One of Naples’ most evocative and symbolic sites has reopened to the public: the Park of the Tombs of Virgil and Leopardi, where archaeology, poetry, and Mediterranean nature come together in a deeply emotional and cultural experience. Thanks to a restoration and enhancement project funded with approximately €300,000 from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the park has been returned to its former splendor, featuring two new itineraries designed to narrate the memory of two of Italy’s greatest poets through landscape and history. At the heart of the park lies the mausoleum in opus reticulatum, traditionally attributed to Publius Vergilius Maro (Virgil), dating back to the early Imperial age. Although archaeological evidence is lacking, the attribution was officially recognized in 1930 by Amedeo Maiuri, who envisioned and shaped the park as a romantic garden of ruins and vegetation, blending classical memory and urban beauty. In 1939, the tomb of Giacomo Leopardi was also added, with the poet’s remains transferred from Fuorigrotta: today, commemorative plaques honor both literary figures and their spiritual connection to Naples.
The new visitor route, now accessible free of charge every day except Tuesdays (from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., last admission at 2:15 p.m.), offers two thematic paths. The botanical path interprets the garden landscape through a poetic lens, with plant species like laurel, broom, and cypress, all strongly tied to Virgil and Leopardi’s works. Designed for inclusivity, the path includes tactile elements and easy-to-read panels for the visually impaired. The archaeological path highlights key monuments: the mausoleum attributed to Virgil, Leopardi’s memorial with lines from his Song to Italy, a preserved section of the Augustan aqueduct, and the eastern entrance of the Crypta Neapolitana, an ancient tunnel cut through tuff stone connecting Naples to the Phlegraean Fields.
The reopening ceremony featured Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli and Director General of Museums Massimo Osanna, who led the project. “I believe that in Naples, more than elsewhere in Italy, the landscape can be perceived as a historical and cultural expression of the nation,” said Giuli. Osanna emphasized the project’s cultural continuity: “The reopening of the Park of the Tombs of Virgil and Leopardi restores one of the most evocative and identity-rich places in Naples, through a plan that combines conservation, accessibility, sustainability and memory, fully aligned with the far-sighted vision of Amedeo Maiuri. Thanks to the PNRR, we restored the romantic garden, conserved the monuments, and created a new visitor route that returns harmony and readability to the space.”
The park now offers multilingual signage, QR codes, and an immersive 3D tour, making the experience not only educational but also technologically engaging and accessible to all. Reopening the Park of the Tombs of Virgil and Leopardi is an invitation to walk through poetry, stone, and nature — in a space that speaks the language of the past while inspiring the present.
Regional Directorate of National Museums – Campania (Museitaliani)
Italian Ministry of Culture
#VirgilLeopardi #NaplesPoetryPark #AccessibleCulture
Visitor Info:
Location: Park of the Tombs of Virgil and Leopardi – Mergellina, Naples
Hours: Open daily (except Tuesday) from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. – last entry at 2:15 p.m.
Free admission
Accessibility: tactile paths, 3D tour, multilingual and simplified panels
Instagram: @museitaliani @mic_italia
Facebook: @museitaliani @micitalia
(Photo credit: @museitaliani – Regional Directorate of National Museums, Campania – taken from the cultura.gov.it website and Facebook page Parco delle tombe di Virgilio e Leopardi)