Coordinates: 40°48′50.24″N 14°9′57.33″E / 40.8139556°N 14.165925°E / 40.8139556; 14.165925

Bagnoli is a western seaside district of Naples, Italy, well beyond the confines of the original city. It is beyond Cape Posillipo and, thus, looking on the coast of the Bay of Pozzuoli.

History[link]

Bagnoli was one of the sites of Naples' industrialization in the early 20th century, with the construction of a steel mill. During World War II Bagnoli was damaged as a result of the bombings of Naples.

After World War II, Bagnoli was overbuilt by virtually uncontrolled construction and then suffered urban decay. The first decade of the 21 century saw the removal of the steel mill and some improvement in the physical and visual landscape of the area, including the construction of a public educational facility and convention center called Città della Scienza ("Science City") as well as the conversion of the long ex-steel-mill industrial pier to a public promenade.

Bagnoli Displaced Persons Camp[link]

Between 1946 and 1951 Bagnoli was the site of a Displaced Persons camp run by the International Refugee Organization. The complex occupied by the camp was originally built to provide a home for young people in need. The facility, built in 1930's, was occupied by the Italian War Ministry until 1942 when it was turned over to a Fascist Youth Organization and, later, to the Germans for an OCS school until 1943.^[1]

In 1944 it became an Italian orphanage - Collegio Constanzio Ciano. In mid-February 1944, the 765th US Squadron occupied the area and slept there on the marble floors.^[2]

After World War II, it was used as a Displaced Persons camp, housing between 8,000 to 10,000 refugees, mainly from Eastern Europe, who were being processed for immigration to various countries including Argentina, Australia, Canada, and the USA. At one time there were complaints about disease and children dying.^[3]

An appalling atrocity by the Western Allies was knowingly committed at the refugee camp after World War II as part of "Operation Keelhaul" which was the last forced repatriation from Bagnoli as well as other refugee camps at Aversa, Pisa, and Riccione, of about one thousand displaced people who were categorized correctly, or incorrectly, as ex-Soviet citizens. Their ultimate fate was execution or imprisonment in the Gulag of Soviet Russia.^[4]

Relocation of Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH) to the area previously occupied by the camp at Bagnoli started in January 1953, and the new complex was formally activated on 4 April 1954, the day of the 5th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty.^[1]

References[link]

External links[link]

• A personal account of life at Bagnoli refugee camp
• Example of a Displaced Person who was processed at Bagnoli migrant camp and who migrated to Australia.
• Example of a Displaced Person who was processed at Bagnoli refugee camp and who migrated to Australia.

v t e Administrative divisions of Naples Municipalities First • Second • Third • Fourth • Fifth • Sixth • Seventh • Eighth • Ninth • Tenth Quarters Arenella • Avvocata • Bagnoli • Barra • Chiaia • Chiaiano • Fuorigrotta • Mercato • Miano • Montecalvario • Pendino • Pianura • Piscinola • Poggioreale • Ponticelli • Porto • Posillipo • San Carlo all'Arena • San Ferdinando • San Giovanni a Teduccio • San Giuseppe • San Lorenzo • San Pietro a Patierno • Secondigliano • Scampìa • Soccavo • Stella • Vicaria • Vomero • Zona Industriale

Edoardo Bennato
Edoardo Bennato, June 15, 2007
Background information
Birth name	Edoardo Bennato
Born	(1946-07-23) July 23, 1946 (age 65) Naples, Italy
Origin	Italian
Associated acts	Gianna Nannini
Website	www.bennato.net

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Edoardo Bennato (born July 23, 1946, Naples, Campania, Italy) is an Italian singer-songwriter. He is the brother of the singer-songwriter Eugenio Bennato.

Biography[link]

Edoardo Bennato began his music career in the early Sixties (the first single was published on 1966) as one of the most creative and innovative songwriters of his time. His music distinguished itself for being an imaginative blend of blues, rock and roll, folk influences and even hints of opera.

After his first album Non farti cadere le braccia ("Don't lose heart", 1973), where he was still finding his way between tradition and innovation, Bennato decidedly chose the latter, many of his songs being performed by himself as a one-man band, with a 12-string acoustic guitar, harmonica, kazoo and foot-drum.

During this early period, Bennato's lyrics were characterised by biting satire and irony, often addressed at the establishment and those self-proclaimed as "the good". His second album, I buoni e i cattivi ("The good and the bad", 1974), was an attack against the common-sense distinction between good and evil, between the righteous and the villains. "Arrivano i buoni" ("Here come the good") was particularly significant: "Here come the good, they are resolute and they've already made a list of all the bad ones to eliminate... so now the good have declared war against the bad but they guarantee that it will be the last war ever to be fought...". With Io che non sono l'imperatore ("I, who am not the Emperor", 1975) Bennato pushed his music more towards experimentation, still mainly playing his acoustic guitar. The cover of the album shows a plan for the Naples light-rail system that Bennato had developed for his final project as a university student. While it was highly praised by his lecturers, the plan was never approved by the city council, giving him even more reason to deride and mock the powers to be.

"Meno male che adesso non c'e Nerone" ("Fortunately there's no Nero now") and "Signor censore" ("Mister censor") are among Bennato's best examples of pungent criticism of the system. With La Torre di Babele ("The Tower of Babel", 1976) Bennato's music became more sophisticated - more musicians contributed to the album, which contains tracks of a very wide range of styles. Bennato was clearly evolving rapidly and this album reflects this process. "Cantautore" ("Songwriter") is an amusing piece mocking those songwriters who, at the time, were taking themselves too seriously.

In the following year, Bennato finally reached commercial success with Burattino senza fili ("Marionette without strings", 1977). This is a concept album based on the Pinocchio fairy tale. The central idea is that having one's own freedom and independence is always better than giving in to the system and its rules, even if it means renouncing to some advantages that the system itself uses as luring temptations. Most of the songs in the album became classics, not only of Bennato's repertoire, but also of Italian pop music in general, "Il gatto e la volpe" ("The cat and the fox") probably being the most famous one.

After this big success, no new album appeared until 1980, when Bennato surprised fans, critics and the whole music biz with a very unconventional move: two albums in less than a month: Uffa! Uffa! ("I'm fed up!", 1980) and Sono solo canzonette ("They're only pop songs", 1980). The two albums together sold more than a million copies, against all marketing rules and expectations. Bennato was clearly at the apex of his creativity. Uffa! Uffa!, the most experimental of the two records, is an album where Bennato blatantly disregarded all commercial concerns and let his creativity free to indulge in all kinds of directions, from medieval ecclesiastical chants to punk rock. The album also contained big hits but was generally overshadowed by the hugely successful Sono solo canzonette, a concept album based on the Pater Pan fairy tale and affirming the value of fantasy and imagination over reason and logic.

By this time, Bennato was the most popular Italian songwriter. Inevitably, this period also coincided with the start of a very slow but perceptible decline. In 1983 another fairy-tale concept album, based on The Pied Piper of Hamelin appeared on the market (E' arrivato un bastimento) but it wasn't as successful as the previous ones and this must have led Bennato to try different avenues. This he did with alternating fortune until the present day. Notably, on the occasion of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which were held in Italy, Edoardo sang the official song of the event: "Un'estate italiana" ("An Italian Summer") together with Gianna Nannini.

Discography[link]

• Non farti cadere le braccia (1973)
• I buoni e i cattivi (1974)
• Io che non sono l'imperatore (1975)
• La torre di Babele (1976)
• Burattino senza fili (1977)
• Uffà! Uffà! (1980)
• Sono solo canzonette (1980)
• È arrivato un bastimento (1983)
• È goal! (Edoardo Bennato live) (1984)
• Kaiwanna (1985)
• OK Italia (1987)
• Edoardo live (1987)
• Il gioco continua (mini LP) (1988)
• Abbi dubbi (1989)
• Edo rinnegato (1990)
• Capitan Uncino (1992)
• Il paese dei balocchi (1992)
• È asciuto pazzo 'o padrone (1992)
• Se son rose fioriranno (1994)
• Le ragazze fanno grandi sogni (1995)
• All the best (1996)
• Quartetto d'archi (1996)
• Sbandato (1998)
• Gli anni settanta (2 cd) (1998)
• Sembra ieri (2000)
• Afferrare una stella (2001)
• Il principe e il pirata (2001)
• L'uomo occidentale (2003)
• Totò Sapore e la Fantastica Storia della Pizza (2003)
• La fantastica storia del Pifferaio Magico (2005)
• Canzoni tour 2007 (2007)
• Canzoni tour 2008 (2008)
• Le vie del rock sono infinite (2010)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Edoardo Bennato

• Edo's Official site
• Edo's Fan Club