Post by NeandertalMan on Oct 21, 2006 13:43:07 GMT -5
You may have seen, in the recent July European Italian edition of National Geographic magazine, an interesting article done on the underground of Rome. Well, given the enthusiastic response to that story, they have decided to do an extensive article on the underground of Naples. This past week NUG director and a senior Naples underground speleologist, Fulvio Salvi, accompanied the magazine's photographer and writer on a marathon tour of the incredible underground world beneath the ancient city. The tour provided access to the photographers who visited to a WWII air raid shelter carved from ancient tufo quarries beneath Piazza Cavour near the famous Naples Archeological Museum.
Salvi then provided glimpses few people ever get to see as the underground visits continued to the macabre death-cult passageways of the Fontanelle Cemetery, the gigantic Bourbon Tunnel which was an escape route for royalty built during the reign of the Bourbons in the 1700's. Next a visit was made through the "Crypta Neapolitana" the to the paleo-Christian San Gennaro catacombs dating to the 3rd-4th century, and finishing off with a rare glimpse of a 2,500 year old Greek Hypogeum with its incredible frescoes, still intact. It was a concentrated and impressive tour for the National Geographic visitors through the mysterious honeycomb of caverns, tunnels, passageways and ancient aqueducts beneath Naples.
The writer who accompanied the photographer had as his expert consultant and authority, the famed Engineer, Clemente Esposito, president of the Southern Speleological Society of Southern Italy.
The Geographic couldn't have found a better resource for detailed information on the "Sottosuolo" or underground of Naples.
At this point it looks like the article will be published in the December, 2006, edition of the National Geographic. Check back as we will keep you updated.
Larry Ray
Salvi then provided glimpses few people ever get to see as the underground visits continued to the macabre death-cult passageways of the Fontanelle Cemetery, the gigantic Bourbon Tunnel which was an escape route for royalty built during the reign of the Bourbons in the 1700's. Next a visit was made through the "Crypta Neapolitana" the to the paleo-Christian San Gennaro catacombs dating to the 3rd-4th century, and finishing off with a rare glimpse of a 2,500 year old Greek Hypogeum with its incredible frescoes, still intact. It was a concentrated and impressive tour for the National Geographic visitors through the mysterious honeycomb of caverns, tunnels, passageways and ancient aqueducts beneath Naples.
The writer who accompanied the photographer had as his expert consultant and authority, the famed Engineer, Clemente Esposito, president of the Southern Speleological Society of Southern Italy.
The Geographic couldn't have found a better resource for detailed information on the "Sottosuolo" or underground of Naples.
At this point it looks like the article will be published in the December, 2006, edition of the National Geographic. Check back as we will keep you updated.
Larry Ray
