Uses (and Abuses) of Environmental Resources in Early Modern and Modern Naples

Naples has captivated visitors for centuries. Floating between sea and sky, nestled beneath the shadow of an active volcano and endlessly sunny, its beauty famously led Goethe to say in 1787: “See Naples and die”. Over the centuries, this fascination has been shared by many visitors, who marvelled at the region’s amenable climate, luscious nature and unique urban landscape – so different from anything they had ever seen. Yet, despite its stunning beauty and fertile environment, Naples has faced a paradox: the exploitation of natural resources to support urban expansion has led to challenges that have only worsened over time, resulting in increasingly unsustainable consumption patterns. This chapter offers a long-term perspective on how the city and its inhabitants have interacted with key environmental resources – land, water, air and fire – while exploring the underlying causes and evolution of this complex relationship