Souls of Naples

Goethe’s statement “See Naples and then die”, from his mid-18th century trip to Italy, remains indelible. This brilliantly filmed portrait of Naples  presents the captivating city under Vesuvius, a world of aristocrats and their luxurious palaces, and ramshackle enclaves inhabited by bizarre characters gifted with the art of resisting the passage of time. The central element in Zielen van Naples is the painting “The Seven Works of Mercy by Caravaggio,” the master of chiaroscuro. This altarpiece was painted in 1607, commissioned by the noblemen who founded the Pio Monte della Misericordia, a charity institution still active to this day. The legends on this painting, the history of the Pio Monte, the joy and the pain of the Neapolitans, alternate and combine within the dark/light counterpoint of Naples different souls.