Happy Birthday Totò, the Grand Hotel Parker's in Naples celebrates the prince of laughter

From February 15 to 22, the Grand Hotel Parker's in Naples will dedicate an entire week to the “Prince of Laughter”, Antonio de Curtis, to celebrate the 125th anniversary of his birth.

On February 15, 2023 Elena Anticoli de Curtis, granddaughter of Totò, will present the book

“Antonio de Curtis – The Prince Poet” (Colonnese Editore).

To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth of Totò, the iconic Neapolitan actor, the Grand Hotel Parker's in Naples has chosen to pay homage to the Prince of Laughter with an exhibition, a food and wine tour and the presentation of a book.

The event, entitled “Happy Birthday Totò”, will begin on February 15, 2023, at 18.00:22 p.m. On Totò's birthday, the great actor will be discussed thanks to the book “Antonio de Curtis – Il Principe Poeta. Tutte le poesie e le liriche di Totò”, edited by his niece Elena Anticoli de Curtis and Virginia Falconetti, published by Colonnese, which will be followed until the XNUMXnd of the month by an exhibition dedicated to him, which will be open to hotel guests.

The granddaughter of the great Totò will present the volume and meet the public: the journalist and writer Michelangelo Iossa will be in dialogue with de Curtis. During the presentation of the book, Francesca Mazzei will also be present, entrepreneur/publisher who, for some years, has been leading the historic Neapolitan publishing house Colonnese.

"Gentlemen we were born and I was born, modestly", as Totò himself affirms in the film Signori si nasce of 1960: 125 years later, the birth of this Lord of Italian cinema is still celebrated who influenced not only the acting art, but also the customs of our country.

Totò, actor and poet, symbol of Naples, is considered one of the greatest interpreters in the history of Italian theater and cinema; between the 30s and 40s he was a guest of the historic Grand Hotel Parker's, asking however to keep the news quiet for reasons of confidentiality.

In addition to its native land, the Grand Hotel Parker's is linked to Totò by a “personal” relationship that has marked its history. The Hotel has therefore decided to celebrate him with the presentation of a book that tells the poetic and musical side of him and an exhibition of illustrations created by Micaela Distinto, a young graduate in Media, Design and Multimedia Arts, in collaboration with the students of the “Cuoco Campanella” Institute – the oldest scientific high school in Naples, located in the Rione Sanità, where Totò himself was born – who took care of the translation of his poems into English.

The event is linked to the project "The Under 20s tell Totò", designed not only to promote the book, but also to increase the sense of belonging to the community and sees cooperation between the world of education and business. In 2019 the girls and boys of the "Cuoco Campanella" Linguistic Scientific High School in Naples launched the "Totò - The Prince Poet" project with Totò's niece, Elena De Curtis, who since the publication of the book "Antonio de Curtis - The Prince Poet ”, tours Italy to introduce the man beyond the Totò mask.

The project, born from an idea by Daniela Chiariello of Activart in collaboration with Colonnese Editore, has seen in recent months an in-depth study of the thought of the famous actor by students on topics such as bullying, the relationship with one's own city and the 'Love. The goal is to give visibility to the work done by students, to give them attention from the adult world outside school to make them feel an active part of society, as well as to encourage constant dialogue with the local area for the promotion of reading.

In the same week, chef Vincenzo Fioravante of the Muse restaurant, on the panoramic sixth floor of the Grand Hotel Parker's, will dedicate one dish a day to Totò, drawing inspiration from the recipe book "Liver here, liver there, fried liver and cod" edited by his daughter by the actor, Liliana De Curtis, and by the journalist Matilde Amorosi, published by Rizzoli. Among the chef's choices will not be missing the "Spaghetto alla puveriello", a famous dish of the Neapolitan tradition.

Parker's is a real homage to Totò, a lover of good food and an excellent cook and symbol, like the Grand Hotel, of the most authentic and true Neapolitan style.