Ossigeno

147 s e n s e s a n d t h e c i t y Vir’ Napule e po’ muor’¹. Gosh, preferably not, but in this case the city is an automatic A. Indeed, it is really hard to rattle off the ranking of the best viewpoints to admire the unique Gulf arch, the sinuous bulk of Vesuvius, the blue of the sky and sea, the Borgo Marinari gleaming gold tongue stretched out among the waves. That incomparable, iconic view able for cen- turies to give painters to paint and sellers of souvenirs, poets and lyricists to survive. And so: the Posillipo hill and the Virgilian Park, where at sunset the atmosphere softly becomes dream, up to Capo Miseno; the more than 900 meters of Bagnoli North wharf, once used by Italsider trains and today a long walk on the waters in the Pozzuoli Gulf; the Certosa di San Martino, where that smart Prior dominated a breathtaking postcard from the balcony of his vestibule, today house to a 17th century painting florilegium. And what about the Underwater Park of Gaiola? Every view lends itself to become panorama, a theatrical backdrop, a film set. A conti- nuous belvedere, placed there on purpose to offer itself to our eyes’ enjoyment. But what if we try to change perspective? Because if, as Ortese wrote, « the sea does not wet Naples », Vesuvius is even more distant than it. With all due respect to the colorful eruptions by Andy Warhol, basically the devastated and buried places by the fury of the only active volcano in continental Europe were others: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, Massa di Somma, San Sebastiano, Torre del Greco. After all, Metropolis has always gotten away, either by some Saint’s intercession [first and foremost Januarius], or by that same geological fortune that kept the killer Campi Flegrei Caldera at bay for thousands of years. Now, let’s climb the Muntagna. Funiculì funiculà no longer exists, but the mysterious energy of a crunching and vibrating earth under your feet pushes you to the crater, the violent beauty of Inferno Valley and Atrio del Cavallo, lava and broom, the wind banging on your face, the thrill of fumaroles. Swallow a glass of Lacryma Christi or Crapettone and make a stop in the old Observatory, the most ancient in Europe [foundation year: 1841] . On your way back, a look at the Directional Center skyline will give you a taste of contemporary. In accordance with the chiaroscuro spirit of the city, the itineraries of the underground Naples , the excavations of San Lorenzo Maggiore, the catacombs of Saint Januarius and those of San Gaudioso are a counterweight to that much sunshine. Visiting the Fontanelle Cemetery is necessitated, where the macabre skulls’ [the capuzzelle ] trium- ph, various tibias and bones, are pitifully lapped by rays through the slits of the tufaceous cavity. Like this, can the slumber of death be less profound? ¹ Tr. see Naples and then you can die.