Diego goes on “living” in Naples!

We spent 4 wonderful days (May 1st-4th, 2024) in Naples.  It’s my 5th-6th time to that amazing (and also crazy) city, a city which has at least 100 different cities, and within just one city. 

All pics taken with a Panasonic-Lumix DC-TZ200 digital camera (and apologies for any repeats!).

The Neapolitans are currently going through their own  "Renaissance" as there's a boom in the number of tourists that are visiting the town, and also Pompeii (been there 3 times), not to mention the Amalfi Coast.  It probably also helps that police have started coming down on the local mafia, the Camorra.  The Economist on April 6th, 2024 spoke about "The white-collar mafiosi of Naples" and said the following: "... that also helps explain the remarkable changes in central Naples: street crime is bad for business, and business is increasingly where Camorristi are to be found...".  

The folks?  The one's that we bumped into were all very nice, nothing at all bad to say about them.  And the traffic?  Nuts as motorcyclists will come barrelling down the tight and narrow streets but will at least honk to tell you to MOVE (and if you love life you MOVE asap!).

And what to say about their very own "God", aka the late, great Diego Armando Maradona who played several years with Napoli's soccer club?  The man, as you can see, is not only EVERYWHERE but there are probably MORE images and symbols of “Dios” around the city than those of Jesus---and there are about 640 churches in Naples---and St. Gennaro (the town’s patron saint) put together!

Michelangelo Pistoletto's work of art (which several months ago had been burned to the ground).

Jesus is alive & kicking in Naples!

The greatest "photographer" of them all, Caravaggio!

 

                               

The former captain of the 1986 World Cup champion Argentine squad, as well as captain of Napoli, died at the age of 60 on November 25th, 2020 in his native Argentina.  

Another amazing Caravaggio (and how many people are there in this painting?).

 
Maradona had played with Napoli from 1984 to 1991.  With the Argentine the club won its first-ever “scudetto” (national title) in 1987, and then its 3rd Italian Cup title with Diego.  And with Diego the Neapolitan club also won a UEFA Cup title as well as an Italian Supercup title in 1990, plus another “scudetto” title in 1990.

The Banco di Napoli and its massive archive.

 

Scampia and its rather "unique" architecture.

Mysterious underground Naples. 

 
During the 1990 Italian World Cup the semi-final match between Italy and Maradona’s Argentina took place on July 3rd, 1990 at the old San Paolo stadium in Naples (aka the “Diego Armando Maradona” stadium).  The match went to penalty kicks (one of the pks was also scored by Maradona) and Argentina that evening prevailed over the devastated Italians, including their fans (and that bloody evening I was sitting RIGHT behind that goal).  Argentina then faced West Germany 5 days later in the final at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, losing that World Cup title to the West Germans on a penalty kick (and I was there for that one too).    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyN-NXFsJXA

And yet another magnificent Caravaggio!

The old San Paolo stadium.

Scampia. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0KCbZ7L17I (from Kusturica's wonderful DVD on Diego's life, which I'm holding in my hand).

Diego's "shrine" in the Quartieri Spagnoli, which has become even bigger after his death! 

And a rather clean metro too.

And the latest news regarding the food in Naples?  According to a CNN poll it's THE best in the entire world!