Rione Sanità (literally "Health Neighbourhood" in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

) is a neighbourhood in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, part of the

Stella Stella or STELLA may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Films * ''Stella'' (1921 film), directed by Edwin J. Collins * ''Stella'' (1943 film), with Zully Moreno * ''Stella'' (1950 film), with Ann Sheridan and Victor Mature * ''Stella'' (1955 ...

quarter. It is located north of Naples' historical centre, adjacent to the Capodimonte hill.

History

What is now Rione Sanità was a burial place in

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

and

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

times, as witnessed by the discovery of Hellenistic

hypogea A hypogeum or hypogaeum ( ; plural hypogea or hypogaea; literally meaning "underground") is an underground temple or tomb. Hypogea will often contain niches for cremated human remains or loculi for buried remains. Occasionally tombs of thi ...

and

Paleochristian Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the History of Christianity, historical era of the Christianity, Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Spread of Christianity, Christian ...

catacombs Catacombs are man-made underground passages primarily used for religious purposes, particularly for burial. Any chamber used as a burial place is considered a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etym ...

. The area was settled in the late 16th Century. Some local traditions and places, such as the rite of the Pezzentelle (see below), witness a cultural attitude towards death that may be related to the area's original use. While the settlement in Rione Sanità was originally established as a home for noble and rich families of Naples' aristocracy (as witnessed by palazzi such as

Palazzo Sanfelice The San Felice or Sanfelice Palace () is a Rococo or late-Baroque-style palace at Via Sanità 167 in Rione Sanità in central Naples. It is best known for its elaborate staircase. History The Palace was erected during 1724 to 1726 by the architect ...

and Palazzo dello Spagnolo), the area eventually turned into one of the most infamous and degraded of Naples. Unemployment, poverty, and the widespread presence of

Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...

have long characterized the quarter. The dramatic situation of the area has attracted volunteer and humanitarian efforts, such as those of the Comboni Missionaries that have been operating for years in support of Rione Sanità's population.

The rite of the "pezzentelle"

One of the most peculiar traits of Rione della Sanità is a unique cult and ritual that takes place in the

ossuary An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years th ...

of the Fontanelle cemetery. The cult dates back to the 17th Century and involves the ritual burning of candles dedicated to the so-called "pezzentelle" ("little wretches"), i.e., the soul of the "nameless dead" whose bones are preserved in the ossuary. More specifically, Neapolitan families traditionally "choose" one specific skull from the ossuary and take care of it (cleaning it up, repositioning it properly in the ossuary, and so on), with the intent that the "adopted" nameless soul will repay those attentions with good luck and blessings. While the cult has a general Catholic frame (as the "pezzentelle" are usually identified as

Purgatory In Christianity, Purgatory (, borrowed into English language, English via Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman and Old French) is a passing Intermediate state (Christianity), intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul ...

souls), many of its elements are rather

pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

in nature, so that it can be classified as a

syncretic Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus ...

cult.Il cimitero delle Fontanelle
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Historical buildings

* Ospedale di San Gennaro dei Poveri * Palazzo dello Spagnolo * Palazzo di Majo *

* Palazzo Traetto * Basilica of

San Gennaro extra Moenia San Gennaro extra Moenia ("San Gennaro Beyond the Walls") is a church in Naples, Italy. It is located in the Rione Sanita on the large road that leads up to the Capodimonte museum and is an example of so-called paleo-Christian architecture in t ...

* Chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso ad Antesaecula * Church of Santa Maria Antesaecula * Church of Santa Maria della Sanità * Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vita * Church of the Immacolata e San Vincenzo * Chiesa di Sant'Aspreno ai Crociferi * Chiesa di Santa Maria della Misericordia ai Vergini * Church of

Santa Maria dei Vergini Santa Maria dei Vergini is a church in central Naples, Italy, in the Rione of the Sanità. History In 1326, a church and an adjacent hospital and monastery, titled ''Santa Maria del Borgo de' Vergini'', were erected by residents of the Rione of ...

* Chiesa della Missione ai Vergini * Chiesa di Santa Maria Succurre Miseris ai Vergini * Church of San Severo fuori le mura * Cloister of Santa Maria alla Sanità
Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Cristallini
* Complesso dei Cinesi

Notable people

Probably the most famous person from Rione Sanità was the 20th Century actor, poet, singer, and writer

Totò Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi De Curtis di Bisanzio (15 February 1898 – 15 April 1967), best known by his stage name Totò (), or simply as Antonio de Curtis, and nicknamed ''il principe della risat ...

, who was born in Via (street) Santa Maria Antesaecula.

References in popular culture

As Rione Sanità is somewhat a symbol of the poorest, most degraded (but also most "picturesque") character of Naples, the place is widely referenced in popular culture. In particular, it was chosen as a setting for a number of movies from the

Italian neorealism Italian neorealism (), also known as the Golden Age of Italian Cinema, was a national film movement characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class. They are filmed on location, frequently with non-professional actors. They p ...

era. Movies set in Rione Sanità include

Vittorio de Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, four of the fil ...

's '' The Gold of Naples'' (1954) and ''

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow ''Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'' () is a 1963 comedy anthology film directed by Vittorio De Sica. Starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, the film consists of three short stories about couples in different parts of Italy. The film won t ...

'' (1963). Another notable portrait of Rione Sanità in art is

Eduardo De Filippo Eduardo De Filippo OMRI (; 26 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan language, Neapolitan works ''Filumena Marturano'' and ...

's play ''

Il sindaco del rione Sanità ''Il sindaco del Rione Sanità'' ("The Mayor of Rione Sanità", also "The Syndicate") is a play in three acts by Neapolitan screenwriter and actor Eduardo De Filippo. It was written in 1960 and first presented on stage that same year by Eduardo h ...

''.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rione Sanita Rioni of Naples