Gallery Umberto I
The Umberto I Gallery in Naples was built between 1887 and 1890. It represents one of the most famous results of the Risanamento (renovation), the great urban planning work. Redevelopment radically changed the city at the end of the 19th century, and added new squares, streets, and buildings, replacing existing ones.
The hidden problem
The new plan was officially motivated by the outbreak of cholera in 1884. The city's leadership believed that the epidemic was caused by the decay of buildings widespread in the tangled alleys of historic districts such as Chiaia, Pendino, Vicaria, Mercato and Porto. The idea of creating the Umberto I Gallery has attracted both praise and criticism: for example, the writer Matilda Serao was convinced that this was not a real reconstruction of the city, but rather a concealment of problems in Naples.
The grandeur of the building
The Umberto I Gallery has the shape of a cross with orthogonal, almost equal branches. The central octagon is protected by a glass and iron dome almost sixty meters high, designed by Paolo Bube. According to architectural historian Cesare de Seta, the Umberto I Gallery immediately became "the best place for journalists and writers to meet, as well as a great place for business, theaters, cafes and nightclubs." This stimulated the literary work of many Italian and foreign artists: for example, Raffaele Viviani dedicated part of his "Bohemian Comics" in 1930 to this special corner of Naples.
The symbol of Naples
The Umberto I Gallery was created to stimulate trade and become a symbol of the renaissance of the city. It still has numerous cafes, businesses, bookstores, music stores, and fashion stores. It once had theaters and restaurants, and it really was the living room of bourgeois Naples.
One of these theaters was the legendary "Salone Margherita", the home of the local version of the cafe club. The Margarita Theater was well known in the Umberto I Gallery, it is located in the lower part of the building. This place has been the seat of nightlife for a good twenty years for Neapolitans. Many prominent personalities have visited here, such as D'Annunzio, Crispi, Serao, Scarfoglio. But Margaret Hall began to decline on the eve of the First World War due to competition from other theaters. The fate of the landmark has become something of a metaphor for Naples, meaning that there are good and bad times.
