The Redemption of the Siren

Without a doubt, the “myth” of Naples has been more successful than the real, or “true” Naples. One could say, throughout the centuries, the legend of urbs Neapolis has won over history, facts and men and has been delivered as an ‘ideal’ patrimony of humanity. ‘Ideal’, because the myth has often been set aside by the machiavellian ‘effective truth’ . The Siren “Parthenope” has entered into a legend that has not always done her justice, but that has had success in the world, with all the elements needed to go beyond the narrow limits of space and time. The myth of Naples, therefore, would confirm that original hermeneutic acceptance of the myth itself, as in the Greek mythos, in which the city is presented as a collection of deviant representations with respect to the historical truth, rationally demonstrated or directly experienced (logos).