As part of the 2,500th anniversary celebrations of the founding of Naples, promoted by the National Committee Neapolis 2500—jointly established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Culture—a major cultural and institutional event is scheduled: the first screening in Naples of the docufilm “Un Natale a casa Croce”, directed by Maestro Pupi Avati.
The event took place on Wednesday, 3 December 2025, at 7:00 PM at Cinema Filangieri, and is part of the National Committee Neapolis 2500’s initiatives aimed at enhancing Naples’ historical and artistic heritage and projecting it internationally, promoting the circulation of Italian ideas and works worldwide, and reinforcing culture as a tool for cooperation and development.
Produced by Minerva Pictures, Istituto Luce, and Rai Documentari, the film is an intense account that explores the human and intellectual life of the philosopher and senator Benedetto Croce, while placing the city of Naples at the center during the period from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. Most of the filming took place at Palazzo Filomarino, the philosopher’s home and the historic seat of the Benedetto Croce Library Foundation.
After its premiere at the Turin Film Festival on 26 November 2024 and international screenings in Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, as well as its prime-time broadcast on RAI 3 on 23 December, the docufilm has received significant institutional recognition. During the General Assembly of Cultural Diplomacy in Matera in November 2024, Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, announced the intention to screen “Un Natale a casa Croce” in all Italian Cultural Institutes worldwide, while Anna Maria Bernini, Minister of University and Research, emphasized Pupi Avati’s importance as an ambassador of Italian culture, capable of conveying abroad not only the beauty of Italian landscapes but also the fundamental values and principles of Italian culture.
“Culture is our most powerful tool to build relationships, tell who we are, and open new opportunities for cooperation. This project renews Naples’ universal vocation, a living city that, thanks to its heritage, becomes an ambassador of culture in the world,” said Michele di Bari, President of the National Committee Neapolis 2500.
The event was organized by the Benedetto Croce Library Foundation in collaboration with the University Suor Orsola Benincasa.
Before the screening, speeches were given by director Pupi Avati and co-writer Luigi Boneschi; the introduction was presented by Prefect Michele di Bari, Lucio d’Alessandro, Rector of the University Suor Orsola Benincasa and member of the National Committee Neapolis 2500, and Benedetta Craveri, President of the Benedetto Croce Library Foundation, the last living member of the family to have known her grandfather Benedetto and one of the participants in the docufilm.
The screenings at Italian Cultural Institutes abroad, promoted by the National Committee Neapolis 2500, will include: Abu Dhabi, Lisbon, Dublin, Havana, Kyiv, Beirut, Istanbul, Córdoba, St. Petersburg, Prague, and Addis Ababa.