Naples and Paris the real capitals of Europe

(By Marco Cesario) (ANSAmed) - NAPLES, JULY 26 - "Naples and Paris: the two only capitals" is the maxim pronounced by Stendhal in 1817 with which writer and former director of the French Institute of Naples, Jean-Noel Schifano, summarised his latest work, 'Dictionnaire amoureux de Naples'. Published in France and recently presented at the Feltrinelli library of Naples, the 'Dictionnaire amoureux de Naples' is a passionate homage to the city of which he is honorary citizen, a text which presents, under the form of short historical-poetic descriptions, a gallery of personages and places connected to the city: Dumas, Flaubert, Gemito, Pulcinella, San Gennaro, Maradona. "Stendhal observed that in the middle of the 19th century Naples was one of the biggest metropolises together with Paris and London,"Schifano told ANSAmed. "Just think that, at that time, Rome had just 100,000 residents while Naples had 600,000. Naples was therefore the natural capital of a kingdom which lasted for six centuries, Rome became capital only because of a decision which came from above." Schifano speaks freely with his usual volcanic energy. He speaks of the glories of Naples, 'Italy's pearl', where the first railway in Italt was built (Naples-Portici), where Europés oldest theatre rises (San Carlo), royal residences which could compete for magnificence only with those of France (Royal Palace, Capodimonte). A city of which Madame Flaubert said: "A Mediterranean Paris. Such is Naples." Upon entering Naples from the Porta Capuana her husband Gustave was amazed: "As if I'm entering Paris", he wrote in his 'Travel Notes'. The city left a mark also Marquis de Sade: "The turmoil and the daily come and go made Naples a populated and fibrillating city like Paris," he said in 1776. Dumas described Naples 'the flower of paradise' and settled to live there "the last adventure of my life." But all that, the author describes in the text, ended with the unification of Italy. "With the unification the Savoy royals wanted to transform Naples in a provincial city, without success, but plundering it of its immense treasures. Not managing to govern it because it was insusceptible, even using the collaboration of the Camorra and local neighbourhood chiefs. Naples saw itself as deprived, in the years, from space and creativity. The Parthenopean genius took refuge in illegality," Schifano said. For Schifano, the banditry was not your average type, rather resistance against the forced colonisation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies by Savoy's Piedmont. Schifanòs pen becomes sharper and more pungent as regards 'xenophobia'. Xenophobia is that 'historical' of the rest of Italy towards Naples because of its 'cultural potential' and its 'volcanic nature' and "is reflected in the editorials of journalists such as Giorgio Bocca or Giuseppe D'Avanzo, behind which there is a political will which intends to wipe out Naples' ancient history to make it the scapegoat of Italy's troubles." There is also a place for criticism of Roberto Saviano (author of the best seller 'Gomorra'), guilty of not having inserted his discourse "in a historical perspective, that is that of a city which "was degraded from its role of capital of a central government which did all it could to alienate it" forgetting that "Stendhal considered Naples the real capital of Italy and the only city in Europe which could be on the same level as Paris for history and culture." And he concludes with a cutting remark: "Naples has always made the rest of Italy be fearful, from the point of view of creativity, of culture. It is a hotbed of artists, geniuses, writers and brilliant politicians. Unlike Venice or Rome, whose historic centres have become mass tourism destinations, Naples' historic centre is still popular, a sign that this city remains always alive but most of all has never lost its deep identity."