Santa Lucia the cradle of Naples

Paliotti Vittorio

Published by Azienda Autonoma Di Soggiorno Cura E Turismo Napoli

Stretching out over the sea, Santa Lucia is the most central, the most urban and the easiest part of Naples to reach. It's a synthesis of the history and custom of a town: the little island of Megaride where Lucullus rested and where Virgil wrote, the Castel dell'Ovo, where Frederick II stayed and where Giovanna I was clapped in irons, the Chiatamone where the pagans used to crowd, the Pallonetto where the refugees from the attacks of barbarians used to hide — all of these provide the rich background of this secular reality. But there is more. Santa Lucia, from a strictly historical point of view, is where the original town of Naples was formed; it is, metaphors apart, the cradle of Naples. Where now, on fine sunny days, tourists take their photographs, in the ninth century B.C. ships used to arrive, piloted by Greeks, probably from Rhodes; they immediately settled on the island of Megaride or on the shore opposite and later spread as far as the slopes of Mount Echia, also called Pizzofalcone: this later became Partenope, then Palepoli and then Neapolis. This book, written by a well-known expert on the History of Naples, takes its title from a famous Neapolitan street and contains a wealth of historical anecdotes very pleasantly arranged. Based on the antient as welf as the modern Naples, it makes a most interesting " cultural souvenir ".

Vittorio Paliotti was born in Naples in 1930. Reporter of magazines and newspapers, novel-writer, critic and playwright, he has allo written: " History of Neapolitan Songs " (Ricordi, Milano, 1958) - " Modern and Old Neapolitan Songs " (Ricordi, Milano, 1961) - " House with a Panorama " (Rizzoli, Milano, 1964) - " Naples in films " (with E. Grano, Azienda Sogg. Cura e Turismo, Napoli, 1969) - " Forcella, Kasbak of Naples " (Bideri, Napoli, 1970) - " Tot, prince of smiles " (Fiorentino, Napoli, 1972) - "The Camorra " (Bietti, Milano, 1973) -" Shoot, my Love " (Bietti, Milano, 1974) - " The Salone Margherita and the Belle Epoque " (Benincasa, Roma, 1975) - " The character " (Bideri, Napoli, 1977) - " The life-saving woman " (Rusconi, Milano, 1978). Vittorio Paliotti's play " House with a Panorama " (from the omonymous novel) was performed in 1965 and " I've married the greatest " was performed in 1972.