Bourbon Gallery of Naples

The Bourbon Gallery is a tunnel that extends from the Pizzofalcone hill (near the current Villa Comunale) to the Royal Palace of Naples, and is one of the most evocative and interesting routes of underground Naples.

The Bourbon Gallery was commissioned by Frederick II of Bourbon for military purposes, in fact this long underground tunnel was to serve as an escape route for the royal family. Designed by the architect Errico Alvino, it was inaugurated in 1855 but remained unfinished.

During the Second World War this long tunnel served as an air raid shelter, while after the war it was used as a landfill.

Only in the 1980s was the Bourbon Gallery rediscovered; in 2007, after further excavations, other rooms were discovered, so it was cleaned and made safe to give life to the attraction we know today.

The Bourbon Gallery is located right in the historic center of Naples, it extends between Piazza Vittoria and Piazza del Plebiscito, and has three entrances: via Moranelli, via delle Memorie (via Monte di Dio) and Vico Grottone.

You can visit the Bourbon Gallery by booking one of the 4 routes:
Standard route, which starts from via Moranelli or Vico Grottone and includes a visit to the Renaissance aqueduct of the Bolla and the anti-aircraft shelter of the Second World War. The route lasts one hour and costs €10.00.

Via delle Memorie route, which starts from via Monte di Dio 14 inside A14 of Palazzo Serra di Cassano. You will first visit Palazzo Serra which houses the War Museum, and then you will go down underground towards the quarries for the extraction of tuff up to the cistern full of water of the aqueduct. You continue walking through the Bourbon Gallery until you exit on via Moranelli. The visit lasts an hour and a quarter and costs €10.00.

Adventure trail, which starts from via Moranelli. After you have been equipped with a helmet and torch, you will visit a 15th century cistern and then the Car Room. After passing the second cistern, you will walk towards a raft that, sailing, will take you to the Second World War shelter, used by civilians to hide. The visit lasts an hour and a half and costs €15.00.

Speleo Light trail, which starts from via Moranelli. After putting on protection and a speleological helmet, you will go to discover the tunnels of the Bolla aqueduct up to the cisterns still partially full of water. The visit lasts an hour and a half and costs €15.00.

The routes of Naples Underground are quite high, so you don’t have a feeling of oppression. Those who suffer from claustrophobia can visit the Galleria Borbonica through the standard routes and Via delle Memorie, avoiding the Adventure and Speleological routes. It is understood that it is still a closed and underground route, so claustrophobics could have anxiety problems.