by Marco Ruggieri

This article examines the figure of the femminiello, a complex sexual identity rooted in the Naples area and now gradually disappearing. It challenges the common claim that femminielli have always been accepted within Neapolitan society—one often framed as liminal and in opposition to North-Western hegemony. The femminielli’s very existence has frequently been cited as proof of Southern Italy’s (Naples’ in particular) supposed innate inclusivity.