Un mito umanistico alla Corte Aragonese di Napoli e la sua permanenza nell'identità culturale dell'Europa moderna

The scholars at the Aragonese court of Naples created a new geographical image of the city and its territory, that celebrated the Neapolitan kingdoms’ glory and justified the Aragonese power according to the contemporary humanistic cultural parameters. In particular, Iohannes Pontanus with his poe try became the author of a new myth of Naples: he celebrated the greatness and beauty of its landscape, following in classical authors’ footsteps. They had attributed an elevated stature to Greek places and enlightened Greek mythical, cultural, and intellectual traditions. Pontanus performed the same cultural operation with Naples and its traditions. So, the new myth of Naples was born as a new Greece, from the shores of which the image of Aragonese greatness and magnificence was spread throughout Europe in light of the wisdom tradition of the ancient Gulf of the Sirens. The image of this new Arcadia, even after the end of the Aragonese kingdom of Naples, has influenced European culture over the centuries up to our times. Because men need to recognize themselves in positive and constructive ideals, intellectuals should now more than ever commit themselves to creating myths of this kind, which can be widely shared in the construction of new ideals to contribute to the cohesion of modern Europe.