Napoli Dipinta di Blu

"Kit Fordham’s stunning photography captures Naples’ unique spirit"
Luca Miniero (director Benvenuti al Sud, Benvenuti al Nord)

I first came to Naples during Italia ’90, aged just 19, and within days had tickets to Napoli’s San Paolo stadium sitting in the Curva Sud with tifosi di Napoli (admittedly to watch England vs. Cameroon). Like my brother who'd moved to the city in 1989, I fell instantly in love with the city and its football team and adoring fans. My brother fell deeper, first marrying a Neapolitan, and was soon travelling every Sunday to watch Napoli play, years later accompanied by his two Anglo-Italian sons. For my part, living in London, I merely wore the Napoli shirt to my weekly football match in the park: first Lavezzi on my back, then very briefly Higuain, then Milik.

Back in 1990, every wall, car, vespa, pizzeria and surface of the city had a scudetto emblem proudly boasting a ‘2’ for Napoli’s second triumph, all thanks to one Diego Armando Maradona. It left a permanent image in my head and in my heart. Little did anyone know it would take another 34 years, and the renaming of the Napoli stadium in honour of Maradona himself, for Napoli to win its third scudetto.

Visiting my brother, Colum, or Columbo as he’s better known in Naples, this May, days before the scudetto was awarded to Napoli, I could only think of one thing: to capture the emotional imprint on the city this time with photography, and not just memories.

Kit Fordham, May 2023