#travel to #italy - A #view on the controversial, yet marvelous #naples

The Gold of Naples

Many years have passed since "L'oro di Napoli", the film directed by Vittoria De Sica in 1954… though some things never really change… 

All sorts of images pop into people's minds when it comes to this metropolis. Some ask me if it's dangerous, some if it's not overcrowded or assaulted by the terrible spectrum of capitalist tourism. I'm not keen on black and white metaphors… Napoli is a metropolis worth seeing, in spite of all its issues, which actually fit within the boundaries of normality (whatever that means on an European level).  

What took me a bit by surprise (considering my last visit was 6 years ago) was the presence of soldiers in popular squares of the old town, an intricate maze law and order seldom go through: right near the church of Gesù Nuovo, Piazza del Plebiscito or Bellini. Naturally, the question arose: is that really necessary? These are places where young people get together, places that come alive after dark - in summer every single day of the week… it somehow felt like an unnecessary display of force (knowing that the area known with the highest criminality in town is the periphery: areas such as Rione Sanità or Scampìa) - after all, comparing the whole thing to Palermo, the just as lively Piazza Sant'Anna or the bustling Vucciria need no authority presence. 

But then again, what these two cities are also after is gaining the trust of tourists, now and again haunted by the specter of the invisible, but omnipotent mafia, able to make its appearance even in the most unexpected spots (the open street shootings from the 90s together with Saviano's more recent descriptions have created an intimidating image for Western and Northern Europeans unfamiliar with Italian reality). 

That is also why the longtime mayor of Palermo, Orlando (often seen by foreign media as an "anti-mafia" mayor) has consented to the presence of a group of soldiers in front of the Teatro Massimo. A paradox in itself, considering that the pack of buff and quite good looking soldiers are showing more interest towards the female passersby than towards the infamous "parcheggiatori abusivi", the illegal parking attendants found on a regular basis behind Teatro Massimo…

Given the fact that in the old town of Napoli NOBODY can actually park, there goes one reproach less for the law and order representatives. 

However, the Neapolitan city center looks cleaner than 6 or 10 years ago, the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele seems to finally get the renovation it deserves… even if the port area and the streets are constantly under construction… but these are mere "typical aspects" compared to the real thing, the old town, buildings back to back and narrow alleys producing scooters at any time of day… 

On these historical streets (Spaccanapoli, San Biagio dei Librai) all the way to the new belt of buildings separating the historical core from the 16th century erected Spanish Quarters, pizzerias and trattorias triumph - "la pizza napoletana" has been (rightfully!) declared UNESCO cultural heritage, the tourist invasion had been wished and expected. As a positive effect of that cash injection, lots of cafes (the Neapolitan coffee too has quite a rep!), pastry shops (particularly the ones specialized in the local delights: babà, sfoglie, granita or the savory taralli) or the rosticcerie have managed to brush off the shabby 90s looks and now rival chic spots in any cosmopolitan city. 

A sight for sore eyes… too bad that most of those hip places couldn't survive if their owners refused to pay the notorious "pizzo", the euphemistically called "protection money" to the local mafia bosses, the Camorra. Due to different and complex circumstances I made the acquaintance of an entrepreneur who owned one of those central pizzerias, a very sociable and open minded person - we spoke on different occasions, from professional to personal issues; when it came to the "pizzo" payers and to the consequences for those who refuse to comply with this "still very popular practice", his answer was "one doesn't speak about that here" and the look he gave me was worth more than 1000 words… 

Napoli is and has always been a gold mine, from the 8th century AD, when the Cumans founded it, till the present time… primarily thanks to the natural wonders and the amazingly fertile soils. Nature has been extremely kind to the Neapolitans… the entire coast, from Monte di Procida and Torre Gaveta all the way to Baiae is a splendor… beaches, lakes (Lago del Fusaro, d'Averno and di Lucrino), extinct volcanoes, Pozzuoli with its Roman amphitheater and thermae...

the Virgilian Park which offers the most impressive view a park ever could… and descending towards East, the sculpted coast of Marechiaro and Posillipo...

no wonder the most beautiful villas of Italy can be found on these cliffs… it's an indescribable pleasure to walk those high streets, head to the port, the Lungomare Mergellina, Castel Dell'Ovo and Castel Nuovo, another enchanted spot due to its extraordinary potential: the ships going towards the closest islands - Procida, Ischia and Capri. 

Capri's beauty is undeniable - although the hordes of tourists and the private properties monopolizing the breathtaking landscape really toy with one's patience… all that monetization of the natural potential drove me away after only 1 day, in search of a slightly more savage environment. Ischia is a better option, in spite of its growing popularity - at least the sight of its Castello Aragonese and a boat tour to Forlì and around the island is undoubtedly worth a few days. As for Procida, the second biggest of the volcanic Phlegrean islands, I'd call it a little piece of heaven, one of those places the tourist flows haven't really reached yet… perhaps only a matter of time… 

Napoli itself is a jewel, from Castel Sant'Elmo to the sea… and these lands, a genuine gold mine...

However, an aspect the local administration - partially synonym of the mafia, judging by the way it treats the city or some parts of it - ignores: the exploitation of a gold mine can only go so far…