The Rione Sanità is a district in Napoli that hides centuries of history from the Greek Roman Era. Today, fast forward hundreds of years and this neighbourhood is thriving with fresh food markets, pizzerias, pasticcerie and many more gems among which, Casa d’Anna ai Cristallini and l’Ipogeo dei Cristallini. These two entities provide an insight into Napoli’s history, through the antiques inside Casa d’Anna ai Cristallini and, through the architectural remains inside l’Ipogeo dei Cristallini. During your trip to the city, come and discover these two realities that effectively have dug up the past and present it in a contemporary guise.
CASA D’ANNA AI CRISTALLINI
Casa D’Anna ai Cristallini is a sixteenth century baroque maison that belonged to French couple Davide D’anna et Ken Mc Taggart who, with Pierre Vercoustre restored it with loving touches of antique design and charm. Today, it belongs to Alessandra Calise Martuscelli who has preserved its authenticity and welcomes guests as if it were her loving home. The B&B has four rooms, named after islands and each with their own personality: one thing to note are the hand painted ceilings that add a beautiful, artisan touch to the property. The beating heart of Casa d’Anna ai Cristallini however is the Salotto, a charming room filled with books and precious antiques. Upstairs is a rooftop terrace furnished with cast iron furnishings where one can enjoy breakfast or an afternoon read under the sunshine.
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IPOGEO DEI CRISTALLINI
Il Rione Sanità of Naples reserves ancient archaeological sites dating back to the Greek and Roman period therefore during your visit to the city, do not miss out the opportunity to explore the Ipogeo dei Cristallini, also belonging to the Calais Martuscelli family. This is one of the most important sites in the world, containing a precious and rare testimony of Hellenic painting and architecture. The site was carefully restored and allows to to take a journey back to the 4th century BC when the Greeks, who then lived in the city of Neapolis, built underground tombs in which the remains of the ancient inhabitants of the Neapolitan city rested for millennia. The Hypogeum consists of four sepulchers, dug into the tuff with one that remained splendidly intact with vibrant frescoes and depictions. This is a marvellous site that enables you to enter and reimagine history and every Friday evening you can enjoy an aperitif accompanied by music as you visit the site.