The beauty of Naples
at its root

Antonella Cilento, Il sole non bagna Napoli 
[The Sun Does Not Bathe Naples], Bottega Errante Edizioni, 2024

When it seems that, after reading so much about Naples, you know it a little better, a book like this by Antonella Cilento appears, and you realize that not only have you barely scratched the surface but that the depths remain inaccessible. Even though you have in mind the places and perimeters, the roots of some stories suddenly emerge, like the presence of a monastery and an abbot on the island of Nisida! The literary quotations and references to many writers who have depicted Naples make the text dense and intriguing. The title paraphrases the more famous one by Annamaria Ortese, a reference writer for Cilento (our friend) along with Matilde Serao and Fabrizia Ramondino, who, despite loving Naples, sang it in a mournful way. And then there’s us, our blessed Maria Lorenza Longo and her splendid work of charity, the Incurabili hospital. Words of praise for our founder and for that group of women, Giulia Gonzaga, Vittoria Colonna, and in more recent times Jeanne de Thouret, who knew how to combine religious restlessness, literary research, and active charity to make Naples more beautiful, healthier, and richer.

#sistersproject