 15,000 on this Sunday, but this is still a lot of people to contend with. My advice for those visiting Italy on the first Sunday of a month is to take advantage of this deal at a smaller, less popular site or museum, where the crowds may not be as large.



Pompeii is an incredible place to visit, and truly something that shouldn't be missed if you're visiting Southern Italy. I hope these 10 top tips for visiting Pompeii helps you to prepare for your visit! Look out for my guide to Pompeii & my guide to Herculaneum coming soon on the blog!

I know I can't be the only person who's missing visiting museums and heritage sites at the weekends. I always feel relaxed and happy when I'm wandering through a gallery, having a nosey at artefacts, or discovering local history. With the UK in lockdown, museums and historic sites & properties have had to shut their doors. Not one to miss a trick, many of the museums and cultural institutions have put their collections, archives and sites on show for us digitally, so you can experience the heritage for yourself at home. If you're anything like me, you'll already be planning your next archaeological site to visit.

Not only have I found myself re-visiting local sites, I've virtually travelled to sites that have been on my bucket list for years, and even added new places to my ever-growing list. I've boasted about it to many people, but archaeology twitter is one of my favourite places to get lost in. Many leading academics have started threads filled with resources for the young, the old and everyone in between so that even though we've restricted to our houses, we needn't miss out on any history, heritage or archaeology.

I thought I'd compile some of my favourite resources here, so that you too can experience heritage at home. When I started writing this post I thought I'd easily have enough to fill a post.. but turns out that spending my spare time researching archaeology has resulted in a very long list indeed. So instead, I've decided to split the two-parter post, instead into a two-parter blog post series, which even has the potential to grow as I find more places and resources. So first up, a post filled with Archaeological sites across the world that you can explore from your bed, your sofa, your garden - wherever you've been finding peace during this crazy time. Next up will be a post filled with museums that have online collections & tours for your entertainment. There's even potential for a third with the resources for kids that I've been finding along the way. Please remember to check out my Archaeology Website, specifically for kids, which has many links in the 'resources' tab - have a look at www.archaeologic.org!

Archaeological Sites To Virtually Visit

Lascaux is a series of caves in France (the Dordogne region), which have been intricately decorated with cave paintings. The paintings date to the Upper Palaeolithic and are believed to be the work out many generations. There are over 600 paintings, which mostly represent animals, with bulls, deer, ibex, aurochs and more. There are many interpretations of what the drawings and their location represent, some believe they represent hunting scenes / successes, myths, or ritual practices. The Lascaux caves are not open to visitors, in order to preserve the paintings, however reconstructions have been made which are open to the public for tours. At the moment, we can explore the caves through their facebook page which have 360° images of the caves.

Find them through this link: Lascaux Facebook Page



If you've always fancied visiting Egypt's spectacular sites, then you can send your thanks to Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which has released digital tours of the Tomb of Meresankh III, the Tomb of Menna, the Ben Ezra Synagogue, the Red Monastery and the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Barquq. Once you've started your tour you can click through the tours, which show 3D images of areas of interest.
The Tomb of Meresankh III.- Meresankh III was the daughter of Hetepheres II and Prince Kawab. Her tomb , at Giza, is lavishly decorated and she is buried in a black granite sarcophagus.
The Tomb of Menna - Menna was an Egyptian official, his tomb is located in the necropolis of Sheikh And al-Qurna, Thebes. The Tomb is decorated with information about his life and roles as an official, and his transition to the afterlife.
Ben Ezra Synagogue - In the 19th Century, it was discovered that the storeroom of the Ben Ezra Synagogue contained Hebrew, Aramaic and Judeo-Arabic secular and sacred manuscripts. The Synagogue is believed to be located at the place where the baby Moses was found.
Red Monastery - The Red Monastery is a Coptic Orthodox monastery, and one of the three monastic communities in Senoule's late ancient monastic federation.
The Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Barquq - this is a religious complex, built by the Sultan Barquq between 1384 and 1386. It is located in one of Cairo's most prestigious locations - Bayn al-Qusrayn.
These five new locations add to an already incredible virtual tour of Egypt, all available on the Egypt's Monuments websites - simply click through the archaeological sites and museums to explore more!

Egypt's Minstry of Tourism and Antiquities


The site of Lair, Glenshee, in the Scottish Highlands, has been excavated by Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust for the past five years. The project has released a 3D reconstruction of the village at Lair, including long houses and farms. Three longhouses which were settled between the 6th- 9th century have been digitally recreated, for the the public to get a glimpse into life for a high status Pictish site.

Virtually fly through Lair (via Scotsman)


Petra is an incredible archaeological site in Jordan, which was the capital of the Nabataeans. The Nabataeans became very wealthy, due to trading, and invested their wealth into the city. Petra is well known for its rock cut architecture - you'll have most likely seen photos of the Treasury (Al Khazneh) - one of the 7 New Wonders of the World. The stone which the architecture is cut from is red in colour, which has given the city the nickname of the Rose City.

Take a tour through the city with Google Maps (make sure to have your audio on!) - Petra The Rose City


Fancied exploring underwater archaeology, without getting wet? Historic England have created virtual Dive Trails of their wreck sites, including warships, merchant sailing ships, cargo ships and submarines. Some of the tours include archival evidence, such as geophysical surveys and photographs, as well as tours that include the whole process from discovery to post-excavation.

Find all the sites on their website - Historic England Virtual Dive Trails

It's never been easier to visit archaeological sites from the comfort of your own home, and I love adding new discoveries to my list of places to go, once lockdown has been lifted.

What places are you most excited to visit when lockdown is lifted?

Be sure to look out for more posts in this Heritage at Home series - I love sharing these resources so that everyone can benefit from the archaeology & its not forgotten about! While I'm not re-living memories of strolling down the streets of Naples, wishing I was sipping cocktails by the pool after spending the day exploring the Old Town of Rhodes, or eagerly awaiting the opening up of Edinburgh's Royal Mile again, I'm making lists of all the places I want to visit - so be sure to look out for a post with all my wanderlust dreams!

Love,
Emily

If you know me, or you've followed this blog for long enough, then you'll know that Naples has a very special place in my heart. It all started 5 summers ago when a wee naive Emily travelled across to Italy on her own to take part in an archaeological dig on the slopes of Vesuvius. Its something I've said time and time again, but that experience had a huge impact on me, and I've been back every year since to see old friends, make new ones and dig some really cool archaeology.

Its always been a dream of mine to show this special place to my family and play tour guide around some of my favourite sites. So this year, with the thought that life may suddenly get in the way of my summer adventures, and with the prospect of my older sister leaving for Dubai at the end of August, we planned a family trip to my favourite spot.

SO, after a summer digging away at the beautiful Roman city of Aeclanum again (catch up on my summer fun here), my family flew out to meet me at the end of a very exciting and very tiring dig season, to experience Italy for themselves. Faced with just 6 days, and a whole Bay to explore - requests of Vesuvius, Pompeii and beaches - this trip was always going to be full on.

Top Things To Do In The Bay of Naples

As someone who likes to consider themselves an Italian at heart, I took it upon myself to act as a tour guide, navigating the streets of Naples and sharing some of my knowledge about the historic sites I've studied and visited again and again.


Wanting to keep things cheap, cheerful and most importantly fairly central, we stumbling across a gorgeous wee air b'n'b which had enough space to house the six of us. During our (read my) search, our main priority was a balcony, terrace or outdoor area where we could chill in the evenings, a glass of vino in hand, basking in the sounds of the city.

We found this spot right beside the Metro stop for Montesanto, which is a couple of stops on Linea 2 from Garibaldi station, or a 20 minute walk from Via Toledo, down some cute backstreets. The gem of this apartment was a roof terrace, with the most stunning view of Vesuvius. I suppose for views like this, you can't really complain about a hike up 113 steps to your front door.



The apartment was fairly basic.  I mean, there was only a hot plate instead of a cooker, but when alfresco dining is so cheap and easy, its not as big a deal as you'd imagine. But it was great for a central location, and as a base for all our adventures.

Must See Sites In The Bay of Naples

Saturday morning, I rolled off the bus that dropped us at Garibaldi, with teary goodbyes to friends who I grew close to over the dig season. My parents met me at the station, where we dodged the crowds and found our way to the apartment. We decided to take the day fairly slow, and let my family get a feel for the historic streets of the city.



The Spanish Quarter

With its incredible winding uphill streets, balconies with washing hanging out, and €1 aperol spritz, The Spanish Quarter is not to be missed, either in day or at night.

The Historic Quarter

My favourite part of the city, and where a lot of the tourist sites you'll want to hit up are located. The Historic Quarter is filled with streets of authentic Italian craft, oozing with history and heritage.






We decided to explore a Neapolitan market - something which I'd never done before, and took us out of the centre of the city, to streets which were a little more worn in. Markets are a firm favourite past time of Johnston family holidays, where my dad loves to haggle prices down, and we can find some cheap knock-offs to fill the wardrobe. Many of the stalls at the market were filled with shoes - and had a pair of high tops not already been top of my Christmas list, I'd have been all over those stalls. We split up to explore the rows and rows of stalls selling everything from kitchen utensils to dresses to leather goods.

In the afternoon, we ticked something which has been on my bucket list for years  - The Cimitero Delle Fontanelle. This is an ossuary built into the tufa hillside, filled with bones of plague victims and the poor. Its an eerie but beautiful place to visit, and captivated all our imaginations. Find more about the Cimitero Delle Fontanelle and how to get there. 




Time for a bit of history, and first stop was Herculaneum. I have such a soft spot for Herculaneum, Pompeii's smaller neighbour. Look out for my guide to Herculanum and Pompeii where I'll go into a little more about their history (coming soon). Covered in the AD72 eruption Herculaneum has an incredible level of preservation with wood and two storey buildings conserved within the town. We spent a good few hours, navigating the ancient streets of the city and imagining life before the eruption.





We had planned to have a jaunt up Vesuvius after our morning at Herculaneum - as one of the bus stops is right at Ercolano Circumvesuviana station - but a late lunch in one of the cafes on the road to Herculaneum, and a drink in another, meant that we unfortunately missed the last bus for the day. So we hopped back on the circumvesuviana into Naples city. While most of the family headed straight back to the apartment, my brother and I decided to walk through some of Naples back streets, have a drink in one of the bars and slowly make our way back home.




A beach day was beckoning us, after working up a sweat exploring for the past few days. So we hoped on the metro out to Torregaveta, which is a bit out of the bay of Naples itself. The train ride was a bit longer, but we passed some beautiful beaches which just got us more excited for our day. The beach we settled on was small, and pretty quiet, and we easily found a spot to lay our towels and settle for the day. We weren't allowed to swim too far out / past flags, but it was good to have a wee bob around - although the water wasn't the cleanest water I've swam in. There was also a long pier which we all had walks across to look at the views, and during the day a wedding party came to have their photos here!







Back to exploring some of my favourite sites, and today we took the Circumvesuviana to Vesuvius and Pompeii. Again, we jumped off at Ercolano Scavi, where we joined a bus trip up Vesuvius. The bus takes you right up to the car park, so you don't have to do the hard work yourself, and you're given 90 minutes to walk up the crater itself, have a nosey, then head back down. It's more than enough time to walk up, with plenty of stops to take in the view, rest and drink lots of water. There are incredible views, when you're right at the top, staring down into the crater, or looking out over the bay of Naples.




We then stopped by another cafe for a spot of lunch, before heading back along the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii. I've written before about how much I love Pompeii, it's absolutely stunning - this year was my third visit to the site and I loved watching my family's faces, especially as we walked into the forum and they saw Vesuvius in the background. Wandering around the old streets of the city will never fail to amaze me - I love being able to study the architecture, art and remains of everyday life. I'll always love visiting the Amphitheatre, the brothels and the Villa of Mysteries. Here's 10 tips for visiting Pompeii that you should keep in mind! 





While I will never tire of exploring the bay of Naples, and spending time at Pompeii - I would recommend separating the activities of Vesuvius and Pompeii for two separate days. You can easily spend a whole day exploring Pompeii, and after exerting so much energy getting to the top of Vesuvius, wandering around Pompeii, with very little shade and the sun beating down, does tire you out fast.




For our final full day of our holidays, we decided to relax. This time we went on a hunt for another beach which had been recommended by friends beside Pausilypon (which The Apolline Project have just had their first year of excavations at!). We were trying to locate isola di gaiola, which looks to be a stunning spot, where you can swim to islands, but got a little lost on the way. Instead we rested on a spot which turned out to be just round the corner from the islands, but was absolutely stunning. The area is protected, so there were fish swimming round you in the clear water. And right in front of you as you swim is the ever present Vesuvius. It was a beautiful and relaxing way to spend our last day in Naples.




The next day we spent packing up, tidying up the apartment, and heading off to the airport for our morning flights. This holiday was so special - the Bay of Naples is one of my all time favourite places  and it would be an absolute dream to live there - so to be able to show my family around the places that mean so much to me, was something that I'll never forget. I hope I've shown them what a beautiful and interesting place Naples is.

While there, we of course sampled lots of tasty Italian dishes, and I'll start working on a blog post summing up our food journey for the week too. WOW I've promised a lot of extra posts today- so, again, keep your eyes open for posts on Herculaneum & Pompeii, Getting around Naples, a Food Diary and the Cimitero Delle Fontanelle. As well as this, I've already got some posts in the works about some of the places I visited with my dig friends this year, including an incredible festival in Molise and the ancient town of Saepinum.


Let me know if you've visited Naples before, or if you have plans to visit yourself!

Discover the Roman Coast withVisit Ostia Antica 

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A Brief History of Ostia Antica

The Isola Sacra

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The Harbours

Piazzale Delle Corporazioni 

Religious Sites

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How to visit Ostia Antica

It doesn't seem all that long ago that I was sitting down to write my post all about completing my undergraduate degree from Edinburgh and even chatting about my graduation. In fact, I still vividly remember reflecting while writing a post all about completing 2nd year at uni, and looking forward to my honours years. And now, I've been out of education for half a year (okay, maybe 7 months now).

My year at Durham for my Masters Degree flew past in the blink of an eye, but didn't forget to bring about with it much stress, many tears and one or two library fines. With all that studying, as well as a healthy dose of fun thanks to some great pals, I neglected this blog and never got round to sharing a post reflecting on that year.

Well, now that this blog seems to be back in full swing (touch wood), I thought it was about time to write a more reflective piece, rather than just sharing all my fun exploring the city of Edinburgh.



When the final deadline of my Masters crept closer, I knew it was time to take a break from education. I'm not saying its not something I won't go back to - in fact, I really miss some aspects of student life (not only the student discount and council tax exemption). But, I knew it was time to give myself some time out and experience the world outside of academia. I packed my bags and moved back up to my favourite place - Edinburgh - where I naively thought the city was waiting for a gal like me, and I would have absolutely no problem landing my dream job in mere minutes of stepping foot in the city.

I've been quick to realise job hunting isn't quite that simple, and job postings are SO much more competitive than I could have ever realised. Seven months on, and I'm still facing lots of rejection emails - or the worst - literally no reply. It's the not-so-glamourous life of post-education, that you're never quite ready for, despite the constant reminders from your parents. Little did I realise that I would be exchanging a life of essay deadlines and awaiting results with a life of job deadlines and rejection emails.



Constantly seeing tweets saying us 'millennials' are expecting too much, or haven't worked hard enough if we're not in our dream job yet, is not only frustrating, its also very demoralising. My CV is full of experiences within different organisations and roles, and yet it appears to never be enough. I'm either over-qualified for jobs, or under-qualified. Where's the in-between? Where's the opportunity for someone who worked their butt off during university for good grades and lots of voluntary experience, but hasn't managed to achieve that desired 2-3 years industry experience?

I won't sugar coat it - I've shed more than my fair share of tears over the last few months. Trying to figure out what the 'best career move' is, when it seems impossible to even step onto the career ladder is more than a little daunting.



At the moment I'm working at a job where my managers looked at the people they were hiring rather than just their CVs, and gave me a chance to gain some customer-based experience. It's not the exactly where I thought I'd be this time last year, and I had hoped a Masters would have helped me get my foot into a few more doors by this point, but nonetheless it's helping me decide what it is that I really want to do.

I've mentioned it before, that Public Archaeology is my thing. I want to find ways to engage people with the past, in innovative and fun ways. And I've fast discovered that I'm not ready to say goodbye to the world of blogging - or else Under The Scottish Rain wouldn't have undergone its wee revamp. Working with visitors in my current role has also shown me that people will always be an important aspect of my future career - I love engaging with them, getting to know their interests, and really making them / their visit feel special.



Just the other day, I had a listen to 'A Medieval Podcast', with Christine Morgan as the guest, where they spoke about alternate ways to being a historian. Christine has a fantastic Youtube channel, which I'm only just getting my nose stuck into - Untitled History Project. Christine saw an opportunity to engage with history in a new way outside of academia, which is something that really appeals to me. It was actually my dad who recommended I listen to this podcast, as it sounds exactly like what I've been wanting (but too nervous) to do.

SO,  I spoke about sharing more history on this blog - I've been focussing it more travel related to appeal to a wider audience, and don't worry I'm still planning on doing that. But I've also decided to start up some Twitter threads, sharing interesting sites both in Edinburgh and beyond. And share a lot more insights into archaeology here.

As I navigate my way through graduate life, and find my spot in the archaeology - engagement world, I'm looking to YOU. Got any burning questions you'd like answered, nervous about your first dig or wanting to know what to expect? Maybe you've never had an interest in archaeology but want to know more. If you've any questions at all, then leave a comment below, or get in touch on social media and I'll be sure to answer any of your questions in a post.

It will come as no surprise to most of you, that I love a good museum. Oh yes, my wee archaeology heart flips when I see a sign for a new museum to explore. I recently shared about my visit to The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London, and my instagram is filled with visits to the National Museum of Scotland, so today I have a guide to the best free museums in Edinburgh.