Visit the Museum Complex of Santa Maria delle anime del purgatorio ad Arco

In the historic center of Naples we find the museum complex of Santa Maria delle anime del purgatorio ad Arco, which the Neapolitans call the “church of the dead heads” because it is closely linked to the cult of the pezzentelle souls.

The Neapolitans began to perform a sort of ritual, especially during the second atrocious post-war period, called the cult of the pezzentelle souls, that is, the poor tormented souls who had not been buried.

Every Neapolitan could choose a capuzzella, which was cleaned, polished and a rosary was placed around the imaginary neck, then it was placed on embroidered handkerchiefs and surrounded by candles and flowers. Once this was done, the deceased came in a dream to whoever had adopted the capuzzella and asked that his suffering be alleviated through prayer, in exchange he offered a grace or lucky numbers to play in the lottery so as to return the favor.

If the graces were accepted and the numbers were the right ones, the skull was buried in an appropriate way, in a box or a case, so as to give peace to the pezzentella soul.

The church of the Museum Complex of Santa Maria delle anime del purgatorio ad Arco is of seventeenth-century construction and is particularly beautiful, with its marbles and works.

The jewel in the crown is the hypogeum, a real church under the church, where the cult of the anime pezzentelle is still practiced today, as evidenced by the side walls that house small altars and niches, candles and rosaries, cushions and skulls, including that of Lucia, the capuzzella with the bridal veil, one of the most beloved.

In the sacristy and oratory of the church of Santa Maria delle anime del purgatorio ad Arco is the Museo dell’Opera, whose collection includes paintings and works that concern the opera Pia Purgatorio ad Arco and Neapolitan society from the seventeenth century to today.