La prego di voler gradire una mia Carta dei prodotti alimentari…

Abstract

The Authors examine some elements of the work of the great cartographer Benedetto Marzolla (1801-1858) who, together with Carlo Afàn de Rivera, represents the best among the intellectuals and technicians that the Kingdom of Two Sicilies yielded before the Italian unification. This contrasts with the commonplace outlined be the Savoyard-Risorgimental propaganda which describes Naples and the Kingdom as a country inhabited by incapables, depraved and lazy persons. The Authors resume the theme of the Map of Nourishing Products, an excellent work not only because it describes the terrestrial and marine nourishing productions, but also for the connection with many agrarian landscapes and relative trades. Moreover, the Authors present the Map of Excise Duty (1830) another work of Marzolla together with Valentino, never known or considered by cartography scholars. This map does not seem to be cited inside the catalogues or inventories about Marzolla’s production, compiled by Valerio or by others authors in the frame of the analysis of the Royal Topographical Office of Naples (ROT), especially along the second half of the XIX century. The “modernity” of Marzolla manifests not only in consideration of anti-historical comparisons with actual excellent or “organic” food products, but for the analogies with the original proposals of Brunet, Ferras and other academics of the Maison de la Géographie. Unfortunately, Italian geographers have devoted little attention to this field of study.