Napoli in età sveva: la graduale costruzione di una capitale

A city may become a capital because of its geographical location; or thanks to the gra-cious elevation by a higher authority; or it may gradually acquire a position of economic and political prominence; or, again, ancient cultural traditions (real or invented) may push it in this direction. What made Naples the capital of the Kingdom of Southern Ita-ly was probably the concurrence of several evolutionary lines. In particular, this article discusses the role played by the creation of the Studium (1224), which gave the city a new institutional and cultural importance. Along this path it became the city associated with the cult of the poet-magician Virgil.