In Naples, art isn't only in museums: it's also on the walls of the alleys, on the façades of apartment blocks in the outskirts, on the corners where you least expect it. Wandering around the city with our eyes turned upwards, we discovered that murals have become a way of telling who Neapolitans are, their saints, their idols and their struggles. Let us show you the ones that struck us most.
The Maradona of the Quartieri Spagnoli
The best-loved mural is without doubt the one of Diego Armando Maradona on Via Emanuele De Deo, in the Quartieri Spagnoli. It was painted by Mario Filardi in 1990, the year of Napoli's second league title, thanks to a collection among local residents. Over the years the painting deteriorated, and in 1998 a window was even opened right where the face was.
Restoration began in 2016 on the initiative of Salvatore Iodice, and in 2017 the Argentine artist Francisco Bosoletti restored the face. After the champion's death, the little square became a place of pilgrimage, now known as Largo Maradona, full of scarves, photos and tributes. Go knowing that it's always very crowded. Next to the Maradona, Bosoletti also painted Iside, a work that reinterprets the Modesty statue in the Cappella Sansevero.
Jorit's San Gennaro in Forcella
At the entrance to Forcella, on Via Vicaria Vecchia, a short walk from the Cathedral, a huge San Gennaro about 15 metres tall looks down on you. It was created in 2015 by the Neapolitan street artist Jorit, in collaboration with the City Council and the Deputation of the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro. For the patron saint's face, the artist took inspiration from a friend, an ordinary man from the neighbourhood, choosing to portray a saint close to the people. On the face you'll notice the red marks Jorit includes in many of his portraits, which in his intention evoke everyone's belonging to a single human tribe.
You'll find many other works by Jorit, especially in the eastern part of the city. In San Giovanni a Teduccio there's his giant Maradona from 2017, with the words "Dios umano", and in Ponticelli the large face of a little girl in the work Ael. Tutt'eguale song' 'e criature (2015), conceived as a message against racism towards the Roma.
Banksy and the Madonna with a gun
In Piazza dei Girolamini, between Via dei Tribunali and Via Duomo, you'll find a work by Banksy: the Madonna with a gun, a haloed Madonna above whom a pistol appears, a juxtaposition many read as a reference to the relationship between devotion and crime. Today it is protected by a Plexiglas case. Take your time looking for it: it isn't large, and it's easy to walk right past without noticing it.
A second work by the British artist, which reworked a Bernini sculpture by adding fast food, was on Via Benedetto Croce, but it no longer exists: it was painted over by another writer. A good reminder of how fragile street art is.
Rione Sanità, the gallery neighbourhood
The Rione Sanità is perhaps the neighbourhood where street art has become most closely tied to social renewal. On the side of the basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità is Resistiamo by Francisco Bosoletti, while in the streets you'll come across portraits of Totò, who was born in this very neighbourhood, together with Peppino De Filippo, and tributes to Eduardo De Filippo and Massimo Troisi. We loved the way these works live alongside churches, historic palazzi and the everyday life of the neighbourhood.
The Parco dei Murales in Ponticelli
If you want to step off the classic routes, we suggest the Parco dei Murales on Viale Aldo Merola, in Ponticelli. It's a housing estate built after the 1980 earthquake, where since 2015 a project curated by the INWARD observatory has brought large murals to the façades, along with workshops with residents. It's an example of how art can change the face of a suburb.
Getting there and when to go
The works in the centre (Quartieri Spagnoli, Forcella, Piazza dei Girolamini) can be reached on foot from the Toledo, Dante and Duomo stops on Line 1. For the Sanità, start from Piazza Cavour; for San Giovanni a Teduccio and Ponticelli it's best to use Circumvesuviana trains or public transport. Remember that street art changes: some works are restored, others covered or removed, so before you go, check that the one you're looking for is still visible. Many are in residential areas: be respectful of the people who live there.
Nearby
To build your itinerary, start with our guide Naples and its surroundings. Jorit's San Gennaro is a stone's throw from Naples Cathedral, while in the Sanità you can combine the murals with the Fontanelle Cemetery: between beliefs and truth. To explore the Quartieri Spagnoli and Via Toledo, The most famous streets of Naples will help you.
Photo at top (Naples): This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message. This image is not in the public domain. Please respect the copyright protection. It may only be used according to the rules mentioned here. This specifically excludes use in social media, if applicable terms of the licenses listed here not appropriate. Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
