The image of Naples is inextricably linked with the image of freshly washed laundry. In front of the windows and on the balconies: freshly washed laundry hangs everywhere in the Vesuvius city and characterizes the cityscape. But Mayor Gaetano Manfredi is a thorn in the side of the colorful laundry that flutters over the heads on clotheslines as he walks through the old town. His plans to ban hanging laundry in the city center sparked outrage – Manfredi promptly had to backtrack.
The draft decision of the city council is circulating on social networks, with the aim of hanging laundry between balconies and from one house to another in the narrow streets of Naples. “The laundry between the balconies and from one house to another is a feature of Naples, but sometimes it’s against the rules of decency. We must always respect the boundary between folk tradition and order,” said the Neapolitan mayor.
Cityscape without wax does not correspond to the tradition of Naples
His words caused outrage in southern Italy’s largest city. With the hashtag “I’m hanging up the laundry”, the protest against the community’s plans quickly spread. The mayor of Naples, ex-university minister and former rector of the prestigious Neapolitan university “Federico II”, is accused of trying to create an elitist image of the city that is not in keeping with the popular tradition of Naples.
Manfredi has the idea of a city where people should disappear,” said a citizen. That is how Manfredi’s predecessor Luigi De Magistris, who was mayor of Naples from 2011 to 2021, sees it. “The truth is that Manfredi does not really like Naples. heart and soul. Otherwise he couldn’t think of a prohibition against hanging the laundry.”
Under pressure from the protest, the mayor had to withdraw. He assured that no ordinance would prohibit washing lines between balconies. However, the municipal council continues to ensure decency and order in the city.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
