The Mostra d'Oltremare — the Overseas Fair Grounds
Elderly
Neapolitans remember "the Mostra d'oltremare
when..."—perhaps when it was first opened on May 9, 1940
by king Victor Emanuel III as a showcase for Italy's
imperial designs in Africa; or maybe when they rode the suspension cabin–lift when it
still ran from the distant, scenic Posillipo height all
the way into the grounds of the Mostra, itself; or
maybe when the spectacular outdoor theater, the Arena,
was open and you could watch a full-scale production of Aida
under the stars.
I
have complained in these pages
about the general decay that is part and parcel of the
whole area in Fuorigrotta where the Mostra is
located. I am still complaining, but perhaps there are
better times ahead for this gigantic piece of real-estate
way out "beyond the grotto," west of Naples proper.
The
Arena flegrea, today
The Mostra Triennale delle Terre
Italiane d’Oltremare (Triennial Exhibition of
Overseas Italian Territories) was, indeed, grand and
ambitious. Plans for construction were approved in April,
1938, and the exposition opened in fewer than two years,
located within a broad swath of land stretching for about
a mile from Fuorigrotta to Bagnoli, the next town to the
west. As noted in another entry,
"the Mostra had thousands of Mediterranean pine
trees, a zoo, buildings for expositions, and —the crown
jewel— the arena flegrea, an outdoor theater, the
backdrop of which was a colorful mosaic." There were
54 separate buildings and 36 separate spaces for the
display of flora, architecture and artifacts from Italy's
overseas colonies in Africa —250 acres (100 hectares) of
arches, domes, minarets, palm trees, and even, among the
grand historical exhibits, a lake to hold a full-scale
replica of the Venetian galley flagship at the epic
Battle of Lepanto. It was, in
the words of Neapolitan archeologist Amedeo Maiuri,
"...A major exhibition dedicated to the cult of Roman civilization, characterized by a dual propagandistic objective: the glorification of the Roman Empire, in close relationship with the foundation of the new Italian Empire, and the epic fascist conquest of overseas territories."*
(The poster image, above left, is by Hugo Giammusso (1908 – 1977), one of the best-known Italian graphic artists of the 20th century. It is a poster from 1940 for the Mostra d'Oltremare (note the Fascist date, XVIII; i.e. year 18 from the Fascist March on Rome, the beginning of the new empire. If you reread the Maiuri quote, directly above, this is what they mean when they say "a picture is worth a thousand words"!)
*(cited in The City of the Colonial Museum: The Forgotten Case of the Mostra d’Oltremare of Naples, by Giovanni Arena , Seconda Università di Napoli, citing the original source: A. Maiuri, ‘Il segno di Roma alla Mostra delle Terre d’Oltremare’, L’illustrazione Italiana22, 1940, 34–38
The grounds
had little time to prosper; in June, 1940, scarcely one
month after the Mostra opened, Italy was
enmeshed in World War II, and the grounds were closed.
The Mostra was adjacent to Bagnoli, site of a major
steel mill as well as a large military base, and the
grounds and buildings of the grand exposition were
damaged by aerial
bombardment during the war. After the Allies
took Naples in September 1943, the Mostra was
designated a medical center and became home to the US
21st and 23rd General Hospitals. The medical staff also
occupied the nearby Agnano
Thermal baths. The construction boom of the 1950s and 60s was a
dual-edged sword; it is true that there was effort to
restore much of the artistic nucleus near the main
entrance such as the large fountain and the theater. As
a matter of fact, through the 1950s, summer productions
of Aida were an annual event. On the other
hand, there was further decline as land from the much
larger original area was given over to needs more urgent
than dedicating space to colonies that no longer
existed.
within, looking east to
the main entrance
Also, the
earthquake of 1980 caused massive displacement into the Mostra
of persons with nowhere to live but in the
container/shanty town set up on the grounds. The eastern
end of the grounds, directly in front of Piazzale Tecchio
had a brief renaissance in 1990 when that square and
adjacent San Paolo stadium
were rebuilt for the World Cup soccer matches. You could
get onto the grounds, walk around, but there was no doubt
that terminal rot had set in.
By that
date, the western end of the grounds had for a
number of decades gone its own separate way, sprouting
small business to accommodate the growing population of Fuorigrotta and Bagnoli. At the far
western end, today, there is still a large amusement park,
Edenlandia; a closed dog-racing track; and
a zoo that animal lovers caused to be closed, so horrible
were the conditions. (It has reopened
and is much better.)
In 2001,
the Mostra came under the tutelage of La Mostra d’Oltremare S.p.A, a corporation
formed to rejuvenate the area. The project ties in with
the development of the new campus for the University of
Naples just up the road at Monte Sant'Angelo.
At least the eastern end of the grounds are again used
for major fairs and exhibits, such as the recently
completed Home Show, a massive exhibit of household
items arrayed in two exhibit halls on either side of the
main concourse (top photo) leading up to the theater
(also in operation). The square, Piazzale Tecchio, in
front of the entrance is newly intact after years
of major metropolitana
construction to connect the nearby
university with the main train lines into and out of
Naples. The Arena is back in service and, indeed,
has featured a recent production of Aida. Restoration is also
underway on the large outdoor swimming pool and the
beautiful Fontana esedra, a 100-meter-long,
terraced cascade fountain surrounded by a shaded
promenade.
The east end of the Mostra d'Oltremare (next to the square, Piazzale Tecchio) is now ASL #1 for Naples. ASL is the abbreviation for "azienda sanitaria locale" (local sanitary station). It will remain that as long as necessary, probably months. It is a giant vaccination center, part of the National Health Service. You don't have to come here to get your shots, but hundreds of thousands of people will. It's slow, careful, and well-organized, but you grow impatient. I am about to grow impatient for the second time. The first jab was a relief after the wait. The humorous young woman who served me was courteous, quick, and flashed a nice smile. I can't wait to go wait in that line some more.