These spooky places in Italy can be visited at any time of the year and are especially good if you want to make your own Halloween itinerary. While some places can be too scary for young children, older children and teenagers often enjoy these spooky sights.
Skeletons, catacombs and guided tours
The most famous catacombs in Italy are the catacombs outside Rome on the ancient Appian Way. The guided tour of Appia Antica in Italy includes a visit to one of the catacombs and the Tomb of Cecilia Metella (includes transport from your hotel). The Roman Guy’s Catacombs Tour also includes a visit to the Appian Way and the catacombs, as well as an in-depth look at ancient sites beneath a church. The Guided Tour of the Crypts, Bones and Catacombs of the Promenades of Italy includes the Catacombs of Santa Priscilla, the Crypt of the Capuchins and ancient remains under one of the churches of Rome.
There are also good catacombs in Sicily and in the historic center of Naples.
Mummies in Italy
The spookiest places in Italy, in our opinion, are the mummy exhibits at the Ferentillo Mummy Museum. The museum is located below the Church of Santo Stefano in Umbria and in the Cemetery of the Mummies in the Church of the Dead of Urbania in Le Marche. There are also mummies near Palermo, Sicily, in the Capuchin Monastery and in the Capuchin Crypt in the historic center of Rome. These mummies are naturally preserved and displays can be a ghoulish sight, not recommended for young children.
Skulls in Puglia
Otranto Cathedral, on the Salento peninsula (the heel of the boot), has a chapel made up of skulls and bones of the more than 800 martyrs who were killed in a Turkish invasion in 1480. In Gravina in Puglia, there is a cave where you can see skulls and a single intact skeleton separated from the rest.
Scary places in Rome
Rome’s scary sights include catacombs and crypts, the Museum of Purgatory, a House of Monsters, and the Vatican necropolis near Rome. Some of the relics in the churches of Rome can also be quite creepy, such as waving with the finger of St. Thomas and a piece of the head of John the Baptist.
Monster park
Though more ethereal than particularly terrifying, Bomarzo Monster Park is filled with sculptures of monsters and mythical creatures. This is a favorite place to take children.
Bruges in Italy
Benevento, in southern Italy, is called the City of Witches and streghe (witches) are a large part of its folklore. They are known for strega products, including sweets and liqueurs.
In northern Italy, near the Italian Riviera, the town of Triora is known for its 16th century witch trials and has a museum dedicated to the 403 witches tortured and murdered there.
Quarantine Islands and Venice Cemetery
San Michelle is the cemetery island of Venice with two churches and many tombs. A good time to visit is early November when the cemetery is full of flowers for All Saints’ Day.
During the plague, Lazaretto Vecchio was used as a quarantine center for victims and mass graves of plague victims were recently discovered. Although Lazaretto Vecchio was closed for several years due to the economic situation of the time, members of the Archeoclub of Venice have worked to restore the island to a safe place. They have had limited special openings since 2014.
Nearby, Lazzaretto Nuovo was used as a quarantine and decontamination site and can be visited on a guided tour from April to October. Explore the role of the plague in Venice with Italy’s select Venetian Renaissance after the plague walking tour.
Naples Cemetery Cave and Catacombs
More than 40,000 corpses were dumped into a cave just outside the city walls of Naples, most when the plague struck Naples. Nearby, you can also visit the hideous catacombs of San Gaudioso .
Medieval torture museums
Several cities in Tuscany and Umbria have torture museums that house items used to torture victims during the Inquisition. San Gimignano has one of the best museums and below the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Narni in Umbria, you can visit the underground torture chambers.
Halloween in Italy
If you are in Italy on All Saints’ Eve (Halloween), consider Urban Trekking , special treks for special night visits to medieval towers, crypts, dungeons or castles.
Sources
National Geographic: Massive Plague Graves Found on the ‘Quarantine’ Island of Venice.
