Vicoli as forms of proximity: Naples’ Spanish Quarter

The narrow streets of the historic centre of Naples are called ‘vicoli’. This term refers to the physical size of the streets as well as the ways in which they are lived. The spaces of the vicoli host a diverse body of occupants, and they often shift from linear, continuous spaces to sequences of ‘rooms’, where public and private meet. This chapter focuses on the concept of ‘porosity’ as the basis for the unique relationship between public space and private space in the streets of the Spanish Quarter. Porosity facilitates the nuanced occupation of space in these streets, changing seamlessly over time