About
This mini-Fontanelle is still cared for by the Neapolitan Cult of the Dead.
Santa Maria della Anime ad Arco, or Saint Mary of the Souls of Purgatory, is a more intimate and atmospheric cemetery than Fontanelle. Although it has seen an influx of tourists, it still retains adherents of the Neapolitan Cult of the Dead. This tiny church dates back to 1638 and was formed due to the Congrega di Purgatorio ad Arco, which dedicated itself to laying the final resting places for those without space in overcrowded city churches. This problem only worsened after 1656 when the Black Death wreaked havoc on Naples—culling half its population and 150,000 lives in its wake.
