About us

La Paranza Cooperative was founded in 2006 in the heart of the Rione Sanità. We grew up here, and we have chosen to stay and look after our history.

Through the project to enhance the Fontanelle Cemetery, we aim to consolidate the process already underway for several years of promoting cultural heritage ‘from the bottom up’, which is fully recognised in the concept of ‘heritage community’ as defined by the Faro Convention.

Our places

The places we look after

Fontanelle Cemetery

The ancient ossuary carved out of tuff, built in the 17th century to cope with epidemics. It is the place where the rite of adopting the ‘capuzzelle’ took place.

Catacombs of San Gennaro

One of the iconic sites of the Rione Sanità, housing precious early Christian artefacts, such as 2nd-century frescoes and 5th-century AD mosaics.

Catacombs of San Gaudioso

A hidden place beneath the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, featuring early Christian frescoes and the tombs of 17th-century Neapolitan nobles.

Our role in the Rione Sanità

Impact of La Paranza Cooperative in the Sanità District

La Paranza Cooperative was founded in 2006 in the heart of the Rione Sanità district.
Our approach to cultural promotion is inspired by the fundamental principles set out in the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society or the Faro Convention (Articles 8, 9 and 10), which recognise the right of citizens to actively participate in the management and promotion of cultural heritage, whilst respecting community identity and future generations.

We aim to “build a community of people and organisations that value specific aspects of cultural heritage, who wish to support and pass them on to future generations through public action”. To do so, we choose the path of cooperation; we invest in youth entrepreneurship – in young people’s capacity to be agents of change – and in the “discarded stones” – young people excluded from the education system or with histories of deviance – who, through cultural heritage, can become the “cornerstones” of a generative development system.

With the project to enhance the Fontanelle Cemetery, we aim to consolidate the process of enhancing cultural heritage ‘from the bottom up’ – a process already underway for years – which finds full recognition in the concept of the ‘heritage community’ as defined by the Faro Convention.

Since 2009, we have revitalised unique cultural heritage sites, such as the Catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso, fostering a sense of community ownership of local heritage and transforming the area into an attractive destination for tourists.

Over the years, the ‘Sanità Method’ has extended beyond the boundaries of the neighbourhood, with the establishment and development of the community cooperative La Sorte, participation in the first public-private partnership for the enhancement of the Piscina Mirabilis site in Bacoli, and support for the start-up of the MUDD project – the Diffused Diocesan Museum of Naples.

We are not just a social enterprise: we are a heritage community, committed to creating value, trust and job opportunities for our young people, and a local economy based on sustainability and social cohesion.

20,000 sqm
of recovered heritage

+70 people
employed in the cooperative

+200,000 visitors
every year at the Catacombs

The origins of the project

In 2023, the City of Naples issued a public call for expressions of interest from third-sector organisations regarding their proposals for the cultural enhancement of the Fontanelle Cemetery. Our proposal was selected as the winner.

We have therefore entered into a Special Public-Private Partnership (PSPP) with the City of Naples, an innovative tool designed to enhance unused or underused public assets through the involvement of the community and local organisations.

The PSPP is a concrete response to the need to return significant spaces to the community, through shared public-private management based on common objectives of care, maintenance, and cultural promotion.

The main goal of the Fontanelle Cemetery enhancement project is to create social and economic benefits for the neighbourhood, promoting youth employment by integrating the site into the city’s productive and tourist circuit.

The role of La Paranza Cooperative

As representatives of the Rione Sanità heritage community, we have chosen to place the Fontanelle community at the heart of the process to enhance the Fontanelle Cemetery.

We believe that caring for this place means, first and foremost, involving those who feel it as part of their identity, those who preserve its memory. After all, it is also through our connection with the community that cultural heritage takes shape.

This heritage, made up of places, architecture, shared memories, folk traditions, family stories, customs and beliefs, binds us deeply to our roots and spans generations, helping to build our collective identity. Enhancing and revitalising it through community participation, listening, and dialogue means keeping the link between past, present and future alive. It means not only preserving what is ancient, but recognising what has shaped our history and passing it on as a gift to future generations.

The enhancement project

Process of securing

The works were funded by the City of Naples and involved:

Hydrogeological safety
Building, plant and video surveillance upgrades
New electrical system
Installation of LED lighting
Emergency signage and fire-fighting equipment
Restoration of accessibility facilities

Activities by La Paranza Cooperative

In preparation for the opening, we have launched a series of initiatives to improve accessibility, usability, and awareness of the site, thereby restoring value to a place that is a symbol of the city. Furthermore, various activities have been designed to encourage the active involvement of the community, strengthen a sense of belonging, and build trust with the community.

In particular, we have focused on:

Creation of the first Infopoint
We have set up the first Infopoint with a ticket office for the Fontanelle Cemetery within the premises of the Parish of Santa Maria del Carmine alle Fontanelle, next to the site’s main entrance.
‘Learn about the Fontanelle’: an educational programme for young people in the Rione Sanità
We conceived an educational programme to connect the younger generation with their roots. A learning experience for 20 young people from the Rione Sanità and, in particular, the Fontanelle neighbourhood, which also served as an opportunity to promote the neighbourhood’s history and culture, strengthening their sense of belonging.
‘Draw the Fontanelle’ to create the cemetery’s visual identity
A participatory project based on emotional expression: participants translated the memories and values of this place into symbols, colours, and images, creating a visual map made up of shared stories and symbols. An extraordinary richness of visions and meanings emerged, contributing to the creation of a visual identity system capable of recounting, with strength and authenticity, the history and significance of the Fontanelle Cemetery.
‘Tell the Story of the Fontanelle’ to preserve the collective memory of the Fontanelle Cemetery
An initiative to pass on to future generations a legacy of emotions, rituals, and identity. We have collected testimonies, family memories, anecdotes, and folk traditions to recreate the anthropological dimension and the deep connection with the cult of the souls in Purgatory.
‘Collect the Fontanelle’, a community archive dedicated to the Fontanelle Cemetery
We aim to create the first community archive and reconstruct the visual and material memory of this cultural site through a collection of images, vintage photographs, newspaper articles, prints, maps, and artifacts.
New road signs designed by children
We asked children from schools in the Rione Sanità to play a leading role in promoting the Cemetery. In collaboration with the Istituto Russo-Lombardi, the children have created original road signs in Neapolitan and English, which will guide visitors and welcome them with all their spontaneous warmth.
IntoRioneSanità, an app for exploring the Rione Sanità
Maps, audio guides, and digital content turn a visit to our neighbourhood into a journey of discovery through the richness and authenticity of the Rione Sanità. It includes the audio guide app for the Fontanelle Cemetery, with the voices and testimonies of the residents of Fontanelle. Special thanks to the developers at SmartFactory srl.
‘Anthropological Research’ on the cult of the Souls in Purgatory
This place is not merely a tourist destination, but a profound symbol of Neapolitan culture, spirituality, and identity. In collaboration with researchers, anthropologists, and Italian and European universities, we will launch a scientific study on the cult of the souls in Purgatory in Naples, to understand its origins, its evolution over time, and its connections with other cultures.

Redevelopment of the outdoor areas

The entrance area and the Church of Maria Santissima del Carmine alle Fontanelle have been redesigned and redeveloped through urban regeneration projects and the G124 Project, initiated by architect and life senator Renzo Piano to support young architects in designing projects to revitalise the suburbs.

The G124 Project was carried out with:

Supervision: Architect and Life Senator Renzo Piano
Design architects: Marino Amodio, Giuseppe De Pascale, Orazio Nicodemo and Davide Savoia
Scientific consultants: Prof. Nicola Flora and Prof. Daniela Buonanno, Department of Architecture, Federico II University of Naples
With the support of: Unione Industriali di Napoli, R-Store, Ala, Seda – The Art & Science of Packaging, Dean Spa, iGuzzini, Veolia, Famiglia Meola

Reopening

The Fontanelle Cemetery is much more than a culturally significant site. It is part of our identity and our history.

Therefore, a Scientific Committee has been established to strengthen the preservation and protection of the worship of souls in purgatory, whilst fully respecting the protection and integrity of the site’s historical, artistic and religious value, as well as the historical significance of the Fontanelle Cemetery.

The Committee is chaired by Dr Francesca Amirante, an art historian and expert in the promotion of cultural heritage. Its members also include Father Giuseppe Rinaldi, the Cemetery’s Chaplain, Pasquale Forte of the I Care association, and Antonio Della Corte and Antonio Iaccarino of the La Paranza cooperative.

The experience of visiting the Fontanelle Cemetery has been designed with a balance between its cultural and spiritual dimensions in mind, to offer a pleasant and authentic visit that warmly welcomes both visitors and the faithful.