Writing Assignment #5

Despite being only a short distance apart between Rome and Naples their are many differences and characteristics that define these cities. Before leaving we read the articles depicting to us what we were to expect while traveling in Naples and how the culture and people here differ from the rest of Italy and especially Rome. Visiting Naples has allowed us a glimpse of the northern and southern divide that we have read and discussed about in class previously, granted it is difficult to spot the differences without talking to the local people of Naples and obtaining their view points on the subject matter. What I did notice when visiting Naples was that their was a much larger immigrant population then compared to Rome and there is a much greater diversity of where they originate from; this for me was a first hand opportunity to observe the “gateway” of immigration for not only Italy but all of Europe.

This was not my first time in Naples but, much of the city and people are exactly as I remember it the first time I visited. Having visited Naples before many of the “myths” were known to me and I was aware of the dangers that the city hides within its grimy shadow. Alex our tour guide for Naples explained some of the problem that face his city for example, large drug rings, piles of garbage in the streets and an extremely high crime rate; despite all of these problems he still shows an unconditional love for his city. The last time that me and my family were in Italy we visited our cousins in Pastena and when we told them that we were going to Naples for a few days they were extremely worried for our safety and told us to not stay in Naples; since we would be robbed on the streets. Even Italians fear going to Naples which says something extremely negative about the city if the natives from a commune less than an hour away don't even want anything to do with Naples. I think though that Naples has received a bad reputation over the years that has caused a lot of fear of the city and prevents people from going their to experience the real “Naples”. Much of the fears that I had about Naples are still present in my thoughts of the city even after visiting and staying in one of the safer parts of the city and are even perhaps more acute now that I know what to look for. Much of what has been said about the city of Naples and the “myths” that are attributed with the city are true to some extent, but some of the myths can also be true of Rome; it is just that in the case of Naples they have been exaggerated.

There are many differences between Naples and Rome some of them are obvious while others take some time to be seen. Some of these are obvious like the myths that we have heard about in class and some of things that Alex explained to us before we left. One of the first things that I noticed about Naples when we got their was the skyline was significantly different than in Rome where it is dominated by St. Peter's; but Naples had no one dominate figure but rather buildings of various heights some even considered skyscrapers. A not so obvious feature that I noticed was that the artwork and graffiti were more politically aimed and actually carried a message rather than being incomprehensible gibberish which it is often times. Even the way the Neapolitans dress is different than the Romans, in Rome they dress more to the fashion trends and it is easier to distinguish them rather than the Neapolitans. Naples and the Neapolitan people even have their own regional dialect which differs from the Italian spoke in Rome and other major cities; and to go back to the north-south divide this regional dialect plays a large role in the division that exist. Another thing that I noticed while in Naples is that their isn't the large scale amounts of people outdoors during the day and evening like we see in Rome in the Campo dei Fiori or in the other large piazza's of Rome. I don't want to say that Rome is a better city than Naples is but, I will say that there are features of Rome that I like a lot more than those in Naples and if I had the choice of where to live I would choose Rome every time.