La cultura a Napoli tra Ottocento e Dopoguerra - Sistema Archivistico Campano

In Naples, the 19th century drew to a close with the spread of yet another cholera epidemic. As is often the case in such situations, the disease was brought by sea by French soldiers returning from the Tonkin War against the Chinese empire. Cases exploded in September 1884, ultimately causing approximately 8,000 deaths, mainly concentrated in the most populous areas of the city, which, it must be said, did not excel in terms of hygiene.

In fact, in previous years, some experts had already denounced the unhealthy conditions of large parts of Naples, but it was not until 1885 that a general plan was approved for the “redevelopment” of the Porto, Pendino, Mercato, and Vicaria districts, with actual work beginning four years later. The city was transformed into a giant open-air construction site. The work lasted for years, so much so that in 1912 a law was passed to complete the Plan.

In the end, the goal was achieved: the neighborhoods were “redeveloped,” with overall improvements in health and urban safety, and more modern buildings were constructed, many of which would come to characterize the city in the years to come, such as the Galleria Umberto I. However, the Plan also had its downsides, particularly due to the intense land speculation that occurred during those years.

The writers who had previously criticized Scarpetta's theatrical style took sides against him, but among the experts who sided with the theater manager was even Benedetto Croce. The prestigious opinion of the famous intellectual certainly influenced Scarpetta's acquittal.

Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Naples was a city in turmoil, not only in terms of construction but also culturally. One cannot fail to mention the birth of Il Mattino, a daily newspaper founded in March 1892 by Edoardo Scarfoglio and his wife Matilde Serao. 

The new newspaper immediately showed a strong inclination towards the world of culture. Scarfoglio, on the other hand, was a friend of Gabriele D'Annunzio and (albeit not directly) a pupil of Giosuè Carducci, who gave him his authoritative support. In addition, the newspaper boasted the participation of Neapolitan poets Salvatore Di Giacomo and Ferdinando Russo.

Matilde Serao was personally involved in the literary field, being the author not only of journalistic writings and essays but also of novels, short stories, and two plays. An independent woman, after her husband's betrayal with the chanteuse Gabrielle Bessard (who tragically decided to kill herself in front of Scarfoglio's house), she founded a new newspaper, Il Giorno, together with Giuseppe Natale in 1904.

In Afragola and Grumo Nevano, the headquarters of left-wing parties were set on fire. In 1921, there was an attack on a communist rally in Naples, during which a railway worker died. In 1922, the squadristi attacked striking dockworkers. The brutality did not even spare the police, who at the time were usually rather mild in curbing fascist abuses: the Public Security police stations in Piedigrotta and Torre del Greco were attacked to free some imprisoned fascists.

Naples at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century was a city that laughed thanks to the brilliant comedy of Eduardo Scarpetta and his character, Felice Sciosciammocca, with whom he aimed to entertain the Neapolitan petty bourgeoisie. Great success came with “Miseria e nobiltà” (Misery and Nobility), a comedy that became legendary thanks to Mario Mattoli's 1954 film version, with Totò in the role of the scribe Sciosciammocca.

However, Scarpetta's success was accompanied by numerous controversies: first and foremost among Neapolitan writers, including Di Giacomo, who accused him of betraying or abandoning a supposed traditional popular comedy.

However, it was the opera Il figlio di Iorio, a parody of Gabriele D'Annunzio's La figlia di Iorio, that sparked the most heated controversy, now recounted in Mario Martone's film Qui rido io (2021). The parody cost Scarpetta a theatrical premiere covered in boos and a lawsuit for counterfeiting, during which he strenuously defended his dignity as an author.

In addition, countless requisitions were carried out by the occupying forces. These operations became so widespread that the highest Allied authorities had to intervene, committing themselves to putting an end to the most flagrant abuses. However, the buildings and sites that best represented the city from a historical and cultural point of view passed into Allied hands: these included the University, the Royal Palace, the San Carlo Theater, and the National Archaeological Museum (which was used to house troops and store materials).

Early 20th-century Naples was therefore a city in full development, both culturally and urbanistically. The port had taken on a particularly important role in connecting with the African colonies and the American continent, towards which millions of Italians from the southern regions directed their hopes for a better life. 

The outbreak of World War I saw the industries of the Neapolitan area involved in the war effort, being directed towards the production of weapons and tools necessary for the continuation of the war. Although far from the front and trench warfare, Naples was directly involved in the war, having been the target of one of the first aerial bombardments in history: the Austrian airship LZ 104 targeted the port and industries, but civilian neighborhoods were also hit, causing many casualties.

Those affected were obviously the representatives and supporters of left-wing parties and trade unions, which Padovani believed should be destroyed and replaced by the fascist union he himself was organizing. In an increasingly tense climate, violence multiplied: in 1920, there was a punitive expedition to Torre Annunziata, a stronghold of the left, and a reprisal in which Diodato Bertone, a worker and leading figure in the socialist world, was killed.

Once the war was over, Neapolitan society was also caught up in the turmoil that affected a large part of the Italian population, frustrated by a “mutilated victory” and agitated by increasing conflict between different groups and classes, which ultimately led to the rise and dominance of the Fascist Party. Aurelio Padovani was undoubtedly a notable figure during this period.

A rough and violent man but gifted with organizational skills, Padovani joined the Bersaglieri corps in 1911 and enlisted for the war in Libya. He later participated in World War I, during which he was awarded the rank of captain. After the war, he took part in various militaristic movements before joining the Neapolitan Fascio in 1920, which he soon took control of. Under his leadership, the squadristi wreaked havoc in Naples and nearby towns.

The exasperated population took up arms and, in an episode now famous as the Four Days of Naples, managed to liberate itself from the German occupying forces before the Anglo-American battalions entered the city. However, liberation did not solve all the problems of a society devastated by long years of dictatorship and war. AMGOT, the Allied military administration, placed Colonel Hume in charge of the Campania region, who kept the old Badoglio leadership in place and censored the newspapers.

Ad Afragola e a Grumo Nevano vennero date alle fiamme le sedi dei partiti di sinistra. Nel 1921 vi fu un assalto a un comizio comunista a Napoli, durante il quale morì un ferroviere. Nel 1922 gli squadristi aggredirono i portuali in sciopero. Le brutalità non risparmiarono neanche le forze dell’ordine, al tempo solitamente piuttosto blande nell’arginare i soprusi fascisti: vennero assaltati i commissariati di Pubblica Sicurezza di Piedigrotta e di Torre del Greco per liberare alcuni fascisti incarcerati. 

With the entry of Fascist Italy into the war, Naples experienced one of the darkest periods in its history. The city was repeatedly hit by countless air raids starting in 1940. The raids intensified throughout the conflict, reaching their peak in 1943, when large sections of the city had already been destroyed. The attacks were carried out by both the Anglo-Americans and, after the armistice, the Germans. 

Neither civilian homes nor hospitals were spared. The bombing of August 4, 1943, was particularly destructive: shortly after 1:30 p.m., hundreds of bombers dropped a huge number of bombs on the city, destroying much of the Basilica of Santa Chiara and also severely damaging the Maschio Angioino. 

La popolazione esasperata imbracciò le armi e in un episodio ormai famoso, ricordato come le Quattro Giornate di Napoli, riuscì a liberarsi da sola delle forze occupanti tedesche, prima che i battaglioni angloamericani entrassero in città. La Liberazione, comunque, non risolse tutti i problemi di una realtà prostrata dai lunghi anni di dittatura e di guerra. L’AMGOT, l’amministrazione militare degli Alleati, pose a capo dei territori campani il colonnello Hume, che mantenne nei quadri la vecchia dirigenza badogliana e censurò i giornali. 

Inoltre, furono operate innumerevoli requisizioni da parte delle forze occupanti. Tali operazioni divennero così diffuse che fu necessario l’intervento delle più alte autorità alleate, le quali si impegnarono a far cessare gli abusi più eclatanti. Comunque sia, gli edifici e i siti che maggiormente rappresentavano la città dal punto di vista storico-culturale passarono in mano alleata: tra questi l’Università, il Palazzo Reale, il Teatro San Carlo e il Museo Archeologico Nazionale (che venne destinato all’acquartieramento di truppe e al deposito di materiali). 

Some improvements were made when Charles Poletti, who had briefly served as governor of New York State, took over the administration. On May 16, 1944, the San Carlo Theater reopened with a performance of Aida. In the climate of reconstruction, there was no lack of desire to participate in cultural events, nor was there any shortage of Neapolitan artists involved in the theater. In this regard, we cannot fail to mention the genius of Eduardo De Filippo, who made his debut at the San Carlo on March 25, 1945, with the dramatic comedy Napoli milionaria!

Thanks to this documentation, it is possible to recall two particularly significant performances among the many that took place, such as the “Stabat Mater” by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski and “Le Roi David,” an opera belonging to the musical genre known as oratorio, composed by French composer Arthur Honegger.

Cultural activities are carried out by countless organizations. Among these we can mention the Alessandro Scarlatti Association, named after the great composer, one of the leading exponents of the Neapolitan Baroque music school, who died in the city in 1725. The association has always been very active in reviving the musical scene in Naples. Among the digitization objectives of the Biblio_ARCCA project is material related to concert activities.

Grazie a tale documentazione è possibile ricordare due esecuzioni, tra le tante che si tennero, particolarmente significative, quali lo “Stabat Mater” del compositore polacco Karol Szymanowski o “Le Roi David”, opera appartenente al genere musicale detto oratorio, composto dal francese Arthur Honegger.