Architect Davide Vargas's 100-part illustrated guide to Naples

Architect, draftsman, and writer Davide Vargas (b. 1956) has completed 100 weekly installments of his sentimental guide to Naples for the local edition of Repubblica. Each installment pairs a short narrative with a drawing, often colored with coffee and watercolor pencils. Vargas describes the series as 'stories' rather than articles, aimed at revealing the city's authentic character by eschewing stereotypes and folklore. The project began after Repubblica reviewed his 2017 book 'L’altra città [guida sentimentale di Napoli]', a collection of itineraries through lesser-known places that form a personal mythology. Vargas sees drawing as a tool for double knowledge: a quick sketch on site, then a finished piece in the studio using photographs. He cites influences including travel writers Paolo Rumiz, Claudio Magris, Ryszard Kapuściński, Bill Bryson, and William Least Heat-Moon, as well as writer-illustrators like Dino Buzzati and architect-writers like Giancarlo De Carlo. Vargas is currently seeking a publisher to collect the 100 texts and drawings into a book.