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In the mid-17th century, an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague quickly spread throughout the Kingdom of Naples, now part of the modern-day country of Italy. The rate of death exceeded the rate at which churches could prepare burial plots, however, which forced undertakers to take grisly action - namely, moving old remains to a cave to make room for the new dead.

Think that's creepy? You'll never guess what happened to the bones after they were interred at a site now known as Fontanelle Cemetery, today estimated to hold more than eight million of them.

Hint: You'll be able to see the answer to this question with your own eyes.

The Indigent Cemetery of Naples

Before I can tell you what happened to the bones at Fontanelle Cemetery, I need to explain a bit more of the history to you - the interment of "old bones" following the overwhelming plague outbreak was only the beginning of the macabre goings on here.

To be sure, a few decades later, a period of great floods in Naples resulted in the bones from the cemetery washing out of the cave. Once the waters receded and the bones were finally restored, it was in even more sloppy and careless a manner than before. This led the French, who'd overtaken the city by the early 19th century, to designate Fontanelle Cemetery as the official final resting place for the indigent population of Naples.

A Creepy Cult of Devotion

As if all this wasn't bad enough, a new epidemic hit Naples in the mid-19th century (this time, it was cholera), which led to even more anonymous corpses being laid to rest at Fontanelle Cemetery.

Around the same time, word of the existence of the cemetery began to get out around Naples, causing residents of the city to begin coming to see it for themselves - many became sympathetic toward the bones.

Others were downright devoted, arguing that since the dead interred at Fontanelle Cemetery had largely lived lives of invisibility and indigence, they needed to be looked after in death, a tendency that over time resulted in the formation of "cults of devotion" toward the bones.

These became increasingly ubiquitous until 1969, when the Cardinal of Naples banned them on account of their sacrilegiousness and closed the cemetery.

How to Visit Fontanelle Cemetery

The good news is that Fontanelle Cemetery has since been re-opened, albeit as a historical site, rather than a cemetery in active use. With this being said, you shouldn't be shocked upon walking into the cave and seeing more skulls than you can count, to say nothing of the other random bones strewn about. Fontanelle Cemetery is certainly in contention for the world's most bizarre open-air museum, if nothing else.

To visit Fontanelle Cemetery, which is free to enter as of July 2014, take Line 1 of the Naples Metro to "Materdei" station, then follow signs that point toward Cimitero delle Fontanelle. Alternatively, hail a cab to "Cimitero delle Fontanelle." The cemetery is open every day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and you need neither an appointment nor a ticket to visit, although if you visit during the winter you should dress warmly, since the museum is technically outdoors.

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How to Visit Creepy Fontanelle Cemetery in Naples

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In the mid-17th century, an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague quickly spread throughout the Kingdom of Naples, now part of the modern-day country of Italy. The rate of death exceeded the rate at which churches could prepare burial plots, however, which forced undertakers to take grisly action - namely, moving old remains to a cave to make room for the new dead.

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The Feast Day of San Gennaro is the most important religious festival in Naples, Italy. San Gennaro, the Bishop of Benevento and martyr who was persecuted for being a Christian and finally beheaded in 305 AD, is the patron saint of Naples and the city's 13th-century Gothic cathedral is dedicated to him. Inside the cathedral, or duomo, the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro is decorated with Baroque frescoes and other artworks, but most importantly it holds the saint's relics including two sealed vials of his coagulated blood housed in a silver reliquary.

According to legend, some of his blood was collected by a woman who took it to Naples where it liquefied 8 days later.

On the morning of September 19, the feast day of San Gennaro, thousands of people fill the ​ Naples Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo, the square in front of it, hoping to see the saint's blood liquefy in what's known as the miracle of San Gennaro. In a solemn religious ceremony, the Cardinal removes the vials of blood from the chapel where they're kept and taken in a procession, along with a bust of San Gennaro, to the cathedral's high altar. The crowd watches anxiously to see if the blood miraculously liquefies, believed to be a sign that San Gennaro has blessed the city (or a bad omen if it doesn't). If it liquefies, the church bells ring and the Cardinal takes the liquefied blood through the cathedral and out into the square so everyone can see it. Then he returns the reliquary to the altar where the vials remain on display for 8 days.

As with many Italian festivals, there's much more than just the main event. The ceremony is followed by a religious procession through the streets of the historic center where both the streets and the shops are closed. Stands selling toys, trinkets, food, and candy are set up in the streets. Festivities go on for eight days until the reliquary is returned to its place.

The miracle of San Gennaro's blood is also performed on December 16 and the Saturday before the first Sunday in May as well as special times during the year to ward off disasters, such as an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, or for visiting dignitaries.

A San Gennaro festival is also held in September in many Italian communities outside Italy, including New York and Los Angeles in the US. Read more about it in Italian American Festivals.

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San Gennaro: The Biggest Festival in Naples

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The Feast Day of San Gennaro is the most important religious festival in Naples, Italy. San Gennaro, the Bishop of Benevento and martyr who was persecuted for being a Christian and finally beheaded in 305 AD, is the patron saint of Naples and the city's 13th-century Gothic cathedral is dedicated to him.

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Secret Food Tours - Paris - London - Rome - Berlin - Barcelona - Madrid - Lisbon - San Francisco

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As Romans who are wildly passionate about Italian food we would be delighted to share our love of food with you. Italian food is recognised around the world for its delicious flavours, exquisite dishes and world class ingredients. Although many countries now have some great Italian food, it is only when you visit Italy that you are able to taste the true passion and the best flavours this country has to offer.

Culinary

Food Tour Rome

By booking our Rome award-winning food tour, you will have the opportunity to enjoy some of the finest Italian foods in this world-famous city. You will try freshly prepared pizzas, taste homemade pastas and Supplí (risotto balls), sample the finest cheeses and wines, and drink the best coffee in town. To top it off you will finish with a great artisanal gelato and, with all our food tours, there is a delicious Secret Dish to try (which you can only find out on your tour).
About our Rome Food Tours
This tour takes you into the heart of Rome, by historical monuments, in picturesque markets, inside beautiful restaurants and secret places off the tourist trail.

You and your friends and family will embark on a three-hour gastronomy tour around the world-famous Piazza Navona area (a beautiful city square built in the 1st century AD). All foods, cheeses, desserts and drinks (such as coffee and wines), and a professional tour passing its most famous areas (Campo dei Fiori Market and his unknown neighborhood, Roman ruins, Jewish Ghetto) are included in the price.

Once our experienced local guide concludes Secret Food Tour Rome, you will leave with a stomach full of the best food in Rome, plus local knowledge and sightseeing tips, to enhance the pleasure of your trip that will last with you for a lifetime.

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Rome Secret Food Tours | Culinary Food Tour in Rome

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As Romans who are wildly passionate about Italian food we would be delighted to share our love of food with you. Italian food is recognised around the world for its delicious flavours, exquisite dishes and world class ingredients.

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The City Wonders Colosseum Night Tour is this iconic monument as few have seen it! Experience the marvels of Ancient Rome and more on this rare itinerary.

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While in Italy, we spent three days in Sorrento and devoted one of these days to visiting the island of Capri. Tim and I couldn't help but wonder is the Blue Grotto worth seeing?

The Blue Grotto is the island of Capri's biggest tourist attraction. It is not a cheap excursion and just paying for transportation from Sorrento to Capri was pushing the limits of our budget. Plus, we were visiting Capri in July, peak tourist season, so we knew to expect crowds of people waiting their turn to enter the grotto.

How to Visit the Blue Grotto

Getting to Capri from Sorrento

To get from Sorrento to the island of Capri we took a 20 minute ride on a hydrofoil, costing our family of four $150 round trip (in July 2014). We booked these tickets in the marina the same morning of our trip out to Capri. See the end of this post for updated prices for 2018.

While on board the hydrofoil Tim and I were still trying to decide if we make the trip to the Blue Grotto. Tyler and Kara were very excited about seeing it, so they convinced us to do it.

There are two companies which offer tours to the Blue Grotto, Laser and Motoscafisti Capri. We had brochures for both and their prices were identical. We chose the Motoscafisti, and in US dollars we spent $75 for our family of four to take a boat tour around the island of Capri (in July 2014).

Tour of Capri

We loved seeing Capri from the water, Tyler especially. Capri is a beautiful island, with white rocky cliffs plunging into the aquamarine water of the ocean. The island has several grottos: white, green, and blue, and we saw all of them. The Blue Grotto is by far the most impressive, but the others are worth a quick peek.

An hour and a half into the boat ride we arrived at the Blue Grotto. Unfortunately, there were well over 8 other boats, all containing about thirty people per boat, waiting in line to enter the grotto. We were going to be here awhile.

As we waited, our boat drifted up and down over the large swells in the water, rocking back and forth. Combine this with sitting in the hot sun and you have the perfect combination for two seasick kiddos. We found Kara a place to sit in the shade, gave her some water to drink, and she perked up. But poor Tyler was getting very close to losing his breakfast.

Finally, after 45 minutes of bobbing in the water, it was our turn to board the rowboat for entry into the grotto.

Boarding the rowboat was a bit tricky. We had to scramble over the side of our boat, then step into the rowboat, all while the rowboat captain held the two boats together. The choppy water increased the difficulty factor as well. We all made it safely aboard, but this had me wondering, "how many people fall into the water every year?"

So now the four of us were sitting on the floor of the rowboat, Tyler was trying not to be sick all over Kara's back, and we paid our final fee, the entry fee into the grotto.

Inside the Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto is a cave in the side of the mountain and can only be reached by squeezing through a narrow opening at water level. When it was our turn to enter, we all had to duck our heads below the level of the rowboat, while our captain pulled us into the grotto using chains attached to the rocky walls. If we didn't duck down low enough we risked having a nice headache for the rest of the day.

Our passage into the grotto was fortunately uneventful, and then we were safely inside. How different it was in here! Calm, cool, peaceful, and very blue. The water is illuminated from the sunlight outside of the grotto, a very neat effect. Our rowboat captain sang Italian songs, Tyler was feeling much better, and we all really enjoyed this experience.

We spent about five minutes in the Blue Grotto. Then it was time to follow the same safety precautions and before we knew it, we were back outside in the bright sunshine and chaos of boats waiting for entry into the grotto.

We had our captain drop us off on land. The Blue Grotto is closer to Anacapri than Capri and we wanted to see some things on this side of the island. Plus, I don't think Tyler wanted to get back on our original boat.

So, is the Blue Grotto worth seeing?

All four of us loved the experience, even Tyler, who wasn't feeling well. Even with the crowds of people, the queasiness, and the expense of it, we are all glad we visited the Blue Grotto.

Mount Solaro

Before leaving Capri we took the chair lift in Anacapri to the top of Mount Solaro, for some of the best views of the island. This was a nice, relaxing break from the heat and the crowds of people, but this was a budget breaker as well, costing us 40 euros, or $55. It was worth it as well.

Getting to Mount Solaro from the Blue Grotto: Instead of taking the boat back to the Grand Marina, get off on land, right next to the Blue Grotto. Walk up the steps. At the top of the steps will be a bus stop. Take the bus to Piazza Vittoria. This is where you get on the Mount Solaro chairlift. To get back to the Grand Marina, take the bus from Piazza Vittoria to the Grand Marina.

If you are planning on visiting the island of Capri, we would recommend putting the Blue Grotto on your list. We are all glad we did!

Things to Know About the Blue Grotto

Getting to the Blue Grotto

Once on the island of Capri, you can get to the Blue Grotto by boat or by bus.

Getting to the Blue Grotto by boat. You can book a tour with Motoscafisti or Laser Capri. Both companies offer round trip excursions to the Blue Grotto from Marina Grande or a tour of the entire island of Capri with a stop at the Blue Grotto. We used Motoscafisti and booked their Island Tour with a stop at the Blue Grotto.

To go from Marina Grande directly to the Blue Grotto and back to the marina, budget an hour (or more during peak season) of your time and expect to pay €15. If you prefer a tour that circles the entire island with a stop at the Blue Grotto, budget two hours of your time and expect to pay €18. Once at the Blue Grotto, you will have to pay an additional fee of €14 to enter the grotto (this fee is not included in the tour boat's fee).

You also have the option to hire a private boat at Marina Grande. Prices average €150 for a two hour tour including time at the Blue Grotto.

Getting to the Blue Grotto by bus. From Anacapri, take the bus at Piazza Cimitero towards the Blue Grotto. At the last stop, take the stairs down to the entrance of the Blue Grotto. There is a queue here for rowboats into the grotto.

The Fee to Enter the Blue Grotto

In addition to the cost of getting to the Blue Grotto via boat or bus, there is an additional fee to board the rowboat that takes you into the grotto. The cost in 2018 is €14 per person. Children under 6 years old free. Citizens of the EU under the age of 18 are also free. Tipping your rowboat skipper is at your discretion.

Best Time to Visit the Blue Grotto

It is best to visit the Blue Grotto on a sunny day between the hours of noon to 2 pm. This is the time when the sunlight illuminates the interior of the grotto the best. On a cloudy day, you will miss the experience of seeing the brilliant blue color that makes this grotto so famous.

The Blue Grotto is closed during winter months, although the grotto is open when the weather is mild. Contact Motoscafiti if you want to know if the grotto is open.

Is the Blue Grotto Open?

If the seas are rough the Blue Grotto will not be open. Every morning at 9 am, skippers arrive at the mouth of the grotto to check if it is safe to enter. For today's forecast, visit the capri.com website.

Bring Dramamine if you are prone to seasickness

We learned this one the hard way, but fortunately Tyler never really got sick, he just felt bad for a little bit. If you are prone to seasickness, bring along some Dramamine, just in case you are bobbing in the water in the hot sun like we did.

How Much Does a Trip to the Blue Grotto Cost?
If you are traveling from Sorrento, here are updated prices (per person) for 2018.

Sorrento to Capri by ferry (roundtrip): €40

Capri boat trip with Motoscafisti: €18

Blue Grotto Entrance Fee: €14

Bus from Blue Grotto to Mount Solaro: €2

Mount Solaro Chairlift: €11

Bus to Marina Grande: €2

Grand Total: €87 per adult

Still Wondering if the Blue Grotto is worth it? Check out Tyler's YouTube video:
Post updated May 2018.
Going to Italy? Keep Reading:

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Is the Blue Grotto worth it? How to get to the Blue Grotto, best time to go, how much does it cost, what to expect at the Blue Grotto in July. Updated for 2018, with a full day budget to help you plan your visit.

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Mount Solaro (Anacapri) - 2018 All You Need to Know Before You Go (with Photos) - TripAdvisor

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From the Marina, you take either the funicular (cable car) or the bus up the hill to the centre of Capri. Both cost €2 per person. The funicular probably runs more frequently and can transport more people. Don't take a taxi it will be €20-€25. Then in Capri central you take a bus to Anacapri.

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THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Anacapri - 2018 (with Photos) - TripAdvisor

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Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Anacapri, Italy on TripAdvisor: See 28,578 traveler reviews and photos of Anacapri tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in September. We have reviews of the best places to see in Anacapri. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.

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Capri is pure romance-dramatic views, the bluest ocean you've ever seen, even the scent of lemon blossoms in the air. The luminescent Blue Grotto, striking Faraglioni Rocks and the Palazzo al Mare are popular with travelers, but for a real treat, snorkel at Marina Piccola beach. It's said to be the spot where Odysseus nearly succumbed to the Sirens' song... a fitting legend for this alluring island.

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Capri is pure romance-dramatic views, the bluest ocean you've ever seen, even the scent of lemon blossoms in the air. The luminescent Blue Grotto, striking Faraglioni Rocks and the Palazzo al Mare are popular with travelers, but for a real treat, snorkel at Marina Piccola beach.

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Le Catacombe di San Callisto sono tra le più grandi e importanti di Roma. Nate intorno alla metà del II secolo d.c., fanno parte di un complesso cimiteriale che occupa un'area di 15 ettari di terreno, con una rete di gallerie lunghe quasi 20 chilometri, su diversi piani, e raggiungono una profondità superiore ai 20 metri.

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As a global community of counsellors, counsellor educators, students and researchers, we will all play our part in developing the profession through this event. Every continent and world region will be represented. IAC conferences are very enjoyable occasions as we are sure to include plenty of opportunities for relaxation, networking and fun.

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SHG Hotel Antonella è un elegante albergo 4 stelle a Pomezia, a pochi minuti da Roma.