Eduardo De Filippo's 'Il sindaco del rione Sanità' Becomes Graphic Novel in Naples Exhibition

A graphic novel adaptation of Eduardo De Filippo's 1960 play 'Il sindaco del rione Sanità' is the subject of a new exhibition opening September 26 at Palazzo Scarpetta in Naples. The show, promoted by the Fondazione Eduardo De Filippo and curated by Francesco Tenaglia, presents 26 drawn plates reinterpreting the play. The project began in 2019 with a residency at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Parigi by artists Marco Pio Mucci and Matteo Pomati, later joined by Piero Golia. In the graphic novel, Mucci and Pomati portray themselves as the main characters: Mucci as Don Antonio Barracano (the 'mayor') and Pomati as Dr. Fabio Della Ragione. The artists chose to set the story in the 1960s, avoiding contemporary updates or actor likenesses. Mucci cited influences from Luigi Ontani and Lucio Amelio. The play, which explores blurred lines between legal and illegal, continues to inspire contemporary adaptations, including a film by Mario Martone.