V - Among the Great

Summary

Abstract

Masaniello cooperates with the cardinal and Genoino, to draft somecapitoli, granting rights that the people werekeen, otherwise, to achieve by force. Naples, writes an anonymousobserver, seemed like the Roman Republic. A newgrassiere, in charge of food supply, and a neweletto del popolo are chosen, men who have the nodof Masaniello’s chief advisors. The young leader is given toaccommodation. The cardinal, wishing to seem a canny mediator, ratherthan a supporter of the people’s wishes, as he really is,persuades Masaniello, says one source, to give up his claim to powerfulCastel Sant’Elmo, left in royal hands. That, for the popularalliance, is a grave strategic error.

Keywords: Cardinal Filomarino, Capitoli, Neapolitan plebs,public discussion

Letting it Happen

“Signò Masaniello! SignòMasaniello!” Friar Sebastiano (Alessandro Molini) had beenrobbed of bread and he sought justice. It was the morning of 9 July.Masaniello came to the window of his house, heard what had happened, andinvited the friar up. Then he reassured him: he ordered the crowd to findthe thief who had barely escaped from the friar’s hand, and, in notime, it goes without saying, the man was delivered to Masaniello.“You are the first and I forgive you.” And then he said to me[the friar recounts], ‘Go with this man who will give you your bread,and if he will not give it to you come back to me, and I will give youjustice. My Fra’ Sebastiano, you know that I love you and if you needanything, give me the order’.”

Masaniello, on 9 July, two days into the uprising, now that Perrone’sand Palumbo’s stars had set, was already the capo,the chief, as emerges from this and other stories, which relate how heclimbed onto the stage and intervened. He reiterated, above all, the orderthat no one “dare to rob or disturb the city,” threateningthose who disobeyed that he would have “their ears cut off.”The first to be caught in the act were five military captains of the people,“who had not carried justly some goods taken in some houses orderedby him. He had their long hair cut and forgave the amputation of the ear, atthe prayers of many of his friends.”