Naples is always ready to offer cultural festivals, food and wine and religious events, concerts and marathons. There are so many events that enhance and promote the inestimable heritage of the Neapolitan city. The one that certainly attracts citizens and tourists of all nationalities is the Miracle of San Gennaro, celebrated every 19 September. Protector of the city, Gennaro was a Christian bishop and martyr and is famous for the liquefaction of his blood, collected by a devout woman after his beheading in 305 AD. Ampullae are exposed in the imposing Duomo di Napoli in a magical, enveloping atmosphere. The prayers and supplications of the faithful, mostly recited in dialect, fill the Basilica until the fateful and long-awaited moment, when the joy is so great that the statue of the saint is carried in procession along the alleys of the historic centre. The event is seen by the Neapolitans as an auspicious sign for the entire population, amid a mixture of ancient beliefs and superstitions. Tradition has it that this area was saved from the eruption of Vesuvius and plagues precisely thanks to the divine intervention of the beloved Gennaro.
May is the month reserved for the world of art. Since 1992, the May of Monuments event has been one of the most important spring events in Campania’s capital city. This cultural event includes guided tours, concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions and meetings of various kinds every weekend. Every year, millions of visitors choose to stay in Totò’s city in order to discover attractions, churches, places of interest and the most beautiful and characteristic neighbourhoods in an alternative and original way. Also in May, the Comicon, the international exhibition of comics and games, is organised at Mostra d’Oltremare. The fair, established in 1998, is dedicated to animation fans and serves as a showcase for authors and publishers. During the four days, several stands are set up where it is possible to buy gadgets and comics, not only the most commercial ones but also true heirlooms that cannot be found, and it will not be difficult to meet many young people dressed up as their favourite characters, the so-called ‘Cosplayers’. Among the most characteristic moments are the Micheluzzi Prizes, awarded in different categories to the authors and editors of the moment.
Instead, the Napoli Film Festival, which takes place towards the end of September and the beginning of October, is dedicated to the world of cinema. The aim of this initiative, recognised by the European circuit of independent festivals, is to present to the general public the unreleased works of Neapolitan filmmakers, and more generally those from the Mediterranean area, without forgetting the strong appeal that only Hollywood, with its magnificence, can give. Many illustrious guests have taken part in the festival, from Margherita Buy and Michele Placido to the Coen brothers and Ferzan Ozpetek. The Festival is itinerant; in fact, it takes place at the Vittoria cinema and the Metropolitan cinema, the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples and the French Language Institute. For those who like to be carried away by the warm rhythm of jazz music, we recommend attending the concerts of Napoli Jazz Winter, organised for more than ten years by the Napoli Jazz Club association. Between January and April, and October and December, the event hosts the most appreciated artists of the national and international jazz scene, who will have the opportunity to perform in some of the city’s symbolic locations such as the Basilica of San Giovanni Maggiore, the Domus Ars in via Santa Chiara and the Vasari Chapel in the Church of Sant’Anna dei Lombardi.
Pizza declined in all its flavours. We are talking about the Napoli Pizza Village, usually organised in June on the Lungomare di Via Caracciolo, right in the shadow of Vesuvius and Castel dell’Ovo. A popular festival for young and old aimed at promoting one of the treasures of Campania’s gastronomy, Queen Pizza, omnipresent on the tables of the Neapolitans. The ‘village’ extends over an area of some 30,000 square metres and features the most famous pizzerias as well as the most talented master pizza makers from all over the world. The event also hosts various concerts with free admission, exhibitions, seminars and conferences, educational workshops and entertainment for children.
Described as ‘the most evocative race in Italy’, the Marathon Spaccanapoli runs through the streets of the historic centre and is most often divided into two routes: the competitive 10 kilometre race and the non-competitive 5 kilometre race. For information and regulations, please consult the website http://www.maratonaspaccanapoli.it .