Galleria Borbonica
Following a revolution in 1848, Ferdinando II decided to build an escape route from the Palazzo Reale to the sea, under the Pizzofalcone hill, with work beginning five years later. The death of the king and political changes (leading to Garibaldi’s unification of Italy in 1861) meant the project was never completed, and the tunnel lay abandoned for almost a century until World War II, when it was used as a bomb shelter. The visit begins with a descent of 90 steps to a series of large tuff chambers, excavated for building work in the 18th century and then used as water cisterns. A short passageway leads to the tunnel itself, which, after the war, was used as a pound for stolen cars and motorbikes, many of which are still here. The more adventurous can book a tour of the cistern, which begins on Vico del Grottone 4, just off Via Gennaro Serra behind Piazza Plebscicito.
