“A paradise inhabited by devlis.” (Jennifer D. Selwyn) Naples is Italy’s fourth largest city, and Europe’s most densely populated city. The city is over 2800 years old with rich, rich history, yet is continually characterized as dirty, dangerous, and overpopulated. It is known for its thriving black market, corruption, and high unemployment rates. Naples does not sound like a great place, does it? In order to truly know Naples, one must visit this beautiful city.
Before my visit to Naples, I was warned numerous times about how dangerous Naples is, and that we must be careful when we are there. Naples is, in fact, a dangerous place. There is crime, drug dealing, gangs, and corruption, yet all of these “dangerous” aspects to Naples did not show themselves on my visit. Not only did I not see the crime, when speaking to locals about this bad side of Naples, they told me a few interesting facts. These parts of Naples still exist, just in a hidden way. They also exist to a lesser extent than they did in the past. Presently, Naples is much less dangerous than it was twenty of thirty years ago. On our tour of the project housing in Scampia, a suburb of Naples, our new friend who guided us discussed how the area used to be swarming with drug dealers. Part of the reason that the housing units are not recognized by the government today is because of their horrible history with death and violence as a result of the drug dealers in the area. He also explained, however, that that is no longer such a problem in the area, and the suburbs of Naples are experiencing less and less crime because of the decrease in drug dealing.
The paradox of Naples, and of the southern part of Italy, is that for hundreds of years, the northern part of Italy has been calling the south uncivilized. The south has been further separated over the years, during the development of Italy, because most of the ruling families and important arts and cultural centers were in the north and in the Tuscan region. Because the south was left out of the majority of this development, the north eventually felt that they had to go to the south to occupy the region, and “tame” these dangerous people that inhabited the area. So, again, the paradox is that the south could have been anything: civilized, dangerous, normal, or anything else, but the north was ignorant so they used violence to attempt control over the south. This somewhat shaped the view of the south that still exists today, and as a traveler, I experienced firsthand that the generalizations about the south are not all true!
Naples is a city that is more overpopulated than it should be. I think this adds to the experiences of extremes that I felt on my visit. It was loud, congested, dirty, busy, but overall it was exciting. Every morning, the population in the center of Naples doubles, when hundreds of thousands of people enter the city through the ancient walls. The center of Naples is a melting pot of people from the outskirts and suburbs of Naples, immigrants, and normal residents who live there. The feel is different than Rome. It is more congested, where Rome feels more spread out. I also feel like Naples has a mysterious side to it. Maybe it is because I am a visitor and I do not know the city, but I mostly think that Naples’ reputation precedes it. We know and hear rumors and warnings about Naples, but what do we really know about it? The Camorra is apparently headquartered here. They have gangs. It is “dangerous.” The people look different. They move faster. It seems they are inherently busier than Romans, and have more of a stride to their step, but as a foreigner, it is hard for me to recognize exactly what they are doing.
An important observation about Naples is the attitude and actions of the Neapolitan people versus the Roman people. Neapolitans are different from Romans. They seem to be more accommodating, friendly, and more interested in foreign visitors. When I visited Naples I experienced people that embraced our group of Americans. Multiple people came up to our group, and were interested in what we were doing, inside and outside of the city. They wanted to talk to us, and they did not seem perturbed by our presence, like Romans often do. The interaction we had with inhabitants of Naples was very different from interactions in Rome, and I have made a few observations about this.
Romans feel entitled. This is an observation I have made, but have also discussed it with our Neapolitan “tour guide” Alexander Valentino, and he confirmed my ideas, while adding to them. Their history is rich, and they have always had money and power. This is a very Roman trait, and I think it still carries on to today. Important Roman families have always had power within the government, owned important real estate, and had “old” money. This is a theme in Roman history, and even if many of these families do not still exist today, the theme of entitlement as the all-powerful Italian city is still alive. This theme connected with the fact that Rome is constantly filled with tourists, has affected my interaction with the Roman people while I have been here. The Roman people seem arrogant in comparison to Neapolitans. They have experienced this entitlement, and this constant influx of tourism over the years that it seems they do not have the patience for it anymore. They have experienced so many cultures that it seems they have become intolerant, and uninterested.
These are the observations about Rome I have made before, but mainly after seeing Naples, and coming back to Rome. I do love Rome, and feel more at home here simply because I know the city, and have been here for an extended period of time. I am still very intrigued by Naples, however, and its mysterious side. I appreciate that the people of Naples are friendlier, and more inviting. It is interesting to make comparisons between Rome and Naples, because they are so different in many aspects. The ancient power of Rome as a city is their connecting factor because it had a lot to do with how both of these cities have developed and turned out in modern times.
No comments:
Post a Comment