Naples, Capital of Dance : The ‘feste di ballo' Tradition in the Long Eighteenth Century

Court festivities in eighteenth-century Naples included elaborate celebratory balls featuring social dance, hosted by the aristocracy and highlighted by the direct participation of the monarchs. This book offers a fascinating account of these spectacular events, for readers interested in Southern Italian history, culture, music, and dance.

Renowned as a city of entertainment, Naples was unequaled in eighteenth-century Italy for the diversity of its musical life. During the reigns of Carlo di Borbone and his heir Ferdinando IV, the sponsorship of feste di ballo, elaborate celebratory balls featuring social dance such as the minuet and contredanse, grew increasingly lavish. Organized for carnevale, occasions of state, and personal celebrations in the lives of the royal family, the feste di ballo fostered both a public agenda and a personal rapport between the monarchs and local aristocracy. As the century progressed, the frequency of and resources accorded to the feste di ballo and its showcasing of social dance came to match those of stage drama and instrumental music. Based on extensive archival research, this book reveals the culture of social dance at the Bourbon court and how these spectacular events served to project images of authority, power, and identity.