Naples – The first 150 families could move back into their new homes in Scampia by the end of the year. Another 150 will follow in 2027. This is the timeline indicated by Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, speaking on the sidelines of the first Neapolitan screening of Francesca Comencini's documentary "La diaspora delle Vele."
"Scampia is a beautiful story," the mayor declared, "because it shows that no place is lost. With hard work, commitment, and participation, this neighborhood is no longer what it was a few years ago."
The Municipality's announcement on the return of residents
The plan calls for a gradual return of families to the new homes built as part of the urban regeneration program launched by the Municipality.
"It's a success for the state and the administration," Manfredi added, "but above all for the citizens who believed in change."
For years, Scampia has been identified in the collective imagination as a symbol of decay, partly due to its cinematic and television portrayal of the Gomorrah saga. According to the mayor, however, recent years demonstrate how the neighborhood is undergoing a profound transformation.
The documentary premieres at the Metropolitan
The announcement came during the screening at the Metropolitan Cinema of the documentary La diaspora delle Vele, directed by Francesca Comencini and previously presented at the Rome Film Fest.
The film is produced by Cattleya and Sky Studios in collaboration with the Municipality of Naples and the Scampia Sails Committee.
Among those taking the stage were director Comencini, producer Riccardo Tozzi—both of whom have previously worked on the Gomorrah series—Deputy Mayor and Urban Planning Councillor Laura Lieto, and Omero Benfenati, longtime spokesperson for the Comitato delle Vele.
Tozzi and Comencini have not ruled out the possibility of making a sequel to the documentary, focusing on the residents' return to their new homes.
Remembering the victims of the 2024 collapse
The evening concluded with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the collapse of the Vela Celeste on July 22, 2024. Also present were some relatives of the three people who lost their lives when a landing collapsed, an accident that also left twelve injured.
That tragic episode helped accelerate the urban regeneration plan and led to the evacuation of the structure's residents.
From the utopias of the 70s to the Restart Scampia project
The history of the Vele di Scampia dates back to the early 1970s, when the complex was conceived as a great architectural utopia of social housing.
After the 1980 earthquake, illegal occupations began, particularly in the Vela gialla neighborhood, while in the 1990s the Comitato delle Vele was founded, which began a long battle for the redevelopment of the neighborhood.
In the years that followed, several buildings were demolished, including the Vela Verde. A key milestone was the opening of the university campus in 2022, an integral part of the Restart Scampia urban regeneration project.
According to the urban plan, only one structure will remain standing as a symbolic testimony to the neighborhood's history: the Vela Celeste.
This seems like good news, but we still need to see how it will unfold. The first 150 families will return this year, and another 150 in 2027, the mayor said. Many residents are afraid and untrustworthy, and the memory of the victims remains alive. We hope for change, but we need concrete actions, not just words.