“Naples is unique, and as such it must be represented not only in 2025, but also in the years to come.” These were the words of Maria Luisa Faraone Mennella, board member of the Fondazione Mezzogiorno and member of the National Committee Neapolis 2500, speaking on the sidelines of the press conference held on the occasion of the committee’s first meeting at the Prefecture of Naples on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Backing the initiatives funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture—with a total budget of 7 million euros—will also be contributions from private sources. “You’ll be hearing about it very soon,” announced Faraone Mennella. “It will be a structure with strong and essential transparency indicators. Our goal is to create synergy through public-private partnerships driven by the shared purpose of promoting the city’s history and, through it, shaping its future.”

“I believe this committee faces a great challenge: to do something extraordinary for the city of Naples,” said Prefect Michele di Bari, president of the National Committee Neapolis 2500. In addition to Maria Luisa Faraone Mennella, the event was attended by director Pupi Avati, ambassador Pasquale Ferrara, the rector of the Suor Orsola Benincasa University Lucio D’Alessandro, and physician Salvatore Longobardi. Also a member of the committee is former minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, who was absent due to personal reasons. The Prefect emphasized that Naples will be celebrated “for its heritage, in every sector: art, culture, universities, and all that encompasses both tangible and intangible heritage—everything that today defines Naples’ identity. We have also identified a number of key initiatives, which still need to be refined within a full program, as outlined by the decree establishing the Committee. We estimate about a month to finalize a program. We are in dialogue with the municipal committee as it is essential that all efforts be devoted exclusively to the service of Naples.” “Soon,” added the Prefect, “there will be another meeting, because we need to move quickly and make sure these initiatives move along two tracks: on one hand, everything that we must enhance about Naples; on the other, given the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we also look abroad, toward cultural institutes. That is the great challenge.”
“The members of the committee,” concluded Di Bari, “will not receive any compensation; it is all on a voluntary basis.” The Prefect also announced that a “series of initiatives will be organized to highlight the history, culture, and art of Naples—its great tangible and intangible heritage—both in Italy and abroad,” assuring that the national committee will work in synergy with the municipal committee led by Mayor Gaetano Manfredi.