A city of excessive potential and catastrophe, Naples bears various scars on its skin: volcanic eruptions, cholera, rubbish emergencies, earthquakes, lahars, but also revolutions, battles, urban redevelopment and unparalleled cultural riches. In such a city, what’s a local to do? And in an economic context where unemployment is almost 28% (data from 2005), what can a Neapolitan do for a living?
There are only two options: to leave (usually to the north) or to adapt. The latter of which Neapolitans call arrangiarsi–to get by. It’s a skill that Neapolitans have mastered–thanks in part to historical and cultural events, but also to a common feeling that can be traced to the very DNA of the city.
