Fertility is very important in every culture and for every woman. In Naples there are a lot of beliefs concerning the sphere of fertility. In this article we want to list three holy places – we can also define them esoterically – in which Neapolitan women pray for their fertility.

Church of San Raffaele

The church of San Raffaele is situaded in the Materdei area, a few steps from the metro station (line 1). As is often the case in Naples, here the holy and the profan are mixed. According to a scene of the Book of Tobia, San Raffaele is represented holding a fishin his hand. Naples is a seaside city, so in its symbolism fish represents the phallos, the symbol of  virility. The ritual of the “kiss to the fish of San Raffaele” is for all women who can not have children or those who want to find a husband. This ritual is accepted in good faith by every young bride. No malice, only faith. Try to believe!

Sanctuary of Santa Maria Francesca of the Five Plagues

In Quartieri Spagnoli, there is an esoteric place among the most characteristic in the city. This holy place is dedicated to Sister Mariafrancesca. Sister Mariafrancesca was born in the eighteenth century, she was considered a saint already alive in her neighborhood. It is said that the nun had the pains of the Passion of Christ every Lent and that she had also the stigmata. The church is near the home of Sister Mariafrancesca, now it’s a sanctuary. Here, the famous ritual is to sit on the chair of fertility. The nun used to sit on this chair, when she suffered the Passion of Christ. Women who sit on her chair can pray for getting pregnant or because her pregnancy is fine. The sanctuary can be visited every 6th of the month, there will be a line of faithful women waiting for their turn.

Fontanelle Cemetery

Cemetery Fontanelle is a suggestive place: it’s situaded in Sanità area. We have already mentioned it in a specific article. There are a lot of skulls, or capuzzelle, now we talk about Donna Concetta’s skull. This skull is preserved in a shrine. According to the ritual we have to brush Donna Concetta’s skull to be fertile: just a simple touch and the game is done!Let’s try!