En parlant de Naples, il est impossible de ne pas penser à Totòalias Antonio de Curtisqui est né et a vécu dans la ville napolitaine pendant vingt-quatre ans.

Naples et le Rione Sanità saw Totò from an early age until his first steps in the world of art. His fellow citizens have never turned their backs on him, often taking the opportunity to remember him and pay homage to him. Totò still lives in Naples through the pieces dedicated to him.

Let’s start our walking tour with Totò

En quittant le métro à Piazza CavourPour ce faire, examinons la magnifique structure de l'outil de travail. Musée archéologique national de Naples sur notre droite, puis continuer vers le sud sur Via Foria. Après quelques mètres, il suffira de se retourner pour découvrir la première dédicace des Napolitains au Prince de Curtis, une plaque de marbre placée à côté de la bouche de métro.

En poursuivant le long de la Via Foria, nous arrivons à l'entrée de Rione Sanità, located on our left. It is difficult to notice it during the day, but there is a shape of Totò made up of many small lights right at the entrance. In the evening, when the lights go on, it is fantastic to observe it, it seems as if Totò opened the door to the house, the doors of Rione Sanità, the neighbourhood, which saw him born and grow.

Nous continuons notre promenade et entrons dans le quartier, entourés des nombreux sons, odeurs et couleurs qui le caractérisent. On a l'impression de s'immerger dans un lieu détaché du reste de la ville, un monde en soi.

Totò’s house in Via Santa Maria Antesaecula

Totò has grown up in Via Santa Maria Antesaecula, at number 109. To be precise, he was born on the third floor at number 107 on February 15, 1898, but after a few months, he moved with his mother Anna and his loving grandmother Teresa to number 109, where he lived until 1922, and then moved to Rome, where he lived until his death on April 15, 1967.

We immediately notice the balcony of Totò’s house, the one next to a marble plaque in his memory, affixed there on July 5, 1978.

Un peu plus loin, en remontant la même route, on remarque une niche à l'intérieur de laquelle se trouve un buste en argile qui lui est dédié. L'œuvre a été réalisée en 1990 par le sculpteur Antonio Januario et a mandaté l'association San Vincenzo Ferreri.

Scènes de "Il Guappo" dans la Via Guido Amedeo Vitale

En continuant sur toute la Via Santa Maria Antesaecula et en tournant à gauche à la fin de la route, nous arrivons à l'auberge de jeunesse. Église Saint-Sever hors les murs. A côté, on trouve le célèbre Cinesi Ascent (in English Chinese Climb), named after Priest Matteo Ripa who after having been a missionary in China returned to Rione Sanità bringing with him some Chinese people.

En marchant sur la Salita Cinesi, nous arrivons à Via Guido Amedeo Vitale. Observing the building that stands in front of us, the film directed in 1954 by De Sica L’oro di Napoli will immediately come to our minds, in particular the scene from “Il Guappo” where Totò plays the “Pazzariello”. How to forget him surrounded by partying kids while singing and dancing!

Piazza Totò and the monolith

Revenons en arrière, parcourons à nouveau la Salita Cinesi et allons vers la Via San Severo en arrivant à Piazza Sanità, just like Totò-Pazzariello does in the famous film. From here we continue towards Piazza Totòqui a été dédié il y a quelques années au célèbre artiste napolitain.

We pass under the bridge of Santa Teresa degli Scalzi and a little further on we see in front of us a red monolith with an empty centre, carved following the shape of Totò, including a bowler hat, perceived by many as the void left by the Neapolitan artist. The master Giuseppe Desiato made this sculpture.

Two famous theaters in Naples are also linked to Totò, the Théâtre du Trianon dans la zone de Forcella, non loin du Corso Umberto I, et le Totò Theater, located in Via Cavara. Totò performed at the Trianon Theater shortly before moving to Rome with his family, while at the Totò Theater he never acted but, being not far from the Rione Sanità, in 1996 it was dedicated to him. We conclude our walking tour in the spectacular Église de Santa Maria del Carmine sur la Piazza Mercatooù ont eu lieu les funérailles de Toto, auxquelles ont assisté de nombreuses personnes.

Le Principe de Curtis repose dans une chapelle familiale à l'hôtel de ville. Cimetière de Santa Maria Wailing.